University of Technology, Sydney

Staff directory | Webmail | Maps | Newsroom | What's on

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 Inquiry
Credit points: 8 cp

Subject level:

Undergraduate

Result type: Grade and marks

There 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

a. Critically analyse academic texts relevant to the study of contemporary society
b. Identify representative theoretical approaches to the main forces in global issues
c. Build logical arguments about society/ies using relevant examples and theories

Contribution to the development of graduate attributes

The subject makes a major contribution to following selection from the BAIS Graduate Profile in terms of the students’:

  1. Capacity for analysing and evaluating processes of social and cultural change in another country (Objectives 1, 3)
  2. 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)
  3. 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 hour lecture, two 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 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

  1. 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
  2. Use of country case studies to discuss above themes
  3. The international dimensions of a range of thematic topics such as climate change, music, cities and gender relations

Assessment

Assessment task 1: Essay Plan: Thesis & Procedure Statements and Annotated Bibliography

Objective(s):

a, b and c

Weight: 30
Length:

Around 1200 words (including everything, plus or minus 120 words)
Criteria:

Quality of thesis statement and procedure statement: (-/12)

  • Relevant to question/topic (missing the point scores badly)
  • Thesis is original/creative, logical and shows sophisticated use of the ideas explored in the subject, gives a clear draft answer to the question
  • Procedure statement specifies clearly what will be covered in the essay

Quality and use of materials (-/12)

  • Five independently found peer reviewed academic journal articles annotated
  • Relevance of articles to the essay topic and student’s thesis is explained
  • Each article is summarised including: research method used for the paper, main argument and/or main findings of the paper
  • Space permitting, students might go on to evaluate each article as to logic of argument; use of evidence; bias; limitations; usefulness for essay; reliability
  • The best summaries and evaluations demonstrate a clear ability to assess the papers’ qualities, and explain how they may be used in the essay

Appropriate organisation, expression and formatting: (-/6)

  • Clear and succinct language use (around 200 words for the thesis/procedure paragraph and 200 words for each reference annotation
  • Reference at the start of each annotation formatted as per FASS Essay Writing Guide in UTSOnline

Assessment task 2: Group Presentation

Intent:

To have students engage with the epistemological differences that exist across cultural divides. To reflect on their own worldviews and where those worldviews came from. To have students apply understanding of differences in worldviews to a case study of an issue affecting an Indigenous people.
Objective(s):

a, b and c

Weight: 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:

Criteria

  • The worldviews of all group members are presented
  • The presentation of member worldviews demonstrates critical reflection
  • The presentation of member worldviews demonstrates understanding of the set readings
  • The case study of an issue impacting on an Indigenous people is well-researched and clearly explained to the audience
  • The case study is analysed in terms of the worldviews of the people involved
  • The analysis of worldviews in the case study demonstrates critical reading skills and understanding of the concepts about worldviews from the set readings
  • Different worldviews and peoples are referred to with respect
  • A thesis is built across all or part of the presentation
  • Examples are given to illustrate important points
  • Points are logically ordered
  • All speakers stick to the topic
  • The presentation is within the time limit
  • The sections of the presentation tie together into a seamless whole
  • The class was engaged in meaningful discussion on the topic
  • Presentation materials (including audio visual) are engaging and well produced
  • Presentation materials (including audio visual) are relevant and enhance the argument
  • Posture, voice volume, and clarity of voice
  • Eye contact with audience, engaging audience
  • Each member demonstrates involvement in the presentation
  • The Progress Template was completed thoughtfully on time
  • Any problems arising within the group were handled by the group and/or with the tutor before the presentation date

Assessment task 3: Weekly Quiz

Objective(s):

b

Weight: 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 task 4: Essay

Objective(s):

a, b and c

Weight: 30
Length:

2000 words (excluding the reference list). 10% longer or shorter than this is OK.
Criteria:

Marking Criteria:

  1. Content (the most important thing in your essay)
    • Essay question fully answered
    • Clear and logical thesis (improved marks for sophisticated and original thesis)
    • Engaged with relevant materials listed in the Subject Outline
    • Engaged with at least another 5 academic-quality materials the student found independently
    • Thesis is supported with evidence for all main points
    • Evidence contrary to thesis is explained
    • All material presented is relevant to topic
    • Thesis is well sustained throughout the essay
    • Quality examples used to support points
    • Relevant ideas from lectures and essential readings referred to
  2. Organisation (important in terms of communication of your content)
    • Clear introduction (thesis + procedural statement)
    • Schematic structure suited to purpose
    • Ideas organised logically in paragraphs
    • Smooth transition from point to point
    • Word length is no more than 10% + or - the limit
    • Clear conclusion (summarizes main points of essay and reiterates thesis). A really good essay then adds a point about why this is something significant for people to know about.
  3. Expression (also important for communication, but a bit less so than Organization)
    • Main thesis is clearly communicated to reader
    • Language use flows from point to point
    • Uses summary and paraphrasing (avoid over-reliance on direct quotes)
    • Appropriate topic sentences
    • Acceptable grammatical structures
    • Vocabulary suited to reader and purpose
    • Acceptable spelling
    • Acceptable punctuation
  4. Presentation (also important for communication, a bit less important than Expression)
    • Submitted with IS Assignment Cover Page
    • Presentation as specified in FASS Essay Writing Guide
    • Edited for "typos"
  5. Referencing (a basic requirement, but great referencing will not increase grade)
    • Quoting, summarizing and paraphrasing from sources according to Harvard system

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. They may also be bought as a Course Notes from the Union Shop (CN number and price to be posted in UTSOnline when available).

References

Please see the list of readings for each week in the Program section of this Subject Outline.