Global Politics

Elective Unit

Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites for this course.

Course Description

Year 10 Global Politics provides students with the opportunity to gain an understanding of the nature of contemporary international issues from around the global world (with a closer focus) from the last 10 years. Throughout the year students will develop an understanding of political terms and concepts and consider factors and the roles that political actors played in influencing political stability, change and significance throughout the world.

Students will consider the causes and consequences of political issues and crises requiring them to consider the factors that produce, trigger or drive the issue or crisis, as well as the impacts of actions taken in response to the issue or crisis. They will also be able to identify how contemporary issues and crises are complex and multifaceted and often include combinations of historical, social, political, economic, cultural, technological and environmental factors. Students should be able to recognise that the causes and consequences may be both intended and unintended.

Essential Questions

• What is Global Politics?
• Who and what are political actors?
• How and why do political actors use different types of power to achieve their interests?
• What are the differences between various political actors’ interests and perspectives?
• How are global issues presented in various forms of media, and what are the similarities and differences between them?

Areas of Study

• Introduction to Global Politics
• Political Terms and Concepts: Power, Political Actors, Sovereignty, State, Political Perspectives, Interests and Significance.
• Current global issues and case studies are chosen to illustrate the political terms and concepts.
  • Students are encouraged to access a wide range of current media sources, including print media, videos and podcasts.
  • Students will be challenged to stay up to date with everchanging world news, by accessing information via reliable sources, include ABC and SBS world news.
• Key global political actors, how they use power to achieve national interests and the impact they have on others.
  • These include states, leaders, NGOs, TNCs, Institutions of Global Governance (IGGs – e.g. the UN), and various individuals.
  • Case studies will highlight the interests and perspectives of various global actors, and how these inform and shape their actions.
• Students will use the inquiry process using “the 5 w’s” who, what, where, when, why, how; when unpacking, evaluating and analysing a new global issue or case study. Key global actors and how they use different forms of power to achieve their interest and aims.
  • Students will understand various forms of hard and soft power, which include political, military, economic, cultural, diplomatic; which are utilised by global actors in various ways at various times.
• Significant global research investigations.
  • Students will be required to utilise their knowledge of political terms and concepts to undergo a significant research task, using a contemporary global issue of their choosing. The aim is to combine their developing skills in analysing and synthesising the relevant political issue using a range of diverse and reliable sources to support their findings and conclusions.

The assessments are wide ranging and modelled on the command terms, style of questions, and allow students to utilise their developing skills which are required for the VCE Units 1 to 4 Politics subjects.