MAKING SOCIAL CHANGE HAPPEN
POL5MSH
2016
Credit points: 30
Subject outline
In this subject we explore the conditions that enable progressive social change and those that constrain it. We do so in dialogue with a number of practitioners involved in development. We examine the interplay of actors and structures in the development field with the objective of identifying elements of successful development practice. Moving from broad debates in the social sciences, students are invited to consider a range of practical issues related to development practise, including: how non-governmental organizations mobilise people; the conditions for successful advocacy; the role of networking and informal structures in advancing social change; the constraints facing development and aid agencies: the politics of partnership and leadership; and the negotiation of power. Students apply this learning to specific projects they research during the subject.
School: School of Humanities & Social Sciences
Credit points: 30
Subject Co-ordinator: Tim Thornton
Available to Study Abroad Students: Yes
Subject year level: Year Level 5 - Masters
Exchange Students: Yes
Subject particulars
Subject rules
Prerequisites: Enrolment in the Master of International Relations (AMIR/AMIRL/AMIRH/AMIRS), Graduate Diploma of International Relations(AGIR), Graduate Certificate of International Relations (ACIR), Master of International Development or related double masters (AMID/AMIDV/AMIDH/HZHPHID/HZPHID), Graduate Diploma of International Development(AGDST) or Graduate Certificate of International Development (ACDST).
Co-requisites: N/A
Incompatible subjects: POL4MSH
Equivalent subjects: N/A
Special conditions: Core subject the Master of International Development (AMID/AMIDV/AMIDH/HZHPHID/HZPHID)
Learning resources
Readings
| Resource Type | Title | Resource Requirement | Author and Year | Publisher |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Readings | Activists beyond borders : advocacy networks in international politics, | Recommended | Keck, M. E. and Sikkink, K. | CORNELL UNIVERSITY PRESS 1998 |
| Readings | From poverty to power, | Recommended | Green, D. | OXFAM 2008 |
| Readings | Power in movement: social movements, collective action, and politics, | Recommended | Tarrow, S. | CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS 1994 |
| Readings | Social movements, 1768-2004, | Recommended | Tilly, C. | PARADIGM PUBLISHERS 2004 |
| Readings | Activist wisdom: practical knowledge and creative tension in social movements, | Preliminary | Maddison, S. and Scalmer, S. | UNSW PRESS 2006 |
| Readings | Activist's handbook: a primer, | Preliminary | Shaw, R. | UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS 2001 |
Graduate capabilities & intended learning outcomes
01. Advanced engagement in critical problem solving through the exploration of a specific example of change and imaginative ways of making change happen.
- Activities:
- Group discussions, lectures, case study project and essay.
02. Articulate a sophisticated understanding of different perspectives on change, and how it occurs as well as the obstacles to promoting change.
- Activities:
- Group discussions, lectures, case study project and essay.
03. Comprehensively describe the challenges and tensions in attempts to promote social change.
- Activities:
- Case study project and essay and presentation.
04. Critically analyse how change happens and be able to express these ideas in a sophisticated manner in written form.
- Activities:
- Group discussions, lectures, case study project and essay.
Melbourne, 2016, Semester 2, Day
Overview
Online enrolment: Yes
Maximum enrolment size: N/A
Enrolment information:
Subject Instance Co-ordinator: Tim Thornton
Class requirements
SeminarWeek: 31 - 43
One 3.0 hours seminar per week on weekdays during the day from week 31 to week 43 and delivered via blended.
Assessments
| Assessment element | Comments | % | ILO* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Case study essay (7,000 words) | 75 | 01, 02, 03, 04 | |
| Critical Book Review (2,000 words). | 25 | 01, 02, 03, 04 |