POLITICS 740 : Revolutions, Ideas and Media

Arts

2025 Semester One (1253) (15 POINTS)

Course Prescription

Revolutions are politics writ large, moments when political reality and political aspirations collide and erupt in often epochal transformations. This course explores the idea, and the realities, of historical and modern revolutions as sources of insight into politics and societal change, with particular attention to the key role of 'the people', public opinion and the media.

Course Overview

Revolutions are politics writ large, moments when political reality and political aspirations collide and erupt in often epochal transformations. This course considers the aspirations and the reality, examining the role of revolution as an immensely influential idea (whether dream or nightmare) and hugely consequential event (whether willed, determined or contingent). In particular it probes the notion of politics ‘writ large’ – how revolutions have been shaped by the expression and circulation of ideas through print and other media. Books, pamphlets, photographs and films can supply evidence in reflecting on the role of ideology, agency, public opinion and political culture in revolutionary change. The course’s approach involves elements of comparative historical analysis, political theory, history of political thought, political sociology and media analysis. The course begins with conceptual and methodological issues before examining particular revolutions, centrally those in seventeenth-century England, eighteenth-century America and France, and twentieth-century Russia, China and Iran. This is followed by consideration of the demise of European communism and of revolutionary resurgence in the present century, notably the 'Arab Spring', as a preliminary to a concluding section, which asks whether fundamental political change remains desirable or possible in a twenty-first century context: does the dream still live, or has the nightmare ended? 

Course Requirements

No pre-requisites or restrictions

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 1: People and Place
Capability 3: Knowledge and Practice
Capability 4: Critical Thinking
Capability 5: Solution Seeking
Capability 6: Communication
Capability 7: Collaboration
Capability 8: Ethics and Professionalism
Graduate Profile: Master of Arts

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Develop a broad comparative knowledge of a number of revolutions and detailed knowledge of aspects of these (Capability 1, 3 and 4)
  2. Develop an understanding of revolution and resistance as a theoretical and actors’ concept (Capability 1, 3 and 4)
  3. Critically evaluate the interpenetration of ideas, agency and structural factors in revolutionary causation and process (Capability 1, 3 and 4)
  4. Apply knowledge of the role of the media in this nexus of ideas, agency and structural factors in revolutionary causation and process (Capability 1, 3, 4 and 6)
  5. Demonstrate an awareness of the contribution of historical revolutions to modern political culture (Capability 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6)
  6. Think critically and with historical sensitivity about modern politics, political change, political ideas, and the role of the media (Capability 3, 4, 5 and 6)
  7. Work collaboratively and individually , displaying appropriate commitment to set tasks (Capability 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8)
  8. Use the spoken and written word to convey your understanding to an intelligent audience (Capability 3, 4, 6 and 8)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Coursework 100% Individual Coursework

Teaching & Learning Methods

The class is a seminar with learning and discussion based around presentations by the course convenor and each class member.

Exam Mode

There is no final exam for this course

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, you can expect each week a two-hour seminar, four hours of reading and thinking about the content and four hours of work on coursework (averaged over semester).

Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

Attendance is expected at seminars and attendance is required to deliver an individual presentation and receive credit for that component of the course.

Seminars will not be available as recordings.
The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.

Learning 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.

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.

N/A

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework, tests and examinations 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. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against electronic source material using computerised detection mechanisms. Upon reasonable request, students may be required to provide an electronic version of their work for computerised review.

Class Representatives

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

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 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.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and your assessment is fair, and not compromised. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the University Website for information about how to proceed.

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.

Published on 30/10/2024 08:03 a.m.