POLIS 2131 - South Asia: Conflict, Politics and Economic Change
North Terrace Campus - Semester 1 - 2016
-
General Course Information
Course Details
Course Code POLIS 2131 Course South Asia: Conflict, Politics and Economic Change Coordinating Unit Politics and International Relations Term Semester 1 Level Undergraduate Location/s North Terrace Campus Units 3 Contact Up to 3 hours per week Available for Study Abroad and Exchange Y Prerequisites At least 12 units of level 1 undergraduate study Incompatible POLI 2131 Assessment Workshop activities 15%, Take home test 25%, Online test 15%, Essay 45% Course Staff
Course Coordinator: Associate Professor Priya Chacko
Course Timetable
The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.
-
Learning Outcomes
Course Learning Outcomes
1. Have a good understanding of the historical and contemporary events and issues facing the countries of South Asia, defined as comprising of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal.
2. Have an awareness of the scholarly debates, concepts and approaches related to the study of various aspects of South Asian politics.
3. Have high-quality skills in researching and writing academic essays on the politics of South Asia (These skills will include: pursuing and managing independent research, locating information, critically engaging with the literature, assessing conflicting or different arguments, synthesising information in a clear and logical way).
4. Be able to give clear and cogent oral presentations, participate in seminar discussions and problem-solving activities.
University Graduate Attributes
This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:
University Graduate Attribute Course Learning Outcome(s) Deep discipline knowledge
- informed and infused by cutting edge research, scaffolded throughout their program of studies
- acquired from personal interaction with research active educators, from year 1
- accredited or validated against national or international standards (for relevant programs)
1,2,3 Critical thinking and problem solving
- steeped in research methods and rigor
- based on empirical evidence and the scientific approach to knowledge development
- demonstrated through appropriate and relevant assessment
3,4 Teamwork and communication skills
- developed from, with, and via the SGDE
- honed through assessment and practice throughout the program of studies
- encouraged and valued in all aspects of learning
4 Career and leadership readiness
- technology savvy
- professional and, where relevant, fully accredited
- forward thinking and well informed
- tested and validated by work based experiences
3,4 Intercultural and ethical competency
- adept at operating in other cultures
- comfortable with different nationalities and social contexts
- able to determine and contribute to desirable social outcomes
- demonstrated by study abroad or with an understanding of indigenous knowledges
1,2,3,4 Self-awareness and emotional intelligence
- a capacity for self-reflection and a willingness to engage in self-appraisal
- open to objective and constructive feedback from supervisors and peers
- able to negotiate difficult social situations, defuse conflict and engage positively in purposeful debate
3,4 -
Learning & Teaching Activities
Learning & Teaching Modes
Online lectures supported by tutorials developing material covered in lectures.
Workload
The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.
Students are expected to commit 12 hours each week to this course.
Lectures: 2
hours
Tutorial: 1
hour
Tutorial
preparation: 4 hours
Reading and
research for assessment: 5 hours
Learning Activities Summary
Week 1: Introduction to course
Week 2: Introduction to South Asian History and Politics
Week 3: Democracy and authoritarianism in South Asia
Week 4: A Million Little Mutinies: Caste and Region in Indian politics
Week 5: Religion and politics in India
Week 6: Political Islam in Pakistan and Bangladesh
Week 7: Economic reforms and the persistence of poverty in India
Week 8: Sri Lanka’s civil war and its aftermath
Week 9: Maoism in Nepal and India
Week 10: A Nuclear South Asia: nuclear weapons and nuclear energy
Week 11: The Regional Politics of South Asia: regional disputes and regional integration
Week 12: Consultation weekSmall Group Discovery Experience
The Small Group Discovery Experience will take the form of activities in tutorials which are designed to promote independent research skills, team work, presentation skills and problem solving skills. -
Assessment
The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:
- Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
- Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
- Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
- Assessment must maintain academic standards.
Assessment Summary
1. Worlkshop activities
15% of total course mark
Summmative
Learning outcome: 1,2,4
2. Take home test
25% of total course mark
Summative Due date: TBA
Learning outcome: 1,2
3. Multiple choice test - online
15% of total course mark
Due date: TBA
Learning outcome: 1,2
4. Final essay
45% of total mark
Due date: TBA
Learning outcome: 1,2,3Assessment Detail
1. Take-home test
The take-home test will assess your knowledge and understanding of the concepts, debates and ideas in the required readings from Week 2 to Week 6. The test will consist of four short answer questions related to these readings. Your answers should be about 250-300 words long.
The take-home test paper will be posted on MyUni. The paper must be downloaded and your answers must be typed in the space provided and submitted online via MyUni (see below in 5.4)
2. Workshop activities
The workshops are forums for free exchange and discussion of informed opinions, that is, ideas and thoughts based on reading and reflection, as well as places for raising questions and for the exchange of relevant information. All students are expected to have read the required readings in preparation for the workshops. Workshop participation will be assessed on the basis of the depth of knowledge on the weekly topic, the quality of engagement with the weekly readings, and the attitude displayed towards the arguments and contributions of others.
3. Online test
The online test will assess your knowledge and understanding of the concepts, debates and ideas in the required readings from week 7 to week 11 as well the lecture materials from week 2 to week 11. The questions will be posted on MyUni one day before the test is made available on MyUni. You will have 1 hour to answer 20 questions.
4. Essay
The final essay should be 2500 words long excluding references.
The major essay will assess your knowledge of key concepts, ideas and debates in the study of South Asia. It will require you to develop logical arguments that are backed up with evidence. The assessment will test your ability to conduct independent research and formulate well-substantiated arguments
The essay must be typed, double-spaced, fully referenced and include a bibliography. You can use any referencing system as long as it is used consistently and includes page numbers in references. Please consult the Politics Department’s Essay-Writing Guide for further guidelines.Submission
No information currently available.
Course Grading
Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:
M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme) Grade Mark Description FNS Fail No Submission F 1-49 Fail P 50-64 Pass C 65-74 Credit D 75-84 Distinction HD 85-100 High Distinction CN Continuing NFE No Formal Examination RP Result Pending Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.
Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.
Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.
-
Student Feedback
The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.
SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.
-
Student Support
- Academic Integrity for Students
- Academic Support with Maths
- Academic Support with writing and study skills
- Careers Services
- International Student Support
- Library Services for Students
- LinkedIn Learning
- Student Life Counselling Support - Personal counselling for issues affecting study
- Students with a Disability - Alternative academic arrangements
- YouX Student Care - Advocacy, confidential counselling, welfare support and advice
-
Policies & Guidelines
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
- Academic Credit Arrangements Policy
- Academic Integrity Policy
- Academic Progress by Coursework Students Policy
- Assessment for Coursework Programs Policy
- Copyright Compliance Policy
- Coursework Academic Programs Policy
- Elder Conservatorium of Music Noise Management Plan
- Intellectual Property Policy
- IT Acceptable Use and Security Policy
- Modified Arrangements for Coursework Assessment Policy
- Reasonable Adjustments to Learning, Teaching & Assessment for Students with a Disability Policy
- Student Experience of Learning and Teaching Policy
- Student Grievance Resolution Process
-
Fraud Awareness
Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student’s disciplinary procedures.
The University of Adelaide is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The University of Adelaide therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.
