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Unit of study_

HSTY2701: Spies in the Archive

Semester 1, 2021 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Historians love spies whose clandestine collection of information in the service of states and as a weapon of war has created irresistible archival records. This course traces the history culture and changing technologies of espionage and surveillance from the Spanish Inquisition to Cold War Australia, from Russian empire to neighbourhood spy networks in interwar Britain and current debates over terrorism and social media. Can we use such material without becoming complicit in the voyeurism and implied violence of its collection?

Unit details and rules

Unit code HSTY2701
Academic unit History
Credit points 6
Prohibitions
? 
None
Prerequisites
? 
12 credit points at 1000 level in History
Corequisites
? 
None
Assumed knowledge
? 

None

Available to study abroad and exchange students

Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator Sophie Loy-Wilson, sophie.loy-wilson@sydney.edu.au
Type Description Weight Due Length
Participation Tutorial participation
Class attendance and participation
10% Ongoing n/a
Outcomes assessed: LO1
Creative assessment / demonstration Book Review
Book Review
35% STUVAC 2000
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO5 LO4 LO2
Assignment Primary source exercise and essay plan
Essay
15% Week 07 500 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1
Assignment Research essay
Essay
40% Week 13 2500 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5

Assessment summary

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.

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.

WK Topic Learning activity Learning outcomes
Week 01 1. Introduction to spies in the archives; 2. The real James Bond Lecture (2 hr)  
Week 02 1. Secrets revealed: the Cold War context; 2. Keeping secrets? historians and spies Lecture (2 hr)  
The real James Bond Tutorial (1 hr)  
Week 03 1. Female spies in WWI: Mata Hari and the spy courtesan; 2. Spies and war: Richard Sorge Lecture (2 hr)  
Mata Hari and the spy courtesan Tutorial (1 hr)  
Week 04 1. Empire of spies: Shanghai; 2. Empire of spies: Cape Town Lecture (2 hr)  
Spies in Shanghai Tutorial (1 hr)  
Week 05 1. Spying on indigenous populations; 2. In crimes archive: photography and police surveillance Lecture (2 hr)  
Ethics, photography, and spying Tutorial (1 hr)  
Week 06 1. The Cambridge spy ring; 2. The Petrov Affair Lecture (2 hr)  
Soviet spy rings during the Cold War Tutorial (1 hr)  
Week 08 A spy in the archives in Soviet Russia Lecture (2 hr)  
State affairs and love affairs: reading your 'file' Tutorial (1 hr)  
Week 09 1. Stasiland: the release of the Stasi Files in Germany; 2. The Atom Spies and the Klaus Fuchs Case Lecture (2 hr)  
Stasiland: the release of the Stasi Files in Germany Tutorial (1 hr)  
Week 10 1. The CIA, McCarthysim and the Lavender Scare; 2. ASIO, Australia and the protest years Lecture (2 hr)  
Sex, race and spying Tutorial (1 hr)  
Week 11 1. Divorce, adultery and spyware: spying on your loved ones; 2. Neighbourhood watch: The Mass Observation archive Lecture (2 hr)  
Spying in the home Tutorial (1 hr)  
Week 12 1. Anthropologists and assassinations: The CIA in Latin America; 2. Wikileaks, terrorism and the post 9/11 world Lecture (2 hr)  
Wikileaks, terrorism and the post 9/11 world Tutorial (1 hr)  
Week 13 1. The Stern Hu affair and Chinese 'spies' in Australia; 2. Conclusion and exam preparation Lecture (2 hr)  
Exam preparation 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. If a unit of study has a participation mark, your attendance may influence this mark.
  • Lecture recordings: Most lectures (in recording-equipped venues) will be recorded and may be made available to students on Canvas. 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 through the Library eReserve, available on Canvas.

  • Jeremy Black. The Geopolitics of James Bond. Intelligence and National Security, 19, 2 (2004) pp 290-303.
  • David McKnight. How to Read Your ASIO File in Meredith Burgmann (ed.) Dirty Secrets: Our ASIO Files (Sydney: New South Wales Press, 2014) pp 21-49.
  • Sissela Bok, Secrets: On the Ethics of Concealment and Revelation? (New York: Vintage Books, 1989), pp 15-28.
  • Toni Waller. The Information State: a historical perspective on surveillance. pp 57-63  in Kirsten Ball, Kevin D. Haggerty and David Lyon (eds.) Routledge Handbook of Surveillance Studies.

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.

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

  • LO1. demonstrate knowledge of the history of and spying and surveillance and their importance to states, societies and individuals
  • LO2. analyse historical evidence from a number of selected primary sources of different kinds including primary sources produced through surveillance activity
  • LO3. engage in independent historical research into the history of spies and surveillance
  • LO4. present a coherent and convincing written argument using primary sources as evidence, weighing up the ethical challenges of using primary sources produced through spying and surveillance
  • LO5. demonstrate appreciation of scholarly trends and debates in the field of surveillance studies and intelligence history.

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
GQ1 GQ2 GQ3 GQ4 GQ5 GQ6 GQ7 GQ8 GQ9

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.

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