54054 Intervening for Change
Warning: The information on this page is indicative. The subject outline for a
particular session, 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.
Subject handbook information prior to 2018 is available in the Archives.
Credit points: 8 cp
Result type: Grade and marks
Requisite(s): 54052 Economy, Society and Globalism OR 54053 Investigating for Change OR 58124 Local Transformations OR 58123 Society, Economy and Globalisation
These requisites may not apply to students in certain courses.
There are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.
Anti-requisite(s): 58219 Policy and Advocacy
Description
In a globalised society, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), citizen action, social movements and networks play an ever more essential role in progressive social change. This subject engages with social political issues and strategies for social and political change, advocacy, campaigns for change, and proposed solutions in order to initiate change. Students develop critical and analytical skills, learn how to draw on relevant theory and apply this in advocacy, policy development for government, and communication and campaign practices. Students develop skills in action research, and communicative advocacy using social media and digital technologies, as well as knowledge of key principles of community organising.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
| a. | Analyse how social and political concerns can be addressed by policy and political change |
|---|---|
| b. | Apply key theoretical concepts to social and political change |
| c. | Develop submissions and campaign strategies |
| d. | Address ethical issues and dilemmas in politics and policy |
| e. | Develop effective communication competency |
Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)
This subject engages with the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs), which are tailored to the Graduate Attributes set for all graduates of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences:
- Possess information literacy skills to locate, gather, organise and synthesise information across diverse platforms to inform the understanding of the communication industries (2.1)
- Be reflexive critical thinkers and creative practitioners who are intellectually curious, imaginative and innovative; with an ability to evaluate their own and others' work (2.2)
- Possess a critical understanding of the importance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples within contemporary Australian politics, history and culture (4.1)
- Possess the awareness of ethical practice in the personal, political and professional contexts of civil society (5.1)
- Possess the skills to behave ethically in personal and professional contexts (5.2)
- Possess well-developed skills and proficiencies to communicate and respond effectively and appropriately across different contexts (6.1)
Teaching and learning strategies
To ensure practice oriented, collaborative and interactive learning, the subject employs a range of teaching and learning strategies including face to face classes, discussions, debates, short presentations, videos, simulations, group work and ‘real life’ case studies. Students are expected to prepare for the subject during Orientation and Preparation weeks, reading the subject outline and preliminary readings as identified in the subject outline.
These are combined with problem-based learning and hands-on activities which will also provide students with the opportunity to direct their own learning and engage in peer learning and community engagement.
Assessments allow for students to pursue their personal and intellectual interests and develop professional readiness for those students with a particular interest in working in the government and community sector and for future studies in policy, advocacy and social and political change.
Content (topics)
The subject explores policy making, looking at both theoretical underpinnings and the practices of social and policy change. It gives students practical experience in the processes of proposing and achieving change, focusing on communication strategies to be used in putting a case. The subject engages with key concepts and ideas, which provides a basis for the policy analysis for social change. We start with the introduction of key debates on what is policy / why policy matters and how policy is made and implemented and examine a variety of ideological perspectives on the role of the state in people’s lives and the role of market, communities and the state in the policy making process. The second half of the subject deals with advocacy strategies for social change: lobbying, campaigning, networking, media advocacy, e-advocacy and how to make a case for social and political change. The subject concludes with the evaluation of policy change.
Assessment
Assessment task 1: Class presentation 10% and Media Release 10%
| Objective(s): | a, b, c and d | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight: | 20% | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Length: | 350 words | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Criteria linkages: |
SLOs: subject learning objectives CILOs: course intended learning outcomes |
Assessment task 2: Policy Analysis and Evaluation
| Objective(s): | a, b, d and e | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight: | 30% | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Length: | 1500 words | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Criteria linkages: |
SLOs: subject learning objectives CILOs: course intended learning outcomes |
Assessment task 3: Policy Submission and Campaign Strategy
| Objective(s): | a, b, c, d and e | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight: | 50% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Length: | 2,500 words (1,500 words for the submission and 1,000 words for the campaign) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Criteria linkages: |
SLOs: subject learning objectives CILOs: course intended learning outcomes |
Minimum requirements
Attendance at tutorials is essential in this subject. Classes are based on a collaborative approach that involves essential work-shopping and interchange of ideas with other students and the tutor. A roll will be taken at each class. Students who have more than two absences from class will be refused final assessment (see Rule 3.8).?
It is essential to attempt all assessment tasks to pass the subject as each assessment meets unique subject learning objectives.
References
Alsinsky, S. D. 1989, Rules for Radicals: A Pragmatic Primer for Realistic Radicals, Vintage, New York.
Althaus C, Bridgman, P. & Davis, G. 2007, The Australian Policy Handbook, 4th Edition, Allen and Unwin, Sydney.
Colebatch H. K. (ed) 2006, Beyond the Policy Cycle: the policy process in Australia, Allen & Unwin, Sydney.
Colebatch H. K. 2002. Policy, 2nd edition, Open University Press, Buckingham.
Davis, G. and Bridgman, P. 2010. The Australian Policy Handbook, Allen and Unwin, Sydney.
Fawcett, B. et al. 2010, Social Policy for Social Change, Palgrave Macmillan, South Yarra, Vic..
Kapin, A. and Ward, A. 2013, Social Change Anytime, Everywhere: How to Implement Online, Multi-Channel Strategies to Spark Advocacy, Raise Money, Engage Your Community, John Wiley and Sons, New York.
Saunders, P. 2005, The Poverty Wars, UNSW Press, Sydney.
Sawer, M., & Zappala, G. 2001, Speaking for the People: Representation in Australian Politics, Melbourne University Press, Melbourne.
Schutz, A. and Sandy, M. 2012, Collective Action for Social Change: An Introduction to Community Organising, Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke.
Sen, R. and Klein, S. 2003, Stir it Up: Lessons in Community Advocacy and Organising, Jossey Bass, New York.
Smyth, P & Cass, B (eds). 1998, Contesting the Australian Way: States, Markets and Civil Society, Cambridge University Press, Melbourne.
Wilson, S., Meagher, G., Gibson, M., Denemark, D. & Western, M. (eds) 2005, Australian Social Attitudes – the first report, University of New South Wales Press Limited, Sydney.
Woodward, D., Parkin, A. and Summers, J. (2010) Government, Politics, Power and Policy in Australia, Pearson, French’s Forest, NSW.
Yeatman, A. (ed), 1998, Activism and the Policy Process, Allen & Unwin, Sydney.
