AIP783 - Rethinking Democracy: Past, Present and Future
Unit details
| Year: | 2024 unit information |
|---|---|
| Enrolment modes: | Trimester 1: Online |
| Credit point(s): | 1 |
| EFTSL value: | 0.125 |
| Unit Chair: | Trimester 1: Benjamin Isakhan |
| Cohort rule: | Nil |
| Prerequisite: | Nil |
| Corequisite: | Nil |
| Typical study commitment: | Students will on average spend 150-hours over the teaching period undertaking the teaching, learning and assessment activities for this unit. This will include educator guided online learning activities within the unit site. |
| Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - online unit enrolment: | Online independent and collaborative learning activities equivalent to 1 x 1-hour per week |
Content
Democracy has never been more popular. For those who have it, democracy offers a grab-bag of rights and freedoms not found in other regime types; for those who want it, democracy holds the promise of a better life free from the constraints of oppressive forms of power. But where does democracy come from and what challenges loom ahead for this sophisticated form of governance? This unit invites students to challenge their assumption about the nature, history and contemporary practice of democracy – both in the “West” and elsewhere. It provides an alternative narrative about the complex and contested history of democracy and offers nuanced insights into some of its greatest achievements, from ancient Greece and Rome, through the signing of the Magna Carta and the French Revolution and on to women’s suffrage and civil rights. It then discusses various contemporary successes and failures of democracy including the relationship between Islam and democracy, the rise of non-democratic superpowers, and recent novel innovations from truth and reconciliation commissions to participatory budgeting. The unit concludes by examining what the future of democracy might look like. Students will benefit by being able to situate contemporary politics and their own political practice within a rich understanding of the complex and contested history of democracy.
| ULO | These are the Learning Outcomes (ULO) for this unit. At the completion of this unit, successful students can: | Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|
| ULO1 | Demonstrate a broad and coherent knowledge of issues relating to democracy and explanations of democratisation Analyse statements about democracy and debate the merits of various views about democracy and democratisation | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities |
| ULO2 | Demonstrate an ability to evaluate, gather, organise, and use various forms of evidence to explain various aspects of different cases of democracy Compile and evaluate evidence relevant to the processes of democracy and decide how far a particular case exhibits these processes | GLO5: Problem solving |
| ULO3 | Evaluate examples of democracy and different explanations of democratisation Dispute various positions and develop arguments in ongoing debates about democracy | GLO4: Critical thinking |
| ULO4 | Communicate effectively in written work Effectively communicate the findings and analyses of political science and apply them to real-world contexts, and do this in a range of formats for a range of readers | GLO2: Communication |
Assessment
| Assessment Description | Student output | Grading and weighting (% total mark for unit) | Indicative due week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment 1 - Research and Writing Exercise | 750 words or equivalent | 15% | Information not yet available |
| Assessment 2 - Online Exercises | 1750 words or equivalent | 35% | Information not yet available |
| Assessment 3 - Essay | 2500 words or equivalent | 50% | Information not yet available |
The assessment due weeks provided may change. The Unit Chair will clarify the exact assessment requirements, including the due date, at the start of the teaching period.
Learning Resource
The texts and reading list for the unit can be found on the University Library via AIP783
Note: Select the relevant trimester reading list. Please note that a future teaching period's reading list may not be available until a month prior to the start of that teaching period so you may wish to use the relevant trimester's prior year reading list as a guide only.
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