ALR383 - Lobbying, Advocacy and Public Opinion

Unit details

Note: You are seeing the 2021 view of this unit information. These details may no longer be current.
Year:

2021 unit information

Important Update:

Unit delivery will continue to be provided in line with the most current COVIDSafe health guidelines. This may include a mix of on-campus and online activities. To find out how you are impacted, please check your unit sites for announcements and updates. Unit sites open one week prior to the start of each Trimester/Semester.

Thank you for your flexibility and commitment to studying with Deakin in 2021.

Last updated: 4 June 2021

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
Cohort rule:

Nil

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.

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

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

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 - Lobbying Strategy 2000 words
or equivalent
50% Information not yet available
Assessment 3 - 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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