166-004 Change & Conflict in Australian Society

Note

Credit Points

HECS Band

Coordinator

Prerequisites

Usually 25 points of first year Politics.

Semester

Contact

Subject Description

An introduction to the various approaches to the study of social movements and the general issues raised by the problem of social change and political conflict. How and why do political changes occur? If social movements did not exist, would societies need to invent them? After discussing traditional avenues for expressing disagreement within Australian society, such as the Labor Party and the trade unions, the coalition parties and employer associations, the subject examines the development and political arguments of the principal Australian new social movements in the past 30 years and the reactions to them: the green movement and the development lobby; Indigenous rights' movements and white racism; the women's movement and anti-feminism; the homosexual liberation movements and homophobia; the peace movement and militarism; multiculturalism and its critics. Very recent debates and confrontations are discussed.

Assessment

Written work of 3000 words and a 1-hour open-notes class test of 1000 words.

Prescribed Texts

A subject reader will be available.