Unit 1 and 2

Developing a program

Teachers should use the Study Design and this advice to develop a teaching and learning program that includes appropriate learning activities to enable students to develop the knowledge and skills identified in the outcomes in each unit.

This study of Australian and Global Politics is structured to allow students to engage with ideas, issues and debates that are relevant to both contemporary Australian and global politics. Unit 1 is concerned with Australian federal politics and examines the concepts which underpin the operation of our modern democracy at a federal level. Unit 2 examines the impact of globalization on Australia’s engagement with the international community and the role that conflict plays in the global arena.

Units 1 and 2 of Australian and Global Politics can be taught discretely or as sequential units. Teachers should develop a teaching and learning program which engages students in the contemporary study of both local and international politics, and as such draws heavily on current political events, discussion and debate. Case studies are an important resource when contextualising and elaborating on the key knowledge and key skills. The Study Design states that for all Areas of Study, students must use examples and case studies from within the last 10 years. This is to ensure the teaching and learning program in Australian and Global Politics remains contemporary and relevant. It may be helpful to contextualise case studies with information that is prior to 10 years, however, only analysis and evaluation from the last 10 years should be assessed. A mix of teaching resources should be used including a range of media sources. The teaching and learning program should explicitly teach all key terms and concepts and provide opportunities to apply them to contemporary issues and case studies. A glossary of terms can be found in this Advice for Teachers.

Unit 1: Ideas, actors and power

Area of Study 1: Power and ideas requires the study of key concepts relating to an understanding of politics including the main ideas relating to the exercise of power and the key features of main political ideas and systems. It is important that students develop an understanding of ideas such as socialism and are then able to apply them using examples. Teachers should also note the specification of the characteristics of Australian democracy which should form part of the teaching program. A case study of a non-democratic political system must be used to compare and contrast the characteristics of Australian democracy using the key knowledge to evaluate the different approaches to government.

Area of Study 2: Political actors and power requires the study of the roles played by key political actors in Australia, such as political parties, interest groups and the media. The teaching and learning program should develop students' analytical thinking on the roles of actors, their functions and participation in the Australian political system. Students should be encouraged to keep a media file that illustrates the impact and influence of each. When analysing the role and function of the media students need to ensure they have a balance of media perspectives. Opportunities to draw on contemporary case studies and issues to illustrate the role and functions of political parties, interest groups and the media should be used.

Unit 2: Global Connections

Area of Study 1: Global links requires the study of the interconnectedness created by globalization and its impacts on global actors. Global actors include states, such as Australia, and non-state actors, such as transnational corporations and humanitarian organisations. A good case study for this interconnection can be an analysis of one or more transnational corporations in depth, as they often impact many areas and have both positive and negative effects as members of the global community. It is helpful to use a case study to explore Australia's cooperation with the global community on one of the following: environment, terrorism, people movement, free/fair trade, international law or aid. This area of study introduces complex theories crucial to understanding global politics, such as the concepts of realism and cosmopolitanism, which are often the ethical motivations of global actors in deciding how they behave in the global political arena. The issue of 'citizenship' and whether a state has an obligation to the global community as a 'global citizen', or whether it need only act in its own self-interest, referred to as the 'national interest'. To this end, teachers are required to explicitly teach Australia's participation in the global community and evaluate this participation.

Area of Study 2: Global cooperation and conflict requires the study of specific global actors and whether they can effectively manage international cooperation, conflict and instability. When developing a program at least two examples of contemporary global cooperation and at least two examples of contemporary global conflict and instability are to be investigated. This must include at least one case study from international conflict and one from international cooperation. It is important that students are able to distinguish between international cooperation and international conflict in their analysis. This can be applied to a particular contemporary global issue. International cooperation refers to occasions when global actors work together to achieve common ideals and goals. For example, the area of international crime requires cooperation to be defeated as crime can transcend national borders. International conflict refers to an armed engagement that transcends a state's borders and does not necessarily mean that more than one state is involved in the conflict. Global actors work to stop international conflict by encouraging international cooperation.

Unit 1: Ideas, actors and power

Unit 2: Global Connections