Monash University Handbook 2010 Undergraduate - Unit
ISA3110 - South Africa: Democracy and development
6 points, SCA Band 1, 0.125 EFTSL
Synopsis
This unit is a survey course on the history and politics of South Africa's long transition from colonial capitalist development through the period of the Apartheid regime to constitutional democracy. The challenges faced by the new state and society to achieve the dual but complex tasks of deepening mass-based legitimate participatory democracy and securing sustainable development for all citizens are placed within an international context, comparing South Africa's modern history to that of other new and democratising states and raising up scholarly debates over these essential challenges confronting all new states.
Objectives
The objectives of this Unit are to provide students with the following types of information and academic and professional skills:
Intellectual familiarity with the main conceptual issues relevant to the Unit: democracy, nationalism, development and under development, theories and concepts relating to late developing states, political parties and civil society and key terms in international affairs: ie. globalization, unilateralism, bilateralism and multilateralism Knowledge of the main events, processes, issues, personalities, ideas and politics in the modern history of South Africa An understanding of the relationships between the South African state and society and wider global politics and international relations An understanding of the main currents in wider political discourses, within South Africa and internationally, concerning new states, democracy and development in the contemporary post 1945 and post-Cold War worlds An understanding of the main currents within academic debate, within South Africa and internationally, concerning South Africa's modern history and politics and its place within in the modern world Experience in working with and understanding the different characteristics of various forms of evidence, both primary and secondary, documentary, oral and visual Experience in conducting research using both primary and secondary sources Improving oral, writing, presentation and debating styles
Assessment
Three essays: One primary source document analysis essay (1000 words): 20%
One essay on scholarly debates (1000 words): 20%
One general topic essay (2000 words): 40%
Two oral presentations: Tutorial presentation (500 words): 10%
Tutorial presentation (500 words):10%
Note:
This unit (or INT2110) is a pre-requisite component in a BA majoring in International Studies at Monash South Africa.
Contact hours
Two one-hour lectures and one one-hour tutorial per week for twelve weeks
This unit applies to the following area(s) of study
International studies
Prerequisites
INT1010 and INT1020
Prohibitions
INT2110, ISA2110
