GOVT2991: Semester 1, 2022

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Units GOVT2991 Semester 1 2022 [Normal day]

Unit of study_

GOVT2991: Political Analysis

Semester 1, 2022 [Normal day] - Remote

Overview

This unit introduces students to the diversity of theoretical and methodological approaches used by politics and international relations scholars. 'What is politics?' and 'how can we understand it?' are questions used to explore conceptual approaches, ranging from behaviouralism to feminism, and the way in which social science research is designed and conducted.

Unit details and rules

Unit code	GOVT2991
Academic unit	Government and International Relations
Credit points	6
Prohibitions ?	GOVT2091
Prerequisites ?	12 credit points at 1000 level in GOVT and a minimum of 36 credit points
Corequisites ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Henry Maher, henry.maher@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Henry Maher, henry.maher@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Assignment	Take home assessment - political research approaches Take home written assessment	30%	Formal exam period Due date: 10 Jun 2022 at 23:59	1000 words
Outcomes assessed:
Participation	Participation Tutorial participation	10%	Ongoing	Whole semester
Outcomes assessed:
Tutorial quiz	Quiz 1 – Ontology, epistemology, research design and case selection Online quiz in Canvas	10%	Week 05 Due date: 21 Mar 2022 at 23:59	1000 words equivalent
Outcomes assessed:
Tutorial quiz	Quiz 2 – Qualitative methods Online quiz in Canvas	5%	Week 07 Due date: 04 Apr 2022 at 23:59	500 words equivalent
Outcomes assessed:
Tutorial quiz	Quiz 3 - Quantitative methods Online quiz in Canvas	5%	Week 09 Due date: 19 Apr 2022 at 23:59	500 words equivalent
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Evidence and values report Submitted work	40%	Week 10 Due date: 04 May 2022 at 23:59	1500 words
Outcomes assessed:

Assessment summary

Quizzes: These quizzes will cover key concepts in research design and research methods, based on the content covered in lectures, tutorials and class readings.
Evidence and values report: You will be given a list of recently published articles in political science and international relations journals. Choose ONE article from this list, read it carefully and write a report that engages critically with your chosen article.
Take home assessment: The take home assessment will enable students to demonstrate understanding of the approaches covered in the latter part of the course: institutionalism; postcolonialism; feminism; behaviouralism; and political theory.

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
Distinction	75 - 84
Credit	65 - 74
Pass	50 - 64
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

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: Research in the social and political sciences	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 02	Ontology, epistemology and ethics	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 03	Research design	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 04	Case selection	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 05	Qualitative Methods (I): Data collection	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 06	Qualitative Methods (II): Data analysis	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 07	Quantitative Methods (I): Data collection	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 08	Quantitative Methods (II): Data analysis	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 09	Institutionalism	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 10	Feminism	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 11	Postcolonialism	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 12	Behaviouralism	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 13	Political theory / Conclusion	Lecture and tutorial (3 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.

Required readings

All readings for this unit can be accessed on the Library eReserve link available on Canvas.

Required textbook: Theory and Methods in Political Science, Vivien Lowndes, David Marsh & Gerry Stoker, eds., (London: Palgrave Macmillan, 4th Ed., 2018).

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. Understand a wide range of approaches employed by researchers in politics and international relations.
LO2. Develop an understanding of the differences between primary and secondary sources of evidence, and their value in conducting social research.
LO3. Develop an understanding of qualitative and quantitative research approaches in the social sciences and their strengths and weaknesses.
LO4. Develop skills to critically engage with published research in the social sciences, by understanding the process of how research is conducted.

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.

Feedback from S2 2020 was largely very positive so the goal is to continue the approach to this course for the most part - albeit with more interaction between teaching staff and students through the scheduled tutorials.

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

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

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