Authorised by Academic Registrar, April 1996
Synopsis Is modernity characterised by the universal values of freedom and life, or by human suffering and inequalities? This subject examines the ideas and practices of Western societies and rethinks the various logics of modernity in the context of the crisis of the contemporary nation-state. In particular, the subject examines the concepts of industrialisation, modernisation and democracy by asking questions about freedom, autonomy, race, gender and violence. It analyses these through notions of identity and citizenship and what these mean for modern men and women. The subject begins with debates about modernity and the nation-state in Europe and closes with a discussion of these ideas in the Australian context.
Assessment Written (2500 words): 50% + Examination (2 hours): 50%