ALR383 - Lobbying, Advocacy and Public Opinion

Unit details

Note: You are seeing the 2020 view of this unit information. These details may no longer be current.
Year:

2020 unit information

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 1: Burwood (Melbourne), Waurn Ponds (Geelong), Cloud (online), CBD*

Credit point(s):1
EFTSL value:0.125
Unit Chair:Trimester 1: Mark Sheehan
Prerequisite:Any second level ALR unit
Corequisite:

Nil

Incompatible with:

ALC381, ALR381, ALR481, ALR681

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 per week; 1 x 2-hour seminar per week 

Scheduled learning activities - cloud:

1 x 1-hour class per week (recording via CloudDeakin)

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

Note:

Students in this unit should have access to a computer linked to the internet and should be able to load software from Deakin's Software Library

*CBD refers to the National Indigenous Knowledges, Education, Research and Innovation (NIKERI) Institute; Community Based Delivery

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 in order 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 and government sector organisations seek to communicate via lobbying and campaigning in order influence public opinion and government policy.

 

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

GLO2: Communication

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

These Unit Learning Outcomes are applicable for all teaching periods throughout the year

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% Information not yet available

Assessment 2 (Individual) - Lobbying Strategy

2000 words or equivalent 50% Information not yet available
Assessment 3 (Individual) - Quizzes 800 words or equivalent 20% Information not yet available

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: ALR383 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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