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Trust, Communication and Expertise (HPSC90012)
Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5Dual-Delivery (Parkville)
From 2023 most subjects will be taught on campus only with flexible options limited to a select number of postgraduate programs and individual subjects.
To learn more, visit COVID-19 course and subject delivery.
About this subject
- Overview
- Eligibility and requirements
- Assessment
- Dates and times
- Further information
- Timetable(opens in new window)
Contact information
Semester 2
Email: ddurant@unimelb.edu.au
Overview
Availability | Semester 2 - Dual-Delivery |
---|---|
Fees | Look up fees |
Questions of trust, effective communication, and judging credibility, are integral to the assessment of knowledge claims both within science and in the context of public debate. Questions about trust and legitimate communication consequently arise every day in a range of professional contexts, for example in scientific research and the dissemination of scientific knowledge, in journalism and media, public relations, and in police, accounting and development work, etc. But what makes one trustworthy? How do we pick out who the experts are? This course will interest students in a wide range of careers.
Questions to be covered:
Trust
- What is trust? What makes one trustworthy?
- Is there a decline in trust, in the media, in politicians, or in scientists for example?
- Do we need to trust our sources of information, and do they need to trust us?
- How do we manage conflicts that arise in relationships of trust?
Communication
- What indicators do people rely on when communicating with others?
- How do communication patterns vary from context to context, such as face-to-face, in broader media, and in ethically and politically contested public spaces?
- What makes someone a credible source of information?
- What role does the conveyance of quality information play in contested social debates, and what role should it play?
- Are public debates about communicating information or voicing substantive differences?
Expertise
- What makes someone an expert?
- What role do ‘experts’ play in public debate?
- Should we defer to experts?
- What if even the experts disagree?
- Can lay people contribute expertise?
Intended learning outcomes
Students who successfully complete this subject will:
- develop an understanding of recent approaches to trust, communication, and expertise in the social sciences and humanities.
- be able to apply these approaches to problems involving one or more of the three topics that arise in their area of professional specialisation.
Last updated: 31 January 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: 31 January 2024
Assessment
Description | Timing | Percentage |
---|---|---|
An essay, due at the end of week 5
| Week 5 | 30% |
An essay
| End of semester | 70% |
Hurdle requirement: Students are required to attend a minimum of 75% of classes in order to pass this subject and regular class participation is expected. | Throughout the teaching period | N/A |
Additional details
Submission of all assessment is required to pass this subject. Assessment submitted late without an approved extension will be penalised at 2% per working day. After five working days, assessment submitted without an approved extension will not be marked. There is no provision for late submission of in class tasks without permission.
Last updated: 31 January 2024
Dates & times
- Semester 2
Principal coordinator Darrin Durant Mode of delivery Dual-Delivery (Parkville) Contact hours 24 hours - 1 x 2 hour seminar each week for 12 weeks Total time commitment 170 hours Teaching period 25 July 2022 to 23 October 2022 Last self-enrol date 5 August 2022 Census date 31 August 2022 Last date to withdraw without fail 23 September 2022 Assessment period ends 18 November 2022 Semester 2 contact information
Email: ddurant@unimelb.edu.au
Time commitment details
170 hours
Additional delivery details
This subject is for students admitted to Master of Arts in Professional and Applied Ethics or Master of Journalism or Executive Master of Arts or Master of Public Policy and Management, or graduate diploma (advanced) or fourth year honours in History and Philosophy of Science.
Last updated: 31 January 2024
Further information
- Texts
Prescribed texts
Subject readings will be available online
- Related Handbook entries
This subject contributes to the following:
Type Name Course Master of Public Administration (Enhanced) Specialisation (formal) History and Philosophy of Science Specialisation (formal) History and Philosophy of Science Specialisation (formal) History and Philosophy of Science Specialisation (formal) History and Philosophy of Science Informal specialisation 100 Point Master of Arts (Professional and Applied Ethics) Informal specialisation 200 points Master of Arts (Professional and Applied Ethics) - 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: 31 January 2024