Undergraduate - UnitATS1259 - Exploring contemporary Australia

This unit entry is for students who completed this unit in 2015 only. For students planning to study the unit, please refer to the unit indexes in the the current edition of the Handbook. If you have any queries contact the managing faculty for your course or area of study.

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6 points, SCA Band 1, 0.125 EFTSL

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Level	Undergraduate
Faculty	Faculty of Arts
Organisational Unit	National Centre For Australian Studies
Monash Passport category	Research Challenge (Investigate Program)
Offered	Clayton First semester 2015 (Day) Clayton Second semester 2015 (Day)
Coordinator(s)	Dr Damien Williams

Notes

The unit has a fieldtrip component - see the Arts Field Trips page for further information http://artsonline.monash.edu.au/currentstudents/field-trips/

Synopsis

How is Australia, in the words of Richard Flanagan, an 'ever stranger country'? How well do the country's iconic images match the reality of life in Australia today? This unit draws on historical, political, cultural and literary sources to introduce students to some of the major changes and continuities that have shaped contemporary Australia. It ranges widely over topics relating to land and climate, the experiences of childhood, crime and punishment, science and research, religion and the state, political economy, government and citizenship. It is designed to give a thorough overview of the major issues confronting Australians in the present. This unit includes assessment based on extended field trips outside Melbourne and within the city.

Outcomes

To develop students' understanding of the historical and cultural processes that have shaped various aspects of contemporary Australia.
To employ fieldwork and a range of relevant sources within the field of Australian Studies in gaining insight into past and current events that have shaped contemporary Australia.
To think, discuss and write critically about the issues that affect Australian politics, culture and society.
To develop students' independent research and presentation skills on related subjects.

Assessment

Within semester assessment: 100%

Workload requirements

Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. A unit requires on average three/four hours of scheduled activities per week. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.

Additional requirements
Field trip

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Damien Williams

This unit applies to the following area(s) of study

Australia in the world