976001 Foundations in International Studies
Warning: The information on this page is indicative. The subject outline for a particular semester, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts and references in particular are likely to change. Students will be provided with a subject outline once they enrol in the subject.
UTS: International Studies: Social and Political ChangeCredit points: 8 cp
Subject level:
Undergraduate
Result type: Grade and marksThere are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.
Handbook description
The aim of Foundations in International Studies is to provide students with an understanding of contemporary international issues, approaches and perspectives. The subject is taught from various disciplinary perspectives, with a strong focus on social justice and regional comparison. The objectives of the subject are to develop effective academic presentation, research and writing skills necessary to make informed arguments within international studies and to prepare students for writing and presentation techniques used in the contemporary society and in-country study subjects of the Bachelor of Arts in International Studies. This subject requires students to use multidisciplinary approaches to build understanding of key international issues. Approaches taught include comparative sociology, cultural studies, socio-linguistics, political economy, studies of ethnicity and nationalism. Issues covered include environmental change, globalisation, migration, war, languages, and national identities.
Subject objectives/outcomes
The aim of this subject is to provide International Studies students with skills and knowledge to exploit multi-disciplinary approaches to create a shared understanding of key issues of international and comparative approaches to learning.
On successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:
- critically analyse academic texts relevant to the study of contemporary society,
- identify representative theoretical approaches to the main forces in global issues to
- build logical arguments about society/ies using relevant examples and theories
Contribution to course aims and graduate attributes
The subject makes a major contribution to following selection from the BAIS Graduate Profile in terms of the students’:
- Capacity for analysing and evaluating processes of social and cultural change in another country (Objectives 1, 3)
- Knowledge of contemporary issues and trends relating to processes of internationalisation and capacity to draw on this knowledge while living, studying and working in international settings (Objective 1)
- Sensitivity to intercultural difference, a respect for other cultures and a commitment to international citizenship (Objective 2)
Teaching and learning strategies
This is an 8 credit point subject comprising weekly modular delivery: one and a half hour lecture / workshop, one hour tutorial and independent study. Students are expected to do 12-14 hours of study per week per 8cp subject at UTS. In this subject the rough weekly breakdown is as follows:
- Lecture 1 hour
- Tutorial 2 hours
- Reading and note-taking 5-6 hours
- Preparation for Learning Journal Blog & Group Presentation 2-3 hours
- Preparation for Essay Plan and Essay 3-4 hours
Small groups for discussions in class, online work and group presentations will be actively mixed by tutors to ensure a combination of discipline (Faculty) and major (country/language) backgrounds in each group.
Content
- Key ideas and themes relevant for understanding other cultures and societies such as: national identity; modernity; cosmopolitanism; globalization; international/multilateral regimes; economic and technological development; cross cultural communication; war; regionalism; the importance of language for cultures; migration
- Use of country case studies to discuss above themes
- The international dimensions of a range of thematic topics such as climate change, music, cities and gender relations
Assessment
Assessment Item 1: Essay Plan: Thesis & Procedure Statements and Annotated Bibliography
Objective(s): | 1,2,3 |
Weighting: | 20 |
Length: | Around 1200 words (including everything, plus or minus 120 words) |
Criteria: | Quality of thesis statement and procedure statement: (-/8)
Quality and use of materials (-/8)
Appropriate organization, expression and formatting: (-/4)
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Assessment Item 2: Group Presentation
Objective(s): | 1, 2, 3 |
Weighting: | 20 |
Length: | Presentations should be 15 minutes long, then the presenters should engage the class in discussion on their topic for a further 5 minutes. |
Criteria: | Content & Organization /11 Good: Plenty of research-based information clearly related to main topic, A thesis/theme is built across each part of the presentation, Demonstrates good comprehension of the methodology readings, Uses evidence from methodology appropriately to illustrate important ideas, Points logically ordered, Stuck to topic, Kept within time limit, The sections tie together into a seamless whole Information examined in terms of critical perspectives and theories (including those from lectures and readings) Engaged class in meaningful discussion on the topic Satisfactory: Adequate amount of information relating to topic, some evidence from methodology given for some ideas, Flow sometimes abrupt or fails to show relations between points, Mostly stuck to topic, Went slightly over time, Information a bit ‘government line’ or ‘tourist brochure’ rather than explored critically, Class discussion engaged students somewhat, discussion was shallow or off-topic Unsatisfactory: Insufficient information or information irrelevant to topic, Ideas not explained with use of examples, no evidence of methodology, No meaningful flow from one point to another, Points do not combine to build a thesis, Wandered from topic, Presentation much too long or short, Is a collection of single presentations rather than one group presentation, Major relevant ideas from the subject not mentioned, Did not do class discussion, or unable to elicit responses from class Audiovisual Media / Other Presentation Material /3 Good: Engaging, enhances argument, content appropriate to topic, enhances presentation Satisfactory: Material is on appropriate topic but does not enhance the argument, not completely connected to topic Unsatisfactory: Little or no audiovisual or other material used, or what is used is not related to topic, or detracts from argument Presentation Skills /3 Good: Clear articulation, positive posture, suitable volume, enthusiastic (or shyness is well managed), confident, engaged audience and held their attention Satisfactory: Articulation, posture, volume and attitude OK, or sometimes good and sometimes less good. Some of the audience engaged, or audience engaged some of the time Unsatisfactory: Articulation unclear (too fast, too quiet or mumbling), Shyness detracted from presentation, Audience were confused or bored, Speakers distracted by a technical hitch Teamwork /3 Good: Each member is equally involved in the presentation and seems well informed about the topic, Perspectives from each students’ discipline brought into presentation , Group Progress Template completed thoughtfully and submitted to tutor in Week 7 Satisfactory: Most of the group contributes, or the group works well together some of the time, Only some disciplines from the group represented, Progress template completed in a ‘slap dash’ manner, or is submitted late Unsatisfactory: One or two members dominate, others seem ill-prepared or are otherwise not contributing, Only one or none of the students’ disciplines visible in the presentation, No progress template |
Assessment Item 3: Weekly Quiz
Objective(s): | 2 |
Weighting: | 20 |
Criteria: | Marking Criteria: Points are scored for correct answers (no deductions for incorrect answers). The scores for the best eight quizzes for each student will be added up and turned into a score out of 20. For example, if Jane scores 7/10 for her best eightquizzes her final score will be 14/20 (56/80). If students do not complete 8 quizzes they will be given 0 for the number of missing quizzes. For example, if Jess scores 7/10 for 6 quizzes but did not come to class the other weeks her score will be 10.5/20 (42/80). In other words, to do well in this assignment students need to come to class prepared for the quiz for as many weeks as possible during the semester. Students may do all 11 of the quizzes and have just their best 8 selected. It is likely that each student will be sick for at least one week during the semester, and have some extremely busy weeks. It is students’ responsibility to make sure they have done enough quizzes in the weeks when they are well and less busy, so that they can skip the quiz whenill/busy and still make up the minimum of 8 quizzes. |
Assessment Item 4: Essay
Objective(s): | 1, 2, 3 |
Weighting: | 20 |
Length: | 2000 words (excluding the reference list). 10% longer or shorter than this is OK. |
Criteria: | Marking Criteria:
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Assessment Item 5: Reading and Lecture Content Test
Intent: | To encourage students to revise the content of the readings and lectures at the end of semester. |
Objective(s): | 2 |
Weighting: | 20 |
Criteria: | Marking Criteria: Points will be given for correct answers (no deductions for incorrect answers). |
Minimum requirements
Students must achieve a total of at least 50% on the combined total of marks from the graded assessment tasks. Students may fail even if their total is 50% or more if they fail an assessment task that relates to an essential requirement of the subject (see Subject Objectives and Contribution to Course Aims and Graduate Attributes in this Subject Outline) that is not assessed in another task in the subject.
Required texts
Essential readings for each week's classes are listed in the weekly program in this Subject Outline.
Most weeks one of the essential readings will be a chapter from the subject text: Smallman, S. and Brown, K. 2011. Introduction to International and Global Studies University of North Carolina Press, USA. ISBN: 9780807871751. There are 10 copies of this book in the Library, that may be borrowed for free. It is available to buy at the Coop Bookshop Broadway: Non-Members: $57.95, Members: $52.73.
The rest of the essential readings are free to download from the UTS Library Subject Resources eReadings for the subject, or are available freely on the web via the URL in the subject outline. These readings may also be purchased as Course Notes from the Union Shop (details for this will be emailed to students and put in UTSOnline close to the start of semester).
References
Please see the list of readings for each week in the Program section of this Subject Outline.
