ALR214 - Lobbying, Advocacy and Public Opinion

Unit details

Note: You are seeing the 2023 view of this unit information. These details may no longer be current. [Go to the current version]
Year:

2023 unit information

Enrolment modes:

Trimester 1: Burwood (Melbourne), Online

From 2024

Trimester 1: Burwood (Melbourne), Waurn Ponds (Geelong), Online

Credit point(s):1
EFTSL value:0.125
Unit Chair:Trimester 1: Deirdre Quinn-Allan
Prerequisite:

Any two ALR, AIE, AIP or AIR coded units at a level 1, 2 or 3

Corequisite:Nil
Incompatible with: ALR383
Typical study commitment:

Students will on average spend 150 hours over the trimester undertaking the teaching, learning and assessment activities for this unit.

Scheduled learning activities - campus:

1 x 1-hour class per week (via the unit site); 1 x 2-hour seminar per week

Scheduled learning activities - online:

1 x 1-hour class per week (recording via the unit site)

Online collaborative learning activities x 2-hours per week (equivalent)

Content

The public interest, which is sometimes quoted in professional codes of public relations practice and conduct, is a cliché and a myth; in fact, the civil society in which we live is an amalgam of competing interests. It is within this contested arena that public affairs practitioners operate to advocate for particular institutional views and resource allocations in the battle for favourable policy outcomes. So, this unit examines the ways in which public relations and communication professionals working within third sector, business sector, and government sector organisations seek to communicate via lobbying and campaigning in order influence public opinion and government policy.

ULO These are the Learning Outcomes (ULO) for this unit. At the completion of this unit, successful students can: Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes
ULO1 Analyse the relationship between issues management, policy, and public opinion formation within the context of public affairs practice

GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities

GLO4: Critical thinking
ULO2 Research and analyse a public affairs problem from an organisational and stakeholder perspective

GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities

GLO3: Digital literacy

GLO4: Critical thinking

GLO5: Problem solving
ULO3 Work as an effective member of team using online means to plan, contribute to, and edit a lobbying project to a professional standard

GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities

GLO3: Digital literacy

GLO7: Teamwork
ULO4 Apply principles of ethical lobbying and advocacy to plan a persuasive lobbying strategy

GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities

GLO2: Communication

GLO4: Critical thinking

GLO5: Problem solving

Assessment

Trimester 1:
Assessment Description Student output Grading and weighting
(% total mark for unit)
Indicative due week
Assessment 1 (Group) -  Background Briefing 1200 words or equivalent 30% Week 5
Assessment 2 - Lobbying Strategy 2000 words or equivalent 50% Week 10
Assessment 3 - Quizzes 800-word equivalent 20%

Quiz 1 – week 4

Quiz 2 – week 11

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

There is no prescribed text. Unit materials are provided via the unit site. This includes unit topic readings and references to further information.

Unit Fee Information

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