ASM5100

Violences ( 12 points, SCA Band 1, 0.250 EFTSL)

Leader: Dr Brett Hough

Offered:
Clayton Second semester 2006 (Day)

Synopsis: This unit explores violences as a complex set of practices, from a range of disciplinary perspectives although with an overall emphasis on the social sciences. Topic areas covered in any year may include state-sanctioned violences like institutionalised torture and capital punishment; interpersonal violences such as rape and child abuse; and intellectual and political debates over ethics, research methodologies and epistemologies, and issues of representation. This unit will also entail examining violences via cross-cultural perspectives in order to highlight differences and similarities throughout the world.

Objectives: Upon successful completion of this subject students should be able to: 1. Appreciate the plural character of the phenomenon 'violences'. 2. Show a critical awareness of the diversity of understandings of and proffered solutions to violences. 3. Present a debate or issue central to the project of trying to eliminate violence from social life. 4. Demonstrate some understanding of the methodological, epistemological, ethical and political issues in researching a form of violence. 5. Appreciate the relationship of work on violences to the 'crisis in representation' in the social sciences.

Assessment: Essay (2000 words): 20% + Major projects (5000 words): 60% + Seminar work (2000 words): 20%

Contact Hours: 3 hours (1 x 2 hour seminar and 1 x 1 hour film screening) per week

Prohibitions: ANY4100, ASM4100