Course coordinator
Dr Molly Murphy
Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 2, 2024 (22/07/2024 - 18/11/2024)
- Study level
- Undergraduate
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Politic Sc & Internat Studies
This course provides the foundation for future study in Political Science. It provides a grounding in the key political ideas that form the basis for political debate, discourse and decision making globally. Students will understand the (often implicit) basis for political arguments, which will empower them to engage as active citizens in the world. The course provides an introductory study of key political ideas in the world today including liberalism, conservatism, nationalism, religious fundamentalism, socialism, multiculturalism, ecologism and Indigenous political thought.
POLS1301 is an introductory study of the main avenues of political thought in the contemporary world. It aims to familiarise students with key aspects of early political thought, democracy, monarchy, oligarchy, liberalism, conservatism, social democracy, socialism, communism, fascism, totalitarianism, anarchism, feminism, indigenous political thought, and ecologism. Every society has a set of authoritative political ideasﾠthat form the basis of the political system although this usually remains invisible to most people within the society. For example, in most 'western' societies, liberalism and democracy are the dominant political ideologies and will be used to justify a range of laws, practices and institutions. So liberalism and democracy often set the parameters for what are seen to be good and 'appropriate' relations between citizens and the state, for welfare and business policy, immigration and multiculturalism, human rights etc. However, there are also political ideologies which contest liberal-democracy including conservatism, religion based ideologies, socialism, populism, Indigenous political thought, feminism, and ecologism. An understanding of political ideas will assist our understanding of important current events and of international problems.
Course requirements
Assumed background
The course assumes no prior knowledge in political ideas.
Incompatible
You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:
GT105
Course contact
Course staff
Lecturer
Professor Alexander Bellamy
Tutor
Dr Molly Murphy
Ms Francisca Ampomah-Lokeland
Miss Ebony Pickens
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Additional timetable information
There are 13 Lectures and 9 Tutorials in this course.
Lectures start in Teaching Week 1.
Tutorials start in Teaching Week 2.
Aims and outcomes
POLS1301 aims to familiarise students with different political ideas that motivateﾠand justifyﾠpolitical actionﾠin Australia and in the world today. It also aims to build skills in the identification and evaluation of political arguments.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Articulate a basic understanding of the main categories of 'Western' political thought.
LO2.
Understand how political ideas are used in contemporary political debate.
LO3.
Use critical analysis in the identification and evaluation of political arguments.
LO4.
Identify and understand some important non-'Western' political ideas and political thought in other cultures.
LO5.
Understand how political ideas have evolved over time.
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation | Reading Reports | 20% |
29/07/2024 - 2/08/2024 5/08/2024 - 9/08/2024 12/08/2024 - 16/08/2024 26/08/2024 - 30/08/2024 2/09/2024 - 6/09/2024 9/09/2024 - 13/09/2024 30/09/2024 - 4/10/2024 7/10/2024 - 11/10/2024 14/10/2024 - 18/10/2024
The Reading Report is due at 5pm on Friday each week there is a tutorial. |
| Essay/ Critique | Article/Chapter Review (1500 words) | 20% |
23/08/2024 5:00 pm |
| Essay/ Critique | Major Essay (2000 words) | 30% |
18/10/2024 5:00 pm |
| Examination |
Exam
|
30% |
End of Semester Exam Period 2/11/2024 - 16/11/2024 |
Assessment details
Reading Reports
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 20%
- Due date
29/07/2024 - 2/08/2024
5/08/2024 - 9/08/2024
12/08/2024 - 16/08/2024
26/08/2024 - 30/08/2024
2/09/2024 - 6/09/2024
9/09/2024 - 13/09/2024
30/09/2024 - 4/10/2024
7/10/2024 - 11/10/2024
14/10/2024 - 18/10/2024
The Reading Report is due at 5pm on Friday each week there is a tutorial.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L03, L04, L05
Task description
Your reading report should examine ANY ONE of the TUTORIAL READINGS for that week.
For each report, address the following questions
1. What is the text about? What are its key terms and what do they mean?
2. What are the main arguments?
3. What evidence/reasons are used to make that argument?
4. Do you find the author’s argument persuasive? Why /why not?
5. What aspects of this work did you not understand or have most difficulty with?
The reading report should be approximately 400 words in length (minimum 350 words, maximum 450 words)
Your reading report must be submitted via Turnitin on the Blackboard site before 5pm on the Friday of the week of the relevant tutorial.
Assessment tasks are intended to evaluate a student’s abilities, skills, and knowledge. Unless explicitly stated otherwise in the assessment instructions, assessments are to be completed without the aid of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT). Failure to comply with this direction may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Submission:
Assignments for this course will be submitted electronically via Blackboard and using Turnitin.
In uploading an assignment via Turnitin you are certifying that it is your original work, that it has not been copied in whole or part from another person or source except where this is properly acknowledged, and that it has not in whole or part been previously submitted for assessment in any other course at this or any other university.
When you successfully submit your assessment to Turnitin after previewing the uploaded document (to make sure that you have chosen the correct file), you should see the “Submission Complete!” message. After this, a downloadable Digital Receipt will display on your Assignment Dashboard. It is your responsibility to download the Digital Receipt as proof of submission. Turnitin will not send this receipt to you automatically.
If you don’t see the downloadable receipt on your assignment dashboard, you should regard your submission as unsuccessful.
If the submission was not successful:
- Note the error message (preferably take a screenshot).
- Go to your assignment page and see if it is possible to submit again.
- If you cannot submit again, then email your course coordinator immediately.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Unless an extension is granted, penalties for late submission apply. Students are penalised 10% of the maximum possible mark allocated for the assessment item for every calendar day that an assessment item is late.
Marks will be deducted each day for up to 7 calendar days, at which point the submitted item will not receive any marks unless an extension has been approved. Each 24-hour block is triggered from the time the submission is due.
Article/Chapter Review (1500 words)
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Essay/ Critique
- Weight
- 20%
- Due date
23/08/2024 5:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03
Task description
Critically analyse ANY ONE ARTICLE or CHAPTER selected from the TUTORIAL RECOMMENDED READING lists found in the LEARNING GUIDE.
This assessment item is intended to assess your capacity to read and reconstruct an academic argument.
The article review is an exercise in interpreting and communicating the arguments of an academic piece of writing.
The main purpose is to communicate your understanding of what the author is saying and the arguments they use.
This assignment trains you in note taking and summarising and communicating. This is an essential skill which you need to master in order to be able to do well in essay writing. It is a skill you need to use for everything you read in this course.
The article review tests your capacity to correctly employ academic referencing and citation practices.
Your review should include:
- Identification of the problem the piece is addressing,
- A description of structure of the argument,
- A summary of the main argument,
- Identification of the main reasons or steps used to arrive at the conclusion,
- Identification of key terms.
- Identify at least one appropriate scholarly criticism of the piece, i.e. of the content of the argument not its style. For instance are there any standard criticisms, logical problems or unpersuasive arguments? Does the piece rely on generalisations that might not be accurate? Does it provide evidence or sound reasoning. This should be based on your own assessment.
- You will need to choose at least two appropriate quotations from the piece as evidence of your claims or your interpretation.
- You must use correct referencing and citation practices when quoting and citing your scholarly criticisms.
The review should be largely in your own words using paraphrasing.
Assessment tasks are intended to evaluate a student’s abilities, skills, and knowledge. Unless explicitly stated otherwise in the assessment instructions, assessments are to be completed without the aid of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT). Failure to comply with this direction may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Submission:
Assignments for this course will be submitted electronically via Blackboard and using Turnitin.
In uploading an assignment via Turnitin you are certifying that it is your original work, that it has not been copied in whole or part from another person or source except where this is properly acknowledged, and that it has not in whole or part been previously submitted for assessment in any other course at this or any other university.
When you successfully submit your assessment to Turnitin after previewing the uploaded document (to make sure that you have chosen the correct file), you should see the “Submission Complete!” message. After this, a downloadable Digital Receipt will display on your Assignment Dashboard. It is your responsibility to download the Digital Receipt as proof of submission. Turnitin will not send this receipt to you automatically.
If you don’t see the downloadable receipt on your assignment dashboard, you should regard your submission as unsuccessful.
If the submission was not successful:
- Note the error message (preferably take a screenshot).
- Go to your assignment page and see if it is possible to submit again.
- If you cannot submit again, then email your course coordinator immediately.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Unless an extension is granted, penalties for late submission apply. Students are penalised 10% of the maximum possible mark allocated for the assessment item for every calendar day that an assessment item is late.
Marks will be deducted each day for up to 7 calendar days, at which point the submitted item will not receive any marks unless an extension has been approved. Each 24-hour block is triggered from the time the submission is due.
Major Essay (2000 words)
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Essay/ Critique
- Weight
- 30%
- Due date
18/10/2024 5:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L05
Task description
Write a 2,000 word essay addressing one of the questions you will be provided with on Blackboard (in the Assessments > Major Essay Folder)
This is a research and argumentative essay. A research essay requires you to conduct reading and research based on the materials provided in the course and available in the library. It should be constructed in the form of an argument, or an answer to a question.
You need to be able to critically evaluate your sources and make sure you are using appropriate sources.
Assessment tasks are intended to evaluate a student’s abilities, skills, and knowledge. Unless explicitly stated otherwise in the assessment instructions, assessments are to be completed without the aid of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT). Failure to comply with this direction may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Submission:
Assignments for this course will be submitted electronically via Blackboard and using Turnitin.
In uploading an assignment via Turnitin you are certifying that it is your original work, that it has not been copied in whole or part from another person or source except where this is properly acknowledged, and that it has not in whole or part been previously submitted for assessment in any other course at this or any other university.
When you successfully submit your assessment to Turnitin after previewing the uploaded document (to make sure that you have chosen the correct file), you should see the “Submission Complete!” message. After this, a downloadable Digital Receipt will display on your Assignment Dashboard. It is your responsibility to download the Digital Receipt as proof of submission. Turnitin will not send this receipt to you automatically.
If you don’t see the downloadable receipt on your assignment dashboard, you should regard your submission as unsuccessful.
If the submission was not successful:
- Note the error message (preferably take a screenshot).
- Go to your assignment page and see if it is possible to submit again.
- If you cannot submit again, then email your course coordinator immediately.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Unless an extension is granted, penalties for late submission apply. Students are penalised 10% of the maximum possible mark allocated for the assessment item for every calendar day that an assessment item is late.
Marks will be deducted each day for up to 7 calendar days, at which point the submitted item will not receive any marks unless an extension has been approved. Each 24-hour block is triggered from the time the submission is due.
Exam
- Identity Verified
- In-person
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Examination
- Weight
- 30%
- Due date
End of Semester Exam Period
2/11/2024 - 16/11/2024
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05
Task description
The Exam is designed to assess your knowledge of - and critical engagement with - the full range of ideas studied in the course. You will be asked to write THREE short essays, choosing one question from each part.
PART A questions will explore issues covered in tutorials 1-3.
PART B questions will explore issues covered in tutorials 4-6.
PART C questions will explore issues covered in tutorials 7-9.
Assessment tasks are intended to evaluate a student’s abilities, skills, and knowledge. Unless explicitly stated otherwise in the assessment instructions, assessments are to be completed without the aid of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Failure to comply with this direction may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Exam details
| Planning time | 10 minutes |
|---|---|
| Duration | 120 minutes |
| Calculator options | No calculators permitted |
| Open/closed book | Closed Book examination - no written materials permitted |
| Exam platform | Paper based |
| Invigilation | Invigilated in person |
Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You may be able to defer this exam.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Description |
|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: None of the criteria will have been met. This student will not have addressed the question, shown no or very little evidence of reading and minimal comprehension of the issues at hand. |
| 2 (Fail) |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: None of the criteria will have been met. This student will not have addressed the question, shown no or very little evidence of reading and minimal comprehension of the issues at hand. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes Course grade description: Falls short of satisfying all basic requirements for a Pass. The student will have demonstrated a minimal grasp of the chosen topic and will have made an effort to establish a single major argument for the essay. The student will have employed some research which correlated with the argument and will have made a visible effort to achieve adequate grammar, spelling and punctuation. Evidence of attempting to achieve a recognisable narrative flow should appear throughout the assignment. This student will have addressed the question, showing evidence of required research and a basic grasp of the issues at hand. |
| 4 (Pass) |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The student will have demonstrated an adequate grasp of the chosen topic and will have made a reasonable effort to provide evidence to support a visible argument. The student will have employed an adequate research base to support the argument and will have achieved a reasonable, if not completely coherent standard of grammar, spelling, and punctuation. A recognisable narrative flow should be sustained throughout the essay. This student will have answered the question, showing evidence of adequate research and a degree of understanding of the issues at hand. |
| 5 (Credit) |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The student will have demonstrated a sound grasp of the chosen topic and will have addressed the argument by providing suitable evidence to support an argument. The student will have employed a comprehensive research base that directly relates to the topic though it may not completely support the argument and will have achieved decent levels of competence in grammar, spelling, punctuation and narrative flow. This student will have answered the question in a direct, well supported fashion, showing evidence of some wide reading and a reasonable understanding of the issues at hand. |
| 6 (Distinction) |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The student will have demonstrated a very good grasp of the chosen topic and will have addressed the argument by providing a considerable amount of evidence to support a clearly stated argument. The student will have employed a reasonably extensive and well-organised research base to structure evidence in support of the argument and will have achieved a high level of competence in grammar, spelling, punctuation and narrative flow. This student will have answered the question in a direct, reasonably sophisticated fashion, employing wide research and showing a sound understanding of the issues at hand. |
| 7 (High Distinction) |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The student will have demonstrated a highly sophisticated grasp of the topic and will have succeeded in addressing the question by providing a high level of evidence to support a clearly stated argument. The student will have employed an extensive and well organised research base to structure evidence in support of the argument and will have achieved impeccable levels of grammar, spelling, punctuation and narrative flow. This student will have answered the question in a direct and elegant fashion, employing significant research and showing a deep understanding of the issues at hand. |
Additional course grading information
ﾠ 1. Fail 1 - 19%
2. Fail 20 - 44%
3. Fail 45 – 49%
4. Pass 50 - 64 %
5. Credit 65 - 74 %
6. Distinction 75 - 84 %
7. High Distinction 85 - 100 %
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Additional assessment information
Word Length Penalty
Unless otherwise indicated, in the case of written submissions with a specified word count, you are given a +10% leeway on the upper word limit. If your written submission is over this leeway limit, it will attract a 10 percentage point penalty. For example, if your essay is 1,500 words, you may write up to 1,650 before attracting a word count penalty. If your essay exceeds the upper word limit, it will attract a 10% word count penalty. Therefore, if your essay is worth 40 marks, you will lose 4 marks from your allotted grade. Unless specified, penalties only apply to exceeding the word length, not for failure to write a sufficient amount.
Students should note:
• The Author-date in-text referencing system will count toward the word length;
• References in the Footnote referencing system will not count toward the word length. If you are using footnotes, any content included in footnotes beyond the specific text reference will count towards the word length.
Marking Criteria/Rubric
Marking criteria and/or marking rubrics are available in the ‘Assessment’ folder in Blackboard for this course.
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.
Additional learning resources information
Essay Guide
The School of Political Science and International Studies Essay Guide can be downloaded from the School’s Student Support webpage. The Guide sets out guidelines you should follow in preparing written assignments.
Essay Writing Assistance
The School of Political Science and International Studies schedules regular “drop-in” sessions designed to provide one-on-one advice and assistance in essay planning and writing. There is no need to make an appointment and you are encouraged to bring your essay with you.
The day and time of these sessions will be finalized at the beginning of each semester and published on the Student Support webpage.
Student Services
Student services offer a variety of short courses during the semester which will help you improve your study, research and writing skills and thus your academic performance in this course.
Library Resources
UQ Library offers training in software, assignment writing, research skills, and publishing and research management.
The University’s library holdings for Political Science and International Studies are primarily located in the Central Library.
There is a help desk in the Library. Students are also welcome to contact the BEL/HASS Librarians for assistance.
Email: librarians@library.uq.edu.au
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Week 1 (22 Jul - 28 Jul) |
Lecture |
Lecture 1: Introduction Learning outcomes: L01, L03, L05 |
Week 2 (29 Jul - 04 Aug) |
Lecture |
Lecture 2: States of Nature: Politics before the State Learning outcomes: L01, L03, L05 |
Tutorial |
Tutorial 1: Introduction and States of Nature Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L05 |
|
Week 3 (05 Aug - 11 Aug) |
Lecture |
Lecture 3: The Ancients: Monarchy, Oligarchy, and Democracy Learning outcomes: L01, L03, L05 |
Tutorial |
Tutorial 2: Ancient Political Ideas Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L05 |
|
Week 4 (12 Aug - 18 Aug) |
Lecture |
Lecture 4: Medieval and Political Ideas Learning outcomes: L01, L03, L04, L05 |
Week 5 (19 Aug - 25 Aug) |
Lecture |
Lecture 5: Politics in Modernity: The State and the Market Learning outcomes: L01, L03, L05 |
Tutorial |
Tutorial 3: Medieval and Political Ideas Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
|
Week 6 (26 Aug - 01 Sep) |
Lecture |
Lecture 6: Liberalism Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L05 |
Tutorial |
Tutorial 4: Liberalism Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L05 |
|
Week 7 (02 Sep - 08 Sep) |
Lecture |
Lecture 7: Conservatism Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L05 |
Tutorial |
Tutorial 5: Conservatism Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L05 |
|
Week 8 (09 Sep - 15 Sep) |
Lecture |
Lecture 8: Feminism Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L05 |
Tutorial |
Tutorial 6: Feminism Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L05 |
|
Week 9 (16 Sep - 22 Sep) |
Lecture |
Lecture 9: Marxism and Totalitarianism Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L05 |
Week 10 (30 Sep - 06 Oct) |
Lecture |
Lecture 10: Social Democracy: The End of the Consensus? Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L05 |
Tutorial |
Tutorial 7: Social Democracy No lecture or tutorial this week Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L05 |
|
Week 11 (07 Oct - 13 Oct) |
Lecture |
Lecture 11: Indigenous Political Thought Learning outcomes: L02, L03, L04, L05 |
Tutorial |
Tutorial 8: Indigenous Political Thought Learning outcomes: L02, L03, L04, L05 |
|
Week 12 (14 Oct - 20 Oct) |
Lecture |
Lecture 12: Ecologism Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L05 |
Tutorial |
Tutorial 9: Ecologism Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L05 |
|
Week 13 (21 Oct - 27 Oct) |
Lecture |
Lecture 13: Politics after the End of History Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L05 |
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.