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Civil Society, NGOs and the State (DEVT90039)
Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)
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.
About this subject
- Overview
- Eligibility and requirements
- Assessment
- Dates and times
- Further information
- Timetable(opens in new window)
Contact information
Semester 1
Please refer to the LMS for up-to-date subject information, including assessment and participation requirements, for subjects being offered in 2020.
Overview
Availability | Semester 1 |
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Fees | Look up fees |
Over the course of the last thirty years, an 'associational revolution' has swept the world, as more and more civil society organizations have taken over tasks formerly assigned to states, formed cross-border advocacy campaigns to hold both states and corporations accountable for labor, environmental, and human rights violations, and formulated alternative development policies that run counter to the paradigms espoused by the World Bank and other multilateral lending organizations. While some argue that this associational revolution promises more participatory, expedient, and decentralized forms of transnational governance, others contend that it reflects little more than the ongoing privatization of the public sphere at the hands of transnational capital. In this course, we evaluate these and alternative perspectives by exploring transformations in the structure of the global political-economy over the past thirty years; looking closely at the roles played by a variety of NGOs and CBOs as part of more multi-layered regimes of 'global governance'; analyzing the shifts in state structures that have made these regimes possible; and teasing apart the ongoing tensions between various factions of what some have called, an emerging 'global civil society'. Case studies will be drawn from Africa, South Asia, and Latin America.
Intended learning outcomes
Students who successfuly complete this subect will:
- Recognise and explain key theories of the state and civil society (liberal, post-Marxist, etc.).
- Demonstrate a knowledge of the strengths, weaknesses, and embedded assumptions of these theories.
- Demonstrate a critical awareness of the shifts in global governance that have contributed to the NGO ‘revolution.’
- Be able to analyse the range of challenges and opportunities facing civil society organizations in today’s policy environment.
Generic skills
Students who successfully complete this subject should:
- work independently;
- communicate knowledge effectively;
- think creatively;
- prepare a research paper.
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
None
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
None
Recommended background knowledge
Students enrolling in this subject must be enrolled in a Masters by coursework degree.
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 |
---|---|---|
An essay
| Week 7 | 30% |
A research proposal due towards the end of sememster.
| End of semester | 10% |
A final research paper
| During the examination period | 60% |
Hurdle requirement: Students are required to attend a minimum of 80% of classes in order to pass this subject and regular class participation is expected. | Throughout the teaching period | N/A |
Additional details
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Dates & times
- Semester 1
Principal coordinator Erin Fitz-Henry Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours A 2 hour seminar per week for 12 weeks of Semester. Total time commitment 170 hours Teaching period 2 March 2020 to 7 June 2020 Last self-enrol date 13 March 2020 Census date 30 April 2020 Last date to withdraw without fail 5 June 2020 Assessment period ends 3 July 2020 Semester 1 contact information
Time commitment details
170 hours
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Further information
- Texts
Prescribed texts
Readings will be provided online through the subject's LMS site prior to the commencement of semester.
- Related Handbook entries
This subject contributes to the following:
Type Name Course Master of Public Administration (Enhanced) Course Master of Public Administration Specialisation (formal) Media and Communications Specialisation (formal) Development Studies Specialisation (formal) Media and Communications Specialisation (formal) Media and Communications Specialisation (formal) Development Studies Specialisation (formal) Media and Communications Major Tailored Specialisation Informal specialisation 150 Point Master of Development Studies (Gender & Development) Informal specialisation 100 Point Master of Development Studies (Gender & Development) Informal specialisation 200 Point Master of Development Studies (Gender & Development) Major Development Major Development Specialisation (formal) Development Studies Informal specialisation PD-ARTS Development Studies Major Tailored Specialisation Major Tailored Specialisation - Links to additional information
- 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.
Additional information for this subject
Subject coordinator approval required
- 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