Handbook home
Race, Ethnicity, and Nationalism (POLS30036)
Undergraduate level 3Points: 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 |
---|---|
Fees | Look up fees |
This subject examines the politics of race, ethnicity and culture in Western democracies and Western political thought. Beginning in the history of Western thought and assumptions about race, ethnicity and culture, it quickly turns to the discussions of the 19th century around nationalism, colonialism and race. The majority of the subject then focuses on 20th and 21st century discussions of race and ethnic politics with particular attention on the range of approaches and theories of race and ethnicity used in contemporary political and social sciences. This subject is not intended to be a comprehensive study of these themes in any location but to expose students to the history and various ways race, ethnicity and culture are politically salient in Western liberal democracies. Topics may include (but are not limited to): nationalism and national identity, racism/racial inequality, immigration and minority nationalism, ethnic conflict, linguistic difference, whiteness, and Indigenous politics. Students will engage both the conceptual challenge of what race, ethnicity and identity are and, as an advanced-level subject, they are also expected to engage the variety of theories and methods used to understand these phenomena in social and political life.
Intended learning outcomes
Upon successful completion of this subject, students should:
- Have a critical understanding of major developments in scholarship on race and ethnicity in politics
- Develop an understanding of how race and ethnic politics vary across contexts
- Develop the ability to negotiate the wide range of theories and methods used to explore race and ethnicity such as psychoanalytic biography, normative theories, quantitative studies and experiments
- Have a critical understanding of the key challenges, controversies and public debates concerning the study of race and ethnicity in politics
- Have an understanding of how public policy engages with the concepts of race and ethnicity
Last updated: 15 February 2024
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: 15 February 2024
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 |
---|---|---|
Short Essay
| First half of the teaching period | 25% |
Final Essay
| During the examination period | 75% |
Hurdle requirement: Students must attend a minimum of 75% of tutorials in order to pass this subject. All pieces of written work must be submitted to pass this subject. | Throughout the semester | N/A |
Additional details
Note: Assessment submitted late without an approved extension will be penalised at 10 marks per working day. In-class tasks missed without approval will not be marked.
Last updated: 15 February 2024
Dates & times
- Semester 1
Coordinator Clayton Chin Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours 30 contact hours per semester; 1 x two hour lecture and 1 x one hour tutorial per week for 10 weeks. 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
Last updated: 15 February 2024
Further information
- Texts
Prescribed texts
There are no specifically prescribed or recommended texts for this subject.
- Breadth options
This subject is available as breadth in the following courses:
- Bachelor of Biomedicine
- Bachelor of Commerce
- Bachelor of Design
- Bachelor of Environments
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Acting)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Animation)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Dance)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Film and Television)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Music Theatre)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Screenwriting)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Theatre)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Visual Art)
- Bachelor of Music
- Bachelor of Science
- 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: 15 February 2024