Political and Social Theory (11243.1)

Please note these are the 2024 details for this unit
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Political and Social Theory
Available teaching periods Delivery mode Location
View teaching periods On-campus
Online real-time
 Bruce, Canberra
EFTSL Credit points Faculty
0.125 3 Faculty Of Business, Government & Law
Discipline Study level HECS Bands
Canberra School Of Politics, Economics And Society Level 2 - Undergraduate Intermediate Unit Band 2 2021 (Commenced Before 1 Jan 2021)
Band 4 2021 (Commenced After 1 Jan 2021)
Band 4 2021 (Commenced After 1 Jan Social Work_Exclude 0905)
A direct engagement with the political and social theorists who help us make sense of, and ultimately challenge, our everyday reality.

Learning outcomes

After successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
1. Debate and compare concepts and arguments of political and social thinkers;
2. Analyse and evaluate some of today's key political and social problems;
3. Apply political and social theory concepts to create an argument that successfully addresses a key problem; and
4. Reflect upon your unit experience, including theories, discussions and feedback, and how it relates to the goals set out in your professional portfolio.


Graduate attributes

1. UC graduates are professional - communicate effectively
1. UC graduates are professional - display initiative and drive, and use their organisation skills to plan and manage their workload
1. UC graduates are professional - use creativity, critical thinking, analysis and research skills to solve theoretical and real-world problems
2. UC graduates are global citizens - understand issues in their profession from the perspective of other cultures
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - adapt to complexity, ambiguity and change by being flexible and keen to engage with new ideas
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - reflect on their own practice, updating and adapting their knowledge and skills for continual professional and academic development


Prerequisites

Must have passed 24 credit points.

Corequisites

None.

Incompatible units

None.

Equivalent units

None.

Assumed knowledge

None.
Availability for enrolment in 2026 is subject to change and may not be confirmed until closer to the teaching start date.
Year Location Teaching period Teaching start date Delivery mode Unit convener
2025 Bruce, Canberra Semester 1 03 February 2025 On-campus Dr Jean-Paul Gagnon
2025 Bruce, Canberra Semester 1 03 February 2025 Online real-time Dr Jean-Paul Gagnon
2026 Bruce, Canberra Semester 1 16 February 2026 On-campus Dr Jean-Paul Gagnon
2026 Bruce, Canberra Semester 1 16 February 2026 Online real-time Dr Jean-Paul Gagnon
Not available

Required texts

There is no set textbook for this unit. The required readings for the unit are available on the Canvas page. The key work to be done before your seminars are the online learning modules. Please complete the required reading after you have finished with the online learning content. 

This unit is Socratic in nature, so it is diaological, and you will not only enjoy the seminars more but your learning will deepen as a result of your preparations before class.

Submission of assessment items

Extensions & Late submissions

All submissions for Part A and Part B of the philosophical dialogues need to be done via Cadmus. Any work outside of Cadmus will not be accepted.

Special assessment requirements

As we are going to be collaborating with various Generative AI products, it is crucial that you familiarize yourselves with the University of Canberra's reference guide for AI. You can find it here: https://canberra.libguides.com/c.php?g=970043&p=7053092

Students must apply academic integrity in their learning and research activities at UC. This includes submitting authentic and original work for assessments and properly acknowledging any sources used.

Academic integrity involves the ethical, honest and responsible use, creation and sharing of information. It is critical to the quality of higher education. Our academic integrity values are honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility and courage.

UC students have to complete the Academic Integrity Module annually to learn about academic integrity and to understand the consequences of academic integrity breaches (or academic misconduct).

UC uses various strategies and systems, including detection software, to identify potential breaches of academic integrity. Suspected breaches may be investigated, and action can be taken when misconduct is found to have occurred.

Information is provided in the Academic Integrity Policy, Academic Integrity Procedure, and University of Canberra (Student Conduct) Rules 2023. For further advice, visit Study Skills.

Learner engagement

It is your responsibility to come to class prepared. This requires you to complete the relevant week's module and the required reading before attending your seminar.

Inclusion and engagement

Please notify your professor of any Reasonable Adjustment Plan you may have so that accommodations can be made as early as possible.

Participation requirements

Complete, at minimum, the content associated with the workshop in the online learning content and the one required reading each week. Attend classes.

Required IT skills

Web navigation, audio/visual know how for online learning, and word processing via Cadmus.

In-unit costs

Your time. Budget about 150 hours for this class across 13 weeks. That works out to be around 11-12 hours per week, including week 8. Our weekly seminar is 3 hours, so you should aim for 8-9 hours of work (online modules, required reading, and assessments) per week (more if you intend not to do work on week 8). This is the University's expectation of full time study per unit - my class isn't somehow special in this regard!

Work placement, internships or practicums

Students simulate real-world situations in workshops. These simulations build skill sets that are applicable to a wide range of professions and should be integrated into student CVs/letters of application.

Additional information

Attending your classes on Fridays and coming prepared are the most valuable focuses that you can have in this unit.