Course syllabus

 

POLITICS 724: Identity and the Politics of Multiculturalism

SEMESTER 2, 2019

Thursday, 12 noon - 2pm

15 points

 

Teacher: 

Katherine Smits - k.smits@auckland.ac.nz

Office hours:  Mondays  and Tuesdays, 2:30-3:30pm, and by appointment (NB:  my office is HSB room 506, but my office hours will be held in the Arts Students study space on the ground floor of HSB.

Course delivery format:

One two hour seminar per week

(Timetable and room details can be viewed on Student Services Online)

Summary of Course Description:         

Politics in pluralist democracies has increasingly become dominated by claims for recognition on the part of minority groups, divided along the axes of race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality (and other forms of social ascription.)  Identity politics challenges conventional ways of understanding both pluralism and power in politics.  It assumes the political status of identity group, rather than interest group membership, and it locates recognition – rather than redistribution – claims at the center of progressive politics.  Identity has largely supplanted class as the locus for social meaning, and the driving force behind individual action.  This course examines the theory and politics of identity, recognition and difference.  We will begin by examining the concepts of identity, difference, self and other, from a philosophical perspective.  We will then focus on the way these concepts have been deployed in political practice by a range of movements, and upon some of the key critiques of identity politics, from both the right (the civic republican position) and the left (social-democratic redistributive critiques.) 

 

The course is intended for students interested in the problems of contemporary pluralist democracies, cultural diversity and the role of social movements from either a philosophical or a more directly political perspective. 

 Course outcomes:

This course is designed to develop several key competencies for students:

 

Knowledge Competencies

 At the end of this course, you should have a good understanding of:

• Identity politics and multiculturalism as philosophically framed social phenomena
• The philosophical concepts of identity and difference, self and other
• The ways in which different social groups have deployed these concepts to make political claims, and the ways in which those claims have been contested
• The philosophical and political arguments against identity politics and multiculturalism

 

 Skill Competencies

 At the end of this course, you should be better able to:

• Read, comprehend and critically summarize an academic theoretical argument
• Discuss political movements and policies in terms of their underlying theoretical assumptions
• Research and write an essay which may form the basis for future research
• Present and defend orally a researched and theoretically sophisticated argument to an academic audience.

 

 Assessment Summary:

Class presentations:                         20%

Reviews of readings:                         30%

Discussion of research plans:      10%

Research essay:                                    40%

 

 

 Recommended Texts:

All readings will be available online through Canvas.  There is no required text to purchase.

 Workload and deadlines for submission of coursework:           

The University of Auckland's expectation is that students spend 10 hours per week on a 15-point course, including time in class and personal study. Students should manage their academic workload and other commitments accordingly. Deadlines for coursework are set by course convenors and will be advertised in course material. You should submit your work on time. In extreme circumstances, such as illness, you may seek an extension but you may be required to provide supporting information before the assignment is due. Late assignments without a pre-approved extension may be penalised by loss of marks – check course information for details.