AIR204 - Great Power Relations
Unit details
Year: | 2020 unit information |
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Important Update: | Classes and seminars in Trimester 2/Semester 2, 2020 will be online. Physical distancing for coronavirus (COVID-19) will affect delivery of other learning experiences in this unit. Please check your unit sites for announcements and updates one week prior to the start of your trimester or semester. Last updated: 2 June 2020 |
Enrolment modes: | Trimester 2: Burwood (Melbourne), Waurn Ponds (Geelong), Online |
Credit point(s): | 1 |
EFTSL value: | 0.125 |
Unit Chair: | Trimester 2: Chengxin Pan |
Prerequisite: | Nil |
Corequisite: | Nil |
Incompatible with: | AIR205, AIR245 and AIR345 |
Typical study commitment: | Students will on average spend 150 hours over the teaching period undertaking the teaching, learning and assessment activities for this unit. |
Scheduled learning activities - campus: | 1 x 1-hour class and 1 x 1-hour seminar per week |
Scheduled learning activities - cloud: | 1 x 1-hour class per week (recordings provided) and 1 x 1-hour online seminar per week |
Content
International relations and world order are to a large extent defined and shaped by great power relations. In the 21st century, no other great power relationship is more important and more complex than that between the United States and China, the two largest economies in the world. With the US and China as Australia’s strongest ally and its largest trading partner respectively, the stake is particularly high for Australia.
Will the U.S. and China be able to cooperate in confronting a raft of global challenges or will their competition lead to hegemonic conflict or even war?
Is the twenty-first century the American or Chinese Century?
To understand such pressing questions, this unit surveys the evolution, dynamics, opportunities, problems, and challenges of this fascinating and important bilateral relationship, as well as some common theoretical and analytical perspectives on great power relations more broadly.
| These are the Learning Outcomes (ULO) for this unit At the completion of this unit, successful students can: | |
ULO1 | Demonstrate knowledge and understanding about the relations between the United States and China and demonstrate familiarity and understanding of the structures and processes of foreign policy making in the US and China | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities |
ULO2 | Use concepts, evidence, and examples relevant to this unit to present and communicate clear and logical ideas both in the context of seminar discussion and written assignments | GLO2: Communication |
ULO3 | Identify and critically analyse the assumptions and arguments in both academic and non-academic (such as media and government documents) sources, and on this basis develop their own persuasive arguments on a certain relevant topic | GLO3 Digital literacy GLO4: Critical thinking |
These Unit Learning Outcomes are applicable for all teaching periods throughout the year
Assessment
Trimester 2:Assessment Description | Student output | Grading and weighting (% total mark for unit) | Indicative due week |
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Assessment 1 - (Individual) Essay | 2000 words | 50% | Week 7 |
Assessment 2 - (Individual) Examination | 50% | Examination period |
The assessment due weeks provided may change. The Unit Chair will clarify the exact assessment requirements, including the due date, at the start of the teaching period.
Learning Resource
The texts and reading list for the unit can be found on the University Library via the link below: AIR204 Note: Select the relevant trimester reading list. Please note that a future teaching period's reading list may not be available until a month prior to the start of that teaching period so you may wish to use the relevant trimester's prior year reading list as a guide only.
Unit Fee Information
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