Victoria University of Wellington

This course examines the underlying concepts in indigenous education and the theories that inform current research practice. Particular emphasis is given to theories of ethnicity, culture, indigeneity and colonization and their application to the New Zealand context.

This course explores research into the concept of well-being, its neural, cognitive and personality correlates, and how it is influenced by social relationships. Rather than taking a disease-oriented approach, it focuses on adopting positive lifestyle choices that can enhance health and well-being, including exercise, diet, sleep and contemplative practices such as mindfulness and meditation. It considers a range of perspectives and approaches to promoting psychological well-being, including mātauranga Māori perspectives.

This course provides students with the theoretical, contextual and strategic knowledge and skills that will equip them to advocate for the early childhood profession, young children and diverse families and communities. Students critique community, national and international levels of policy, frameworks and practices relevant to advocacy with and for children, families, communities, non-governmental organizations and professions. Te Tiriti o Waitangi provides an underpinning framework for the advocacy models to be developed in the course.

Is waging war ever morally justified, and, if so, when? Do affluent states and individuals harm the global poor? How should New Zealand deal with historic injustice and the legacy of colonialism? What is the fairest and most effective way of addressing climate change? This course investigates these questions and others that lie at the intersection of international relations and moral philosophy.

This course provides a grounding in the application of psychology to the area of criminal justice. It covers topics such as exploring psychological theories about the development of and desistance from criminal behavior, principles of risk assessment. It will cover approaches to assessment and intervention with those who engage in antisocial behavior, and place these in the context of Aotearoa.

This course examines misinformation and propaganda in a networked society, with a focus on communication, journalism, and media studies. It covers how to deal with technologies like automation, algorithms, and advances in AI and how they have changed the scale of misinformation and propaganda. Topics include: health misinformation; climate misinformation; how social media platforms short-circuit the connection between reality and fiction.

This course builds an understanding of environmental issues as social issues by focusing on environmental justice. It explores the causes of environmental problems, how problems are understood and experienced by different populations, and how communities work towards fairer environmental futures.

This course is a critical study of select popular music traditions, integrating topical case studies and interdisciplinary discussion of related scholarly issues.

This course will explore the molecular basis of life, providing students with a strong foundation in cell biology. Key concepts will include the structure and function of major cell types, biological chemistry and metabolism, and cell division and development. We’ll explore these concepts using a variety of examples from across the tree of life, including plants, animals and microbes.

In this course, students explore some of the most difficult questions about life and subject them to careful philosophical examination, including What is the meaning of life? Does anything really matter? Can I know anything with 100% certainty? Would it be good to live forever? What is happiness? Does God exist? Is time travel possible?