Power

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2012:

Total Time Commitment: 3 contact hours/week, 5 additional hours/week. Total of 8 hours per week.

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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

The idea of power is a way to grasp the character of social relations. Investigating power can tell us about who is in control and who may benefit from such arrangements. Power can be a zero-sum game of domination. It can also be about people acting together to enact freedom. This subject examines the diverse and subtle ways power may be exercised. It considers how power operates in different domains such as markets, political systems and other social contexts. It also examines how power may be moderated by such things as regulation and human rights. A key aim is to explore how differing perspectives portray power relations and how issues of power distribution may be characterised and addressed.

On completion of this subject students should be able to

• Demonstrate a detailed knowledge and understanding of the way power is exercised and operates
• Reflect a general understanding of the concepts and principles of power through social and political contexts
• Access and appreciate national and international debates on power
• Appreciate the varied constructs of power.

A Bibliographic Exercise of 250 words (10%) due in Week 4, a Critical Analysis Exercise of 750 words (20%) due in Week 6, an Essay of 1500 words (35%) due in Week 9, and a 1.5 hour Exam (35%) due in the examination period.

Hurdle Requirement: This subject has a minimum hurdle requirement of 75% tutorial attendance and 75% skills workshop attendance. Regular participation in tutorials is required. Assessment submitted late without an approved extension will be penalised at 10% per day. All pieces of written work must be submitted to pass this subject.

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

• Critical thinking and analysis through recommended reading, essay writing and tutorial discussion
• Research through competent use of the library and other information sources, and the definition of areas of inquiry and methods of research
• Engagement with the methodologies of the humanities and social sciences
• Critical self-awareness, being open to new ideas and possibilities through learning how to construct an argument
• Communicating knowledge and arguments intelligibly and economically through essay writing and tutorial discussion
• Ability to assess the strength of an argument through recommended reading, essay writing and tutorial discussion
• Time management and planning through managing and organising workloads for recommended reading, essay and assignment completion