ECOP2012: Semester 1, 2020

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Units ECOP2012 Semester 1 2020 [Normal day]

Unit of study_

ECOP2012: Social Foundations of Modern Capitalism

Semester 1, 2020 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

This unit examines the ways in which economic activity is 'embedded' within a broader social structure. Institutions including those of capital, labour, the family and the state are studied. The unit considers the conflict, contradiction and cohesion inherent in the relationships between these institutions and processes of capital accumulation.

Unit details and rules

Unit code	ECOP2012
Academic unit	Political Economy
Credit points	6
Prohibitions ?	ECOP2002
Prerequisites ?	12 credit points at 1000 level in Political Economy
Corequisites ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Adam David Morton, adam.morton@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Presentation	Tutorial Presentation n/a	10%	-	10 minutes
Outcomes assessed:
Final exam	Long Essay 2 2000 words	35%	Formal exam period Due date: 08 Jun 2020 at 11:00	2.5+ hours
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Short Essay n/a	20%	Week 05 Due date: 23 Mar 2020 at 23:00	1000 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Long Essay 1 n/a	35%	Week 11 Due date: 11 May 2020 at 23:00	2000 words
Outcomes assessed:

Assessment summary

Tutorial Presentation: Your mark for this assessment will be based upon the content of your presentation AND how well you stimulate and guide in-class discussion during the tutorial.
Short Essay: Read the article by Dani Rodrik, ‘The fatal flaw of neoliberalism: it’s bad economics’, The Guardian (14 November 2017); How are the assumptions about neoliberalism in this article - based on the 'preference for markets over government' - challenged by the arguments of Ellen Meiksins Wood?
Major Essay: Choose from one of three topics from the following:

The capitalistic state must try to fulfil two basic and often contradictory functions – accumulation and legitimisation. This means that the state must try to maintain or create the conditions in which profitable capital accumulation is possible. However, the state must also try to maintain or create the conditions for social harmony’ ─ James O’Connor, The Fiscal Crisis of the State.Evaluate O’Connor’s proposition regarding the dynamics of the capitalist state. OR
‘Patriarchy . . . constitutes the mostly invisible underground of the visible capitalist system’ ─ Maria Mies, Patriarchy and Accumulation on a World Scale. Discuss with reference to the capitalist economy. OR
With reference to the work of Ellen Meiksins Wood, reflect on the prevalence of contemporary instances where the unity of appropriation and coercion within capitalism might still prevail and the degree to which this challenges her arguments.

Exam: in the examination you will be required to answer three essay questions. Further information will be provided in the final lecture.

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a High distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a Distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100	For more information see sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades

Result name

Mark range

Description

High distinction

85 - 100

For more information see sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Introduction: the socially embedded economy	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 02	Market dependence and social property relations	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 02	Introduction: the state/market dichotomy	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 03	The American road to capitalism	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 03	Market dependence and social property relations	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 04	Essays and ideas	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 04	Essays and ideas	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 05	Fictitious commodities	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 05	Fictitious commodities	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 06	Commodity fetishism	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 06	Essay feedback	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 07	The social embeddedness of the state	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 07	Commodity fetishism	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 08	The social embeddedness of race	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 08	The social embeddedness of the state	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 09	The social embeddedness of ecology	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 09	The social embeddedness of race	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 10	The social embeddedness of gender	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 10	The social embeddedness of ecology	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 11	The social embeddedness of capital	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 11	The social embeddedness of gender	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 12	The social embeddedness of space	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 12	The social embeddedness of capital	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 13	How should we study the social foundations of capitalism?	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 13	The social embeddedness of space	Tutorial (1 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance: According to Faculty Board Resolutions, students in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences are expected to attend 90% of their classes. If you attend less than 50% of classes, regardless of the reasons, you may be referred to the Examiner’s Board. The Examiner’s Board will decide whether you should pass or fail the unit of study if your attendance falls below this threshold.
Lecture recording: Most lectures (in recording-equipped venues) will be recorded and may be made available to students on the LMS. However, you should not rely on lecture recording to substitute your classroom learning experience.
Preparation: Students should commit to spend approximately three hours’ preparation time (reading, studying, homework, essays, etc.) for every hour of scheduled instruction.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. demonstrate analytical skills in appraising the role of social forces and institutions in the dynamics of capital accumulation
LO2. apply broad conceptual structures to contemporary social and political issues
LO3. critically evaluate underlying theories, concepts, assumptions, limitations and arguments in disciplinary and cross disciplinary fields of study
LO4. appreciate new ways of thinking and the importance of intellectual curiosity and reflection as the foundation for continuous learning
LO5. demonstrate research skills in the retrieval of relevant information
LO6. demonstrate skills in written and oral communication
LO7. negotiate and create shared understandings by respectfully interacting with people from diverse backgrounds

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

No changes have been made since this unit was last offered

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

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