Course Information 2012

Please note the International Studies program has a large number of electives on its books. It is not possible to offer all of these each year. Topics taught also depends on what staff are available to teach in any given year.

Core Courses
INST 5000: Approaches & Issues in International Studies
INST 5005: Strategic Cultures & Unconventional Conflict
POLI 5010: Global Governance & Regulation

Approaches & Issues in International Studies
This course looks at contemporary theories of International Relations and then asks students to try and develop an understanding of how these theoretical issues relate to 'real world' events. The course overviews the key debates in IR theory scholarship - including an emphasis on both 'positivist' and 'post-positivist' approaches to the subject. The course will focus on particular theories and ask students to relate these theoretical paradigms to current issues in global politics.

Strategic Cultures & Unconventional Conflict
The world system has been redefining itself in novel ways since the end of the Cold War. Terrorist attacks on New York, Washington D.C., Pennsylvania, Barcelona and London, as well as the conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Lebanon, have demonstrated the impact of these deadlier forms of power and fear that can have an impact on developed and developing countries alike. No longer is national security seen as a strictly military issue, as many other non-military factors are emerging in discussions on how to protect the political sovereignty of individual states. Governments find it increasingly difficult to counter the work of people-smugglers, narcotics traffickers and terrorist groups. These organisations are armed with large amounts of untraceable cash, easily accessible commercial technologies, and a new degree of ruthlessness (as demonstrated by the work of the modern terrorist). Ideology has, moreover, provided a further complication in this complex matrix: the willingness to die for a cause, a feature of modern political violence that can negate the ability of national governments to secure their international boundaries and the safety of their citizens within those borders. The diffuse and globalised nature of many of these transnational threats makes their operations difficult to decisively eliminate. Even relatively small or weak states and international actors, using conventional military means in unconventional ways, coupled with misinformation strategies that permeate modern communications, can significantly constrain the actions of larger, better-equipped military opponents. This course sets out to examine how strategic cultures and unconventional conflict are beginning to undermine the traditional discourse on global security and the instrumentalities of international power.

Global Governance & Regulation
This course explores the structures, actors and processes of global governance in areas such as trade, social, health and developmental policies. You will explore the key debates in global governance, and the relationship between global governance and national politics and policy making. The course will also examine the non-state actors including the rise of private authority, transnational civic activism, the legitimacy of global governance regimes, and the rise of technocratic policy networks. The course should give students a deeper understanding of recent theoretical and empirical developments in the field of global governance, and more generally, international relations.

International Politics in the Post Cold War
The Asia-Pacific region provides a rich area of investigation for a number of key reasons: the remarkable patterns of economic growth that we have witnessed there in the past few decades (and, more recently, the spectacular reversals which occurred in many of its economies); the ancient cultures and societies that interweave in intriguing ,and often perplexing, ways. In addition, however, we have a variety of cross-cutting patterns in regional relations, which range from the uneasy co-habitation between political forms of East and West (Australia in is relations with its northern neighbours) to the problems of how to forma n economic partnership in the context of relations based on a long history of animosity and conflict (Japan and China). The politico-military ascendancy of the United States since the events in New York and Washington in September 2001 has (at least potentially) dramatically altered the conduct of politics in the Asian region, and yet have the fundamental directions and nature of relations changed markedly?

This subject begins with an examination of how we are to understand the notion of power, political order, 'innate' rights and freedoms, and the place of Asian states in the post-Cold-War international system.

Approaches to Strategic & Unconventional Conflict
The World system has been redefining itself in novel ways since the end of the Cold War. Terrorist attacks on New York, Washington D.C., Pennsylvania, Barcelona and London, as well as the conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Lebanon, have demonstrated the impact of these deadlier forms of power and fewer that can have an impact on developed and developing countries alike. no longer is national security seen as a strictly military issue, as many other non-military factors are emerging in discussions on how to protect individual states' political sovereignty. Governments find it increasingly difficult to counter the work of people-smugglers, narcotics traffickers and terrorist groups. These organisations are armed with large amounts of untraceable cash, easily accessible commercial technologies, and a new degree of ruthlessness (as demonstrated by the work of the modern terrorist). Ideology has, moreover, provided a further complication in this complex matrix: the willingness to die for a cause, a feature of modern political violence that can negate the ability of national governments to secure their international boundaries and the safety of their citizens within those borders. The diffused and globalised nature of many of these transnational threats makes their operations difficult to decisively eliminate. Even relatively weak states and smaller international actors, using conventional military means in unconventional ways, coupled with misinformation strategies that permeate modern communications, can significantly constrain the actions of larger, better-equipped military opponents. This subject sets out to examine how Strategic Cultures & Unconventional Conflict are beginning to under mine the traditional discourse on global security and the instrumentalities of international power.

Intelligence Analysis: Theory and Practice
This course is aimed at introducing students to the practical application of intelligence analysis techniques as well as providing grounding in the theory of intelligence analysis. Intelligence is moving beyond the traditional boundaries of government, as numerous private sector groups look to analysts to identify opportunities and threats in a global environment. Analysis is not a new concept, but the detailed examination of the field, particularly in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, has led to increased understanding of decision-making processes, often in confused information environments. The course combines social sciences, psychology and decision-making theories to understanding approaches to analysis. This course will provide participants opportunity to apply basic intelligence analysis theory in practical ways.

How much is Society Worth?
In 1993 Robert Putnam published Making Democracy Work: Civic Traditions in Modern Italy , a work which summarised several decades of research in Italy. What has given more than local interest to Putnam's study is his argument that the institutions of civil society are crucial to sustaining the functions of democracy and, ultimately, to the economic well-being of society. Societies with effective democracies, like those in northern Italy, in which there are dense networks of non-governmental associations (football clubs, choirs, cooperatives, etc. etc.) are ones which are characterised by high levels of trust.

What has emerged from Putnam's findings and arguments is a broader argument that there is a form of 'social capital' -'bridging social capital'-which is created by trust and association which can, to some extent be measured, and which can actually substitute for physical capital. Putnam has extended his original findings in Bowling Alone, a detailed study of the decline of social capital in the United States in the second half of the Twentieth Century. Putnam found that states high in social capital are those where children flourish, violent crime is lower, where people are more likely to be gainfully employed, and to have better health ("As a rough rule of thumb, if you belong to no groups but decide to join one, you cut your risk of dying over the next year in half" (p. 331). These findings have been extended by other researchers into areas such as development studies and epidemiology.

The focus on social capital generates, unavoidably, a critique of neo-classical economics, its methodological individualism and policy prescriptions of competitive self-interest; it is part of the re-assertion of the place and importance of community, citizenship, and shared culture.

In this seminar we will examine Putnam's work in detail, as well as those who have extended his findings in new directions, and those who are critical of the claims made for social capital.

Regionalism and Multilateralism
This course considers some of the theoretical debates with regard to Australia's relations with the Asia Pacific region. It examines concepts such as bilateralism, regionalism and multilateralism and connects them to some of the key regional institutions like APEC, ASEAN, ARF and ASEM. The subject also takes into account Australia's bilateral relationships with some of its principal partners in the Asia Pacific. Focus is placed on Japan, China and the nations of Southeast Asia, although some countries from South Asia and the South Pacific are also considered. It is designed to provide students with some of the essential conceptual and analytical tools for understanding Australia's regional context. It also provides detailed knowledge of regional economic, political and diplomatic affairs and the role Australia plays in regional affairs.

Politics and History of Contemporary Europe
This course focuses on the origins and current circumstances of modern Europe. We will spend some time looking at the recent history of key European nations. It will examine the recent social, economic and political forces that have shaped them. There will be some consideration of the effects of the industrial revolution and the two major European wars of the twentieth century, but the main focus will be on the post-World War II years. Students will consider the consequences of the division of Europe, the economic recovery of the west and the end of the cold war. Particular attention will be given to the institutions and to the nations that make up the European Union.

Students who complete this course will gain an understanding of the historical issues that have shaped Europe, of the contemporary events that are shaping the European Union and the various nations that make up the whole of Europe. They will develop skills in research and analysis that will help locate the political history of modern Europe in a broader global context.

Sex and Equality in the Liberal Democracti State
In this course we will examine the nature, implicit assumptions and limits of the liberal democratic state in relation to controversial issues about sex and equality. After exploring the nature, characteristics and moral assumptions implicit in how the liberal-democratic state operates, we will test the limits and capacities of liberal institutions to deal with such issues as: Surrogacy; Marriage and the Family; Pornography and Free Speech; Abortion; and Prostitution.

The State of the Situation
This course will explore the relationship between the State and the situation it exists in nationally and globally, via a range of political perspectives. The analysis will take the current situation as its contextual base, starting with the end of the Cold War and 9/11, to conceptualise Australia and the U.S. as different examples of particular State regimes. Both are liberal democratic capitalist societies, yet they differ in their history and place in the world, the former is a settler-colonial society and a minor power. Whereas the U.S. is seen as an Empire, with paradoxically an ingrained civil rights discourse and a powerful military history and presence. The course will dip into the theoretical tool box of liberal democratic theory, debates around consensus and hegemony (Ernest Laclau and Chantel Mouffe) Michel Foucault's governmentality and biopower, Giorgio Agamben's "state of exception", Alain Badiou's metapolitics and Susan Buck-Morss's "thinking past terror".

The course is meant to be an introduction to these ideas at an Honours level, and only assumes a basic knowledge of democratic theory and an understanding of society. There will be a reader and a series of explanatory notes to the course and students will then be able to choice a theory or an example to develop their own essays. Students may wish to use the theory to consider states of exception, such as that of Guantanamo Bay or to think of refugee policies or the "Stolen Generation" in Australia as examples of the State operating within or outside a particular consensus, relevant to that situation. The ideas of State and situation are therefore meant to stimulate thinking so as to develop political ideas and concepts.

Intelligence and Security after the Cold War
This course introduces students to the practice of intelligence analysis in a variety of professional contexts and international settings. After early sessions that provide the broader contextual foundations for the course, students are introduced to a number of specialised areas of analysis by teachers who have had experience in these. Included will be sections on the Australian Federal Police, State Police, Military Intelligence and Commercial Intelligence. While locating these areas of study in the broader international context, guest lectures will be linking these to current Australian intelligence practice. Assessment will be in the form of a combination of a report-writing exercise and a major essay on one of the areas covered by the course. Applied Intelligence Analysis is intended as an optional supplementary course to our Intelligence analysis: Theory and Practice, however it may also be taken as a self-contained six-unit offering, or as a non-award subject for inclusion in other national and international degrees.

Applied Intelligence Analysis
This course introduces students to the practice of intelligence analysis in a variety of professional contexts and international settings. After early sessions that provide the broader contextual foundations for the course, students are introduced to a number of specialised areas of analysis by teachers who have had experience in these. Included will be sections on the Australian Federal Police, State Police, Military Intelligence and Commercial Intelligence. While locating these areas of study in the broader international context, guest lectures will be linking these to current Australian intelligence practice. Assessment will be in the form of a combination of a report-writing exercise and a major essay on one of the areas covered by the course. Applied Intelligence Analysis is intended as an optional supplementary course to our Intelligence analysis: Theory and Practice, however it may also be taken as a self-contained six-unit offering, or as a non-award subject for inclusion in other national and international degrees.

Asia-Pacific Security
The course will provide students with a Masters level knowledge of the key contemporary security issues and dynamics in the Asia Pacific region. The first part of the course will examine key aspects of security theory, from realism and constructivism, to critical security and human security. The course then examines the principal dynamics of Asia-Pacific security from the Cold War to the present, focusing on key dynamics such as: US hegemony, the rise of China, Japanese remilitarization, North Korea's nuclear programme, terrorism in Southeast Asia, territorial disputes between India and Pakistan, and the transnational security agenda.

Global Governance and Regulation
This course explores the structures, actors and processes of global governance in areas such as trade, social, health and developmental policies. You will explore the key debates in global governance, and the relationship between global governance and national politics and policy making. The course will also examine the non-state actors including the rise of private authority, transnational civic activism, the legitimacy of global governance regimes, and the rise of technocratic policy networks. The course should give students a deeper understanding of recent theoretical and empirical developments in the field of global governance, and more generally, international relations.

Political Economy of Contemporary China
This course will guide students through the process of China's developmental experience since the 1940s until the present. Its goal is to help develop an informed perspective on the different historical stages, economic and political rationale, and effectiveness of the economic policies and institutional changes that have shaped China's economic development. The second goal of the course is to study Chinese economic development in order to think critically about the linkages between economy and politics, as well as the role of an individual in the process of the articulation and implementation of economic policies. China's experiment with socialism and its continuous efforts to find the Chinese path to modernization make it a fascinating case study for understanding how economic change affects political processes and a wider society. While recognizing the importance of an interdisciplinary perspective, this course will emphasize the application of political economy to the study of Chinese economic development.

Nuclear Policy & Regional Security in Northeast Asia
The course will focus on nuclear policies (both historical and current) in Northeast Asia, particularly China, North Korea, South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan. Of particular interest will be their governments' Research & Development in the nuclear energy and the military sectors, and the impact of this on the regional security. Furthermore, the effect of global warming has impacted upon most of these countries' energy policy. With nuclear technology being broadly adopted in energy sector, Northeast Asia has become a highly developed nuclear power area in the 21st Century. Due to their emphasis on economic growth as the foundation for their broader sense of security, these states have become increasingly reliant on nuclear energy, and especially so China and Japan. To these states, nuclear materials (and technologies associated with these) have therefore become an essential economic and military resource.

Key questions include: How do these countries obtain the resources and develop their nuclear energy technologies? Will one of them transfer 'peaceful' technology to 'military' usage in order to strengthen their influence in the regional affairs, and perhaps promote their aspirations to a global status? Could the consequence of their nuclear policies alter regional political stability or the global environment? To explore these questions, this course is divided into three parts: first, to examine nuclear policies (civilian and military) of the Northeast Asian countries, and beyond that to introduce and analyse the international relations of Northeast Asia. Secondly, to analyse the consequences of nuclear energy development, and especially its impact on regional stability. Third, to discuss the probability of nuclear conflict among these countries (for example, over their increasing demand for natural resources).

Readings will be drawn from international relations theory, political science, historical and current documents.

Global Political Economy
Since the 2008 global financial crisis, the study of international political economy has rarely been so relevant to the shaping of global affairs. The aim of this course is to provide students with a broad understanding of theoretical and empirical aspects of Global Political Economy. The objectives of the course include: i) providing students with knowledge of a range of theoretical approaches to the study of global and international political economy; ii) presenting the major political themes in the historical development of the international economy; iii) providing students with an understanding of debates about the emergence and political consequences of a globalised economy, with its patterns of inequality; iv) exploring the prospects and politics of managing the global economy; and v) reviewing recent research which emphasises the importance of the politics of human and environmental security in studies of political economy.

Governance of Greater China
The course will adopt the comparative politics approach to the study of territories believed to constitute Greater China: the People's Republic of China, Taiwan and Hong Kong.  The course will take a thematic approach, examining the concept of Greater China, the political and economic rise of Greater China, inter-relationships among its constituting parts, competing models of political and socio-economic development in the Chinese world and the wider implications of emergence of the Greater China power in Asian and global politics and economy.
 
The course is divided into three parts: Part 1 examines the formation of Greater China from a historical perspective, paying particular attention to the issues of fragmentation and unification forces within China. Part 2 considers political and military institutions of Greater China in a comparative perspective. Part 3 analyses key linkages among areas believed to form Greater China, with an emphasis placed on economic inter-relationships. The course ends up with a discussion of the international repercussions of the rising economic and political clout of Greater China.