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Hacking Society Systems in Transition (ABPL90399)
Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5Not available in 2020
For information about the University’s phased return to campus and in-person activity in Winter and Semester 2, please refer to the on-campus subjects page.
Please refer to the LMS for up-to-date subject information, including assessment and participation requirements, for subjects being offered in 2020.
Overview
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Persistent problems plague the systems of society. If you know how the systems work, can you hack them and transition them to be more sustainable, liveable, resilient? Energy, food, healthcare, transport and even cities as such. All of them complex systems, plagued by problems tied up with the very structures of those systems making them unsustainable, expensive, vulnerable or unfair.
Hacking society means intervening based on analysis, using your knowledge of the systems of society to overcome persistent problems. A good hack changes systems and contributes to transitions.
This is a highly interdisciplinary subject. You will learn concepts and methods from social science, evolutionary theory, analytic philosophy and other fields notably sustainability transitions research. No background or prior knowledge in any of these is required though and students from all disciplines are invited.
So what will you be hacking? You will design an intervention to address a real-life persistent problem. You will have to show that your hack will make a difference using the concepts and methods from the lectures, complemented by your own research.
Intended learning outcomes
Students who successfully completed this subject will be able to:
- Convey a good overview of the sustainability transitions research field and its theories and frameworks;
- Analyse persistent societal problems and wicked problems as part of the systems in which they appear;
- Articulate what transformative change entails, both conceptually and in the context of a real-world case;
- Explain the consequences of complexity, non-linearity and uncertainty for understanding and managing transformative change processes;
- Conduct systems analyses and apply the relevant transitions concepts and frameworks;
- Apply basic modelling techniques as part of systems analysis;
- Prepare a policy brief and implementation plan for an intervention addressing a persistent problem.
Generic skills
- Critical thinking;
- Communication skills for written and oral presentation;
- Problem solving and analytical skills;
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
None
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
None
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.
Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Assessment
Due to the impact of COVID-19, assessment may differ from that published in the Handbook. Students are reminded to check the subject assessment requirements published in the subject outline on the LMS
Description | Timing | Percentage |
---|---|---|
Assignment 1 (individual) / Research Report
| Day 5 | 30% |
Assignment 2 (group) / Hack Presentation – 500 words equivalent per student (group size 3-7), due Day 8 or 9
| From Day 8 to Day 9 | 10% |
Assignment 3 (group) / Research Report, including Modelling Report – 2000 words equivalent per student (group size 3-7)
| First weekday after last lecture | 40% |
Assignment 4 (individual) / Hack Proposal
| Third or fourth weekday after the last lecture | 20% |
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Dates & times
Not available in 2020
Time commitment details
170 hours
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Further information
- Texts
Prescribed texts
There are no specifically prescribed or recommended texts for this subject.
- Related Handbook entries
This subject contributes to the following:
Type Name Course Master of Urban Design - Available through the Community Access Program
About the Community Access Program (CAP)
This subject is available through the Community Access Program (also called Single Subject Studies) which allows you to enrol in single subjects offered by the University of Melbourne, without the commitment required to complete a whole degree.
Entry requirements including prerequisites may apply. Please refer to the CAP applications page for further information.
- Available to Study Abroad and/or Study Exchange Students
This subject is available to students studying at the University from eligible overseas institutions on exchange and study abroad. Students are required to satisfy any listed requirements, such as pre- and co-requisites, for enrolment in the subject.
Last updated: 3 November 2022