Power, Ideology and Inequality

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2008:

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Student Support and Engagement Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this subject are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and Student Equity and Disability Support: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/disability

This subject offers a comparative perspective on the distribution of inequalities in human societies over time and in contemporary cultures. The aim of the subject is to investigate the varied manifestations of interactions between power, ideologies and the material world. This will involve us in discussions of the nature of 'egalitarianism' and 'hierarchy' and the way in which concepts developed by social theorists influence our understanding of indigenous ideas, theories and practice. Issues of gender, knowledge production, and access to scarce resources will be considered in relation to political processes and structures through case studies of caste, gerontocracy, Pacific leadership, divine monarchies and colonial cultures. The interplay between domination and resistance will be discussed in the context of colonial and postcolonial states and globalisation. There is a strong area focus on the Asia-Pacific region.

• have practice in conducting research and speaking articulately;

• have practice in writing clearly in a variety of formats and reading with attention to detail;

• have experience of systematically evaluating a body of empirical data and identifying its theoretical context;

• have experience of methods of critical inquiry and argument leading to improved analytical skills;

• have acquired awareness of issues relating to cross-cultural communication.