Australian National University

The course seeks to analyze topical developments and highlight long-term trends in security choices of the former Soviet Union. Emphasis is placed on the issues of great power rivalry, ethno-nationalism, and conflict management. The course discusses security dilemmas at multiple levels, ranging from state policies to sub-state actors and transnational issues, but special attention is given to regional security complexes involving Russia, Ukraine, Central Asia, and the Caucasus.

As industrialized societies become more diverse, there is a growing need to understand how ‘racial,' ethnic and religious minorities participate in politics and society. This course focuses on the political and social inclusion of migrant and ethnic minority (MEM) groups in Australia and other countries. It considers such questions as: Are there differences in the participation and voting behaviors of members from migrant and ethnic minority groups, compared to other citizens? Is there such a thing as the ‘ethnic vote'? What are the political behaviors of ethnic, ‘racial' and religious minorities in comparison to citizens from majority groups? What are the sources of mobilization for minority political participation? What are the individual, cultural and structural barriers to full participation among MEM groups within Western democracies? The course considers these questions in both an Australian and comparative context, and looks carefully at how contextual differences matter.

The Australian National Internships Program provides students from any discipline with the opportunity to undertake a significant research project within a work place. Placements are in national institutions (e.g., government departments and agencies), peak industry bodies, large industry organizations, public policy-focused NGOs, or international organizations (e.g., embassies). As part of a real-world experience, students have the opportunity to work in an office environment, learn to prioritize tasks and deadlines, develop the skills to express themselves concisely and provide a succinct précis of a complex topic. Admission to this course is selective due to the high academic standards required to successfully complete the course. The research topic is agreed between the Intern and the placement and topics usually have a focus relevant to both the organization and the intern. Students attend workshops to assist with the write up of their report and enhance professional skills.

This course examines how foreign and security policy is made in Japan, first focusing on the domestic political and economic variables that affect policy and then analyzing some of the specific policy challenges Japan faces. These include the pacifist constitution; the problem of historical memory; the overseas deployment of the SDF; the 3/11 disaster and nuclear power; and Japan's relations with the U.S., China, and its other neighbors in the region.

This course weighs up the kinds of insights that anthropology has to offer in understanding violence, and therefore emphasizes ethnographic accounts that explore the manner in which social life is shaped through different forms of engagement with violence. Considering violence from an anthropological perspective foregrounds concerns of meaning, representation and symbolism—understanding violence as expression as much as instrument. We approach violence as usually meaningful and always culturally mediated, a phenomenon that is not outside the realm of human society. A key theme to be explored is the contention that violence, rather than necessarily signifying a breakdown in social existence, often plays a part—perhaps even a fundamental one—in the maintenance or creation of particular forms of social order. To this end, we are concerned with analyzing not only the explicit acts of bodily harm that occur in violent conflict but more subtle forms of violence perpetrated by the nation–state and global institutions. In this sense, a vital aspect of the course involves engaging with the ‘anthropology of state practices' through considering the relation of state and society as this shapes occurrences and expressions of violence. Finally, the course considers the relation of anthropology and anthropologists to debates about universal human rights and reflect on the position of the anthropologist in witnessing, theorizing and writing about violence, as well as the methodological challenges, ethical dilemmas, dangers and responsibilities involved.

This course will provide an introduction to the study of public administration and public policy. Topics to be covered include: the role and nature of governmental bureaucracy; administrative politics; theories of bureaucracy and bureaucratic behaviour; governmental failings and corruption; governments, markets and 'the community'; trends in modern government; and the policy-making process. The course will contain a blend of theory and case studies.

This course introduces notions of Indigenous peoples, populations and communities through a number of academic and Indigenous perspectives. Using case studies the course explores five major subject areas: Cultures and Language; Politics, Policy and Law; Environment and Development; Health and Well being; and Cultural Arts. The course is a starting point for the Australian Indigenous Studies Major and Minor, and complements a variety of allied fields of study. The course deploys social science theories and Indigenous knowledge frameworks to analyze the relationship of Indigenous peoples their land and seas and with wider Australia through four major themes: identity, equity, representation and resilience. A critical component of the course is two-way learning that draws on Indigenous and Western domains of knowledge as presented by both Indigenous and non-Indigenous academics and cultural practitioners.