Poverty reduction has always been a central development goal. Major international programs such as the UN's Millennium Goals place poverty at their centre. New explanatory concepts such as social exclusion, capability, social capital and sustainability have considerably expanded our thinking about its nature. Students will examine cases from many parts of the world of the way discourses, policies and development practices operate together, enabling an evaluation of contemporary approaches to poverty and their effects on those most vulnerable.

This unit provides students with analytical tools to understand and evaluate different forms of human activity upon the planet's ecosystems. Approaching the concept of 'the anthropocene' as a conceptual platform of social/political/cultural reflection, it will introduce students to contemporary critiques of development and the environment, environmental humanities and multispecies justice. The unit maintains a close association with critiques of anthropocentricism, alternative knowledge systems and social justice issues.

This unit provides a foundational understanding of the content and philosophical justifications for human rights norms. Philosophical, historical and positivist perspectives will be brought together in this unit to allow students to grasp the content of human rights and the justification for norms that become domestic and international law. The unit covers institutional protection mechanisms, including UN treaty and charter bodies, and offers an exploration of core human rights treaties and their social and political context.

This unit introduces students to the interdisciplinary field of Peace and Conflict Studies and the history, philosophy, economics and politics of peace. Students will learn about the causes of violence and the potential for nonviolence, peaceful conflict resolution and other means of achieving peace with justice in different conflict settings.

Using a case study approach, this unit helps students to analyse the causes and sustaining dynamics of human rights violations along a number of dimensions; cultural, economic, organisational, social and political. Students will then acquire analytic and practical capacities and skills to assess the merits and feasibility of different types of interventions and design intervention strategies. It considers the impact of different types of interventions and the processes available for assessing the human rights impact of other laws, policies or developments.

This unit of study will provide students the opportunity to assume institutional roles within the international human rights framework, and understand its opportunities and constraints in responding to social problems rooted in inequality, precarity and violence. This unit reaches beyond traditional classroom instruction by simulating a range of human rights issues to which students must respond, engaging students in exercises designed to practice skills for future human rights advocacy, including data collection, interview techniques, and engaging with the media.

This unit will provide students with an appreciation of the Indigenous peoples' struggle for Indigenous rights through an understanding of international, regional and national processes relevant to this struggle. Students will not only learn about Indigenous peoples histories in relation to colonisation and state building and the relevance of the nation-state and governments to the struggle for Indigenous rights but also the significance of international law, globalisation and economic development to Indigenous peoples struggle for Indigenous rights.

The unit introduces key social science concepts relevant to Development Studies. Students will learn to identify and critically assess fundamental ideas in social theory, including society as social facts, social action and change, the moral dimensions of human life, intercultural relations, and the idea of the global and universal in human societies.

This unit focuses on the strategic dynamics of the Asia-Pacific region and the security challenges it faces. It combines a grounding in International Relations theory, and concepts of strategy and security, with a series of dedicated country profiles. Issues such as great power rivalry, nuclear proliferation, terrorism, piracy, and environmental degradation are all considered. The overall objective of the unit is to engage with issues and arguments about strategy and security that relate specifically to the Asia-Pacific region. Teaching and learning take place via a combination of lectures, student-led seminars, and independent research.

This unit assesses the political and security significance of disease-related events and developments. Whether one contemplates historical experiences with smallpox, the contemporary challenges posed by diseases such as HIV/AIDS and SARS, or the risks arising from new scientific developments such as synthetic biology, it is clear that diseases exercise a powerful influence over civilised humankind. The unit concentrates on areas in which human health and security concerns intersect most closely, including: biological weapons; fast-moving disease outbreaks of natural origin; safety and security in microbiology laboratories; and the relationships between infectious disease patterns, public health capacity, state functioning and violent conflict. The overall aim of the unit is to provide students with a stronger understanding of the scientific and political nature of these problems, why and how they might threaten security, and the conceptual and empirical connections between them.

This unit critically examines the notion of state fragility within the global system. It investigates the characteristics of so-called 'fragile' and 'failed' states, and the nature of international engagement with (and discourses about) these states. It explores various perspectives on state formation in both Western and post-colonial contexts, and emphasises the ways in which knowledge is produced about non-Western states. The unit expands upon the theoretical literature with evidence from case studies in Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia.

This unit introduces students to the basic knowledge of the issues, challenges and policies related to nuclear arms control and nonproliferation. The principal objective is to give students a better understanding of the politics of arms control and nonproliferation and help them develop the analytical skills for undertaking policy-relevant research and the ability to develop policy recommendations. The unit is also designed to examine proliferation problems and the ways that arms control can contribute to national and regional security.

The post-1949 era of 'development' has seen a philosophical and policy shift from nation-building projects of 'modernisation' to the local responsiveness of market forces and civil society. An anthropological emphasis on cultural and local difference and a sociological understanding of state and civil society provide a critical perspective on both this history and current debates. Case studies raise questions of health, gender and childhood, project success or failure, and of the hopes and skepticism development evokes.

Development is an international and intercultural process that seeks to both implement projects with specific objectives, and change the way people live and think. Language, as communication both enables such projects and is a source of incomprehension, misunderstanding and exclusion within them. Education as the longer term attempt to change the thinking and values of people and communities also has language at its heart. This unit examines the nature and politics of language and education and their relationship within development.

Project design, dynamics and evaluation are key elements of the management and delivery of development initiatives. This unit focuses on the history, significance, context and design of evaluation in that process. The unit addresses debates about participatory approaches to evaluation, quantitative and qualitative methodologies. Assessment is organized around the design of a proposal for a project evaluation.

The unit introduces the core concepts of political economy through the lens of the principal schools of economic thought - Classical Political Economy, Marxian Economics, Neoclassical Economics, Institutional Economics, Keynesian Economics and Contemporary Political Economy. You will consider each school’s historical origins, their methodological approaches, analytical tools, policy prescriptions and insights. You will learn about the foundations for the application of political economic reasoning to advance understanding of contemporary issues like the climate crisis, precarious employment, energy impoverishment, the contemporary university business model, and global pandemics.

This unit explores the processes of socioeconomic change, and the forces involved in shaping these processes and thus bringing about such change. Through the lens of different theoretical perspectives, and contemporary case studies, you will consider the institutions, the political and ideological interests, the relationships, the spatial impacts, and the constraints involved in socioeconomic changes for nation-states, local communities, firms, classes, households, and individuals. You will learn about a range of issues and debates, and make a detailed study in one such area.

This unit introduces students to environmental economic theory, ecological economics, and other critical perspectives in order to develop an understanding of the parameters that define management of economy-environment interactions. Students will develop a critical appreciation of the systemic nature of the pressures imposed on environmental/ecological systems and the intractable problems this presents. The unit examines the different tendencies that inform environmental management and sustainable development; and the relative merits/weaknesses of the strategies and policies advanced.

Pleasure is often thought to make everyday life worthwhile, but it is also commonly positioned as the antithesis of health. In this unit we explore how key strands of cultural studies have approached this paradox with reference to specific examples: Drug use, sex, consumption, leisure activities are possibilities. By considering how authorities have attempted to govern these practices, and with what effects, students will develop new associations between conceptual innovation, cultural intervention and policy impacts.

What is the relation between femininity, masculinity and culture? Does sexual difference affect our identity and, if so, how and in what circumstances? Does it affect our relations with others? Is there any link between cultural and racial difference and sexual difference? What contexts may shape such links? Where does equality fit into all this? Drawing on the work of major cultural theorists and feminist thinkers this unit examines various theoretical conceptualizations and popular representations of gender; the issue of embodiment; and how sex and race are articulated within gendered conceptual frames.

This unit aims to introduce students to how states and other actors in the international arena cooperate to build institutions as a response to common problems. After completing the unit students should be able to analyse contemporary international organisations to see how they work, whose interests they serve, and to what degree they attenuate or enhance the power of sovereign states.

This unit reviews developments in international security since before World War l, to recent events like September 11 and its aftermath. The principal focus is on developments since the end of the Cold War and the collapse of Communism. The unit takes account of traditional notions about the causes of war and the conditions of peace, as well as changes in the structure and process of contemporary international relations.

It is widely believed that we are entering a new era in which the transborder flows of capital, goods, ideas, and people are rapidly transforming human society. 'Globalisation', many claim, threatens the autonomy of nation-states and erodes the power of national governments to provide social protection and promote the nation's economic prosperity. This unit examines not only the causes and mechanisms of this process, but also assesses its social, economic, and political impacts. The views of radicals, transformationalists, skeptics, and institutionalists are compared and criticised. While globalisation is often viewed as a singular process, trending towards a global society, this unit offers a distinctive approach. Globalisation has uneven and highly differentiated impacts, whether harmful or beneficial, and this unevenness is closely associated with the nature of institutions of governance, at both the domestic and international levels.

This unit examines the environment as a political and policy issue. Although relatively recent, the environment has become a full-fledged public policy issue exerting influence in local, national and international arenas. The unit will first focus on the specific features of the policy that influences the capability of contemporary societies to enhance the management of environmental resources and of public goods in general. Second, it discusses the development of environmental policy in Western countries, with a particular emphasis on the European Union. Third, a grid for the analysis of environmental policy will be presented, with a discussion of the main actors (political, institutional and socio-economic) involved in it and of the factors (interests and ideas) influencing their positions. Fourth, the unit briefly discusses environmental conflicts and consensual approaches used for tackling them.

Why do states behave the way they do? Using a historical perspective, this unit explores the ways in which the different theories of international relations account for what shapes the international system - who are its main actors, what are its determining forces and structures. It examines both how these theories have vied with one another within inter-paradigm debates and how they developed in relation to specific historical events. These theories include realism, idealism, neorealism, neoliberal institutionalism, Marxism, the English school, constructivism, poststructuralism, feminism, post-colonial approaches. While no prior study of international relations is required, a willingness to engage with theoretical thinking and grapple with complex questions of ontology and epistemology is essential.

This unit examines the challenges of modern representative government. Comparing models of democratic politics, we assess the continuing relevance of political institutions, such as parliaments and parties, and consider political processes, citizen disengagement and new forms of participation.

This unit provides a comprehensive theoretical and empirical introduction to the problem of terrorism worldwide and its impact on global security. It will cover the origins of terrorism, the structure and behavior of terrorist organisations, social, political, economic, and technological trends that impact terrorism and the threat it poses, and the complexities of counterterrorism policy. The knowledge and analytical skills acquired by students in this unit will be instrumental in understanding the challenge of terrorism.

This unit focuses on the nature of public policy and the processes by which it is produced. Relevant issues are common to all nation states, although they take specific forms in each individual country. First, the unit takes an overview of public policy - dealing with basic themes such as 'What is policy?' through to different approaches to understanding the policy process. These include policy cycles, rationality, interest groups, institutions, and socio-economic interests. Second, it maps out and examines the main components of public policy making: actors, institutions and policy instruments. Third, it focuses on aspects of policy-making processes which often attract a high level of attention from analysts. These include problem definition, agenda setting, decision-taking, policy implementation, policy evaluation and crisis policy-making. Fourth, it examines wider issues in terms of the state and who ultimately holds power over the making and shaping of public policy. Finally, it examines the 'bigger pictures' of long term policy trends, and the extent to which national policy making capacities and processes have been affected by globalisation. Assessments offer a large element of flexibility, allowing students to concentrate on areas of particular interest.

Holocaust and genocide museums and memorials continue to grow in number and appeal. This unit tracks their evolution as a genre, the theoretical and political debates that have accompanied their development and their increasingly influential public and political roles. We examine both purpose-built institutions and those developed at former sites of mass murder, reflecting on how these sites of trauma both shape our understanding of past events and contribute to contemporary debates concerned with genocide prevention and other related issues.

Language is a fundamental human right. However, it is a right that is often overlooked. One consequence of a failure to uphold linguistic rights is a loss of languages. This unit discusses issues of linguistic diversity in the context of social justice. The unit pays attention to the different ways in which language intersects with various forms of disadvantage, including exclusion, discrimination, and language loss. We consider the impact of this on individuals whose linguistic practices are overlooked or devalued and investigate ways in which we can advocate for social justice by supporting linguistic diversity.

Media Relations provides students with practical experience in seeking media coverage for a specific issue on behalf of a non-profit organisation. It requires students to research, design, present, implement and evaluate a communication plan, and to develop key tactical elements including media releases for distribution across multi-media platforms.

This unit introduces the fundamentals of strategic social media use for professional and organisational communication, media practice and cultural production. It aims to equip students with the knowledge and skills to become competent, ethical social media communicators and to critically analyse social media forms, services and cultures. Students will explore online, mobile and locative platforms for interacting with audiences, publics and online communities, including professional networks.

In this unit students critically examine the role of the United Nations in promoting international peace and security. Contemporary and historical case studies are used to analyse the UN's performance in relation to such activities as peacemaking, peacekeeping, peacebuilding and peace enforcement. We assess the challenges facing the UN in achieving its mandate and implementing reform with a view to attaining peace with justice.

In this unit we explore the concept of reconciliation and its relationship to conflict transformation and peacebuilding at personal, community, national and international levels. We will use case studies to highlight the psychological, spiritual, cultural, structural and political dimensions of reconciliation in different contexts such as indigenous/settler relations, restorative justice processes and transitional justice after mass violence.

This unit examines the causes and consequences of different types of violence, including war, genocide, terrorism, torture, gender-based violence, gang warfare and violence associated with racial, ethnic or religious tensions. We explore how violence has been defined and tolerated historically, its character and prevalence in different times and places, and the interconnections between direct, structural and cultural violence. Issues considered include cultural and social context, public perceptions, media representation, prevention, prosecution and the political economy of violence.

This unit examines media representations of conflict and their influence on the behaviour of those involved. It introduces creative ways for journalists, media development workers and media activists to apply principles of conflict resolution. Students diagnose 'war journalism' and 'peace journalism', and analyse conflict in a journalism context. Theories of news and concepts of objectivity and responsibility are critically explored. Students gain practical skills in peace journalism and media activism as well as devising peace journalism interventions in conflict-affected areas.

This unit explores the interrelationship between human rights, peace and justice in theory and in practice. We examine the philosophical underpinnings, legal instruments, political struggles and ethical challenges involved in understanding and attaining human rights locally and globally. Students will engage in debates about global responsibilities for the prevention and prosecution of mass human rights violations and the means of promoting peace with justice through specific rights such as those of women, refugees, indigenous peoples and the non-human environment.

Religion is frequently blamed as the cause of violent conflict and yet peace and nonviolence are considered central to most if not all religions. In this unit we examine historical and contemporary case studies to deepen our understanding of how religion may be used to promote violence and how religion and religious actors can contribute to building peace and social justice. Students will gain an understanding of different religious traditions and build an appreciation of the issues involved in working with diverse faith communities in the pursuit of peaceful conflict transformation.

This unit explores the psychological dimensions of building peace in the world through cultivating inner peace or 'peace of mind'. We examine how it is that ordinary human beings can commit genocide and other mass atrocities, and how an understanding of underlying psychological processes can help with creating more peaceful communities. These inner processes include the effects of fear and trauma, and the development of empathy, resilience, healing and reconciliation.

This unit of study will focus on the theory and practical application of facilitation, communication and conflict resolution skills in a community mediation context. Students will learn about various models of community mediation and will become skilled in the stages of community mediation through role-plays and simulation exercises. In addition to specific training in community mediation, the unit provides students with transferable skills and knowledge about mediation.

This unit of study introduces students to the theory and practice of conflict analysis and resolution. Students will gain an understanding of conflict resolution and transformation principles and interactive conflict resolution methods designed to address protracted, deep-rooted social conflicts. Students will learn skills that can be applied across the spectrum of conflict types from interpersonal and community, to inter-ethnic and international.

International development and humanitarian assistance are often delivered in a context affected by violent conflict. Aid and development operating in such complex situations risks feeding the conflict rather than alleviating it. A conflict-sensitive approach minimises the negative impact of aid and development ('do no harm') and maximises the positive impact on local capacities for peace. In this unit we take a skills-based approach to understanding and applying theories and methods of conflict analysis to designing conflictsensitive interventions that support more effective and accountable development practice in the field.

This unit will provide an analysis of theories and practices of citizenship rights in Australia, other Anglophone countries and European countries in the 20th and 21st centuries. It will examine the relationships between different modes of citizenship, claims for rights and the formation of social movements with regard to the women's movement, Indigenous movements (where applicable) and movements concerned with migration, ethnic diversity and multiculturalism. Analyses will focus on the processes, content and outcomes of social movement advocacy.

This unit explores a series of issues of controversy and debate in social theory. These include debates over: the information age; new information and communication technologies; the new capitalism and changing work practices; the cultural sphere; new forms of power and surveillance; shifting claims to insight in knowledge societies; the role of education in social inequality; the bases of making knowledge claims; and globalisation. The unit involves both face-to-face seminars and online discussions.

Working with communities is a key policy and practice priority for government and non-government agencies in Australia. This unit will critically examine the current policy frameworks informing work with communities as well as current practice models of community development and community engagement. The unit seeks to explore the why and how of work with communities. It will draw on an emerging Australian body of research about working with communities based in the community of Glebe. This unit is suitable for practitioners seeking to work more effectively with communities.

There is a well-established scholarship and governmental interest in both the impact of globalisation on social policy and the emergence of what is increasingly termed 'global social policy' which is a direct response to global social problems. It is a field that is growing in the areas of social policy and social work research and practice and can be clearly linked to increased employment opportunities for social workers and social policy graduates in the international/global arena. A key perspective of this unit of study is from non-government organisations' participation in the development of a global civil society and their contribution to global social policy. It also examines the United Nations Millennium Development Goals and how NGOs have contributed to both the ambitions of the goals as well as the outcomes for different countries. This unit provides opportunities for students to deepen their understanding and knowledge of core global concerns such as poverty, health, education, environment, NGO corporate engagement and gender equality and make links to the vital role of NGOs in these areas.

Quantitative methods are vital to social science. This unit introduces students to commonly used techniques for collecting and analysing numerical data to answer empirical questions about social, cultural, and political phenomena. It addresses the description of data with graphs and tables, descriptive statistics, statistical models, hypothesis testing, and other topics. The unit is appropriate for beginners, who will gain perspective and confidence conducting their own quantitative research and critically understanding that of others. It is taught in a computer lab, giving students practical experience with statistical software.

Qualitative research rests at the heart of social science. This unit introduces students to commonly used techniques for collecting and analyzing categorical data to answer empirical questions about social, cultural, and political phenomena. It examines case studies and comparative history; interviews, ethnography, and fieldwork; plus archives and content analysis, among other topics. Instruction is provided by a team of teachers with experience using these methods. Students therefore gain valuable insight into how to conduct and consume qualitative research.

This unit introduces students to key issues, debates and ethical questions in human research, enabling them to acquire knowledge and develop skills for research degrees and funding applications. It examines values and principles of research ethics, and encourages students to reflect on these in relation to research with human subjects. The unit offers practical support to higher degree research students developing, or planning to develop, a human research ethics application.

This unit provides training in applied qualitative data analysis using NVivo software. Students are able to apply a range of qualitative methods.

This unit introduces students to some practices, methods, writing styles and forms of argumentation relevant to research in Gender and Cultural Studies. Through the study of different examples, students are encouraged to develop their own research practices and writing skills. The unit caters to students in the early stages of thesis conception and development. Students who have already begun writing their thesis will be encouraged to experiment with different ways of arguing and writing their research. Students who are just starting will have the opportunity to develop their ideas.

This elective is designed for international postgraduates who are new to study in an English language university. It supports the development of study, research, and critical thinking abilities, spoken English and academic language. Knowledge acquired in this unit will strengthen written and spoken English to help meet the standards necessary for successful completion of FASS Masters by coursework degrees. It is recommended that this elective be taken during your first semester.

This elective supports development of skills in critical analysis, writing in different genres, research, presentation, and developing individual scholarly 'voice'. While valuable for all commencing postgraduates, it is of particular benefit to those returning to academia after an extended break, or for International students wishing to orient themselves to local standards of practice for academic communication. This unit is structured to have additional seminars and lectures early in the semester and fewer later in the semester so students have the opportunity to apply new skills to all their coursework. The unit is ideally taken in the first semester of study.

Social Justice Dissertation Part 1 is the first part of a two-semester dissertation project. The project involves research and writing of a 12, 000 words dissertation, on an approved topic of the student's choice and under the supervision of an academic member of staff. Candidates must enrol in both units of study.

Social Justice Dissertation Part 2 is the second part of a two-semester dissertation project. The project involves research and writing of a 12, 000 words dissertation, on an approved topic of the student's choice and under the supervision of an academic member of staff. Candidates must enrol in both units of study.

This unit offers students the opportunity to gain a working knowledge of applied social and political science practice by undertaking a project-based placement in a domestic or international organisation. Under the supervision of the organisation, students undertake a specific focused task or set of tasks relevant to the organisation's mandate. Building on knowledge and skills developed in the course of a SSPS Master degree, this unit allows students to draw links between their practice and scholarship relevant to their host degree program. Completion of this unit of study is assessed as pass/fail. Permission required from Department and / or School.

Research and writing on an approved topic of the candidate's own choice, under the supervision of an academic member of staff. The form of written output can include a long essay, a journal article, a research or funding proposal or a range of industry relevant writing outputs including, for example, a shadow report or evaluation report. The output produced must demonstrate appropriate scholarly engagement. Department permission required.

This unit of study provides students with practical training in experiential learning methodologies with application to working in the social justice sector. Students will also be introduced to cross-cutting issues in the sector, such as funding, and will receive training in vocational competencies, such as cultural competence and project management. Assessment in this unit of study allows students to critically apply their own area study and/or disciplinary lenses in setting professional development goals and planning a future project. Department permission required.