AMU3650 - A world in crisis: Multilevel responses to global emergencies - 2019

International crises are complex phenomena driven by states and a variety of non-state actors including media conglomerates, epistemic communities and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations. This unit examines a number of interrelated themes dealing with the development and resolution of various types of global crises.

Students will be assigned specific roles and participate in an extended online and face-to-face crisis simulation. This theoretically grounded simulation requires students to work strategically with classmates to resolve the crisis according to role-specific objectives. Students will explore a number of factors that may prevent or accelerate the escalation of international crises, including: intervention by the international community, international agreements, the increasing concentration of media power, the emergence of social media, and transnational movements.

Upon successful completion of the unit, students should be able to:

1. Identify trends in coverage of international crises by the global news media;
2. Identify various state and non-state actors and their roles in a crisis;
3. Critically analyse the goals and motivations of various actors during a crisis;
4. Collaborate effectively with peers in a small group environment;
5. Analyse the role of international organizations in resolving international crises;
6. Interpret primary and secondary documents through developing critical reading skills;
7. Communicate ideas and arguments in verbal form;
8. Write research briefs and persuasive press statements.

Within semester assessment: 100%

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.

See also Unit timetable information

Communication

Communication, media and screen studies

Global asia

Global studies

Global studies in communication and media

Journalism studies