POLITICS 301 : Toleration and Censorship
Arts
2020 Semester One (1203) (15 POINTS)
Course Prescription
Course Overview
The course is taught through 24 lecture hours, two a week, and weekly discussion hours. The course's rationale and scope is as follows. Commitments to tolerance and free expression are defining characteristics of modern politics but they emerged from past conflicts and disputes and continue to present political dilemmas today. This course considers historical and theoretical aspects of toleration and intolerance, and particularly their relationship to public political debate, to censorship, and to concepts such as liberty and rights. The course proceeds from a conceptual exploration to the examination of historical episodes including the Reformation and Enlightenment and thinkers such as John Locke and J.S. Mill. This is followed by consideration of modern developments and debates on the limits of expression and action – how free is free speech, what cannot be tolerated, and is ‘mere’ tolerance enough in a world of diversity?
Capabilities Developed in this Course
| Capability 1: | Disciplinary Knowledge and Practice |
| Capability 2: | Critical Thinking |
| Capability 3: | Solution Seeking |
| Capability 4: | Communication and Engagement |
| Capability 5: | Independence and Integrity |
| Capability 6: | Social and Environmental Responsibilities |
Learning Outcomes
- Knowledge and understanding of the contested nature and development of tolerance and free expression • Possess an informed grasp of issues at stake in contemporary debates (Capability 1.1, 1.3, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 6.2 and 6.3)
- Develop and improve intellectual skills: Ability to reflect critically on issues in the areas of tolerance and censorship • ability to test claims about difference and dissent against the evidence • capacity to evaluate differing theoretical claims and the relationship of these to empirical evidence (Capability 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 3.1, 5.1, 5.2, 6.2 and 6.3)
- Gain practical skills: Ability to contribute to discussions and debates in tutorial groups • ability to read critically primary and secondary material and use it selectively in essays and in examinations • ability to think and write under time constraints (Capability 1.2, 2.3, 4.1, 4.2 and 4.3)
- Transferable and key skills: Capacity to access and use to best effect a range of resources • time management and self-organisation skills (Capability 1.2, 3.1, 3.2, 4.3 and 5.2)
Assessments
| Assessment Type | Percentage | Classification |
|---|---|---|
| Essay | 35% | Individual Coursework |
| Essay | 25% | Individual Coursework |
| Final Exam | 40% | Individual Examination |
| 3 types | 100% |
Workload Expectations
This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.
For this course, each week you can expect two hours of lectures, a discussion hour, three hours of reading and thinking about the content and variable hours of work on assignments and/or test preparation.
Digital Resources
Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).
Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.
Academic Integrity
The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against online source material using computerised detection mechanisms.
Inclusive Learning
All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.
Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website at http://disability.auckland.ac.nz
Well-being always comes first
We all go through tough times during the semester, or see our friends struggling. There is lots of help out there - for more information,
look at this Canvas page (https://canvas.auckland.ac.nz/courses/33894),
which has links to various support services in the University and the wider community.
Special Circumstances
If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.
If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page: https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.
This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.
Student Feedback
At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.
Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.
Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.
Student Charter and Responsibilities
The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter (https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html).
Disclaimer
Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.
In this course you may be asked to submit your coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. The final decision on the completion mode for a test or examination, and remote invigilation arrangements where applicable, will be advised to students at least 10 days prior to the scheduled date of the assessment, or in the case of an examination when the examination timetable is published.