54000 Citizenship and Communication
Warning: The information on this page is indicative. The subject outline for a
particular session, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source
of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts and references in particular are likely to change. Students will be provided with a subject outline once they enrol in the subject.
Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.
Credit points: 8 cp
Result type: Grade and marks
There are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.
Anti-requisite(s): 58101 Understanding Communication
Description
This subject explores the role of the citizen communicator by examining the institutions which structure our social world, and the social arenas in which civic participation occurs. Students are introduced to political, legal, economic and media institutions and concepts in national and, to a lesser extent, global contexts. There is a particular emphasis on the skills of academic literacy, reflective practice, and research skills. Assessment ranges from traditional essay forms to weekly critical responses to the set readings.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
| a. | Analyse the concept of citizenship and the social institutions that shape civic participation |
|---|---|
| b. | Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the practices of currently existing social institutions in Australia |
| c. | Collaborate with others to produce a presentation about communication strategies and civic engagement |
| d. | Communicate clearly |
| e. | Recognise and analyse specific issues of citizenship relating to Indigenous people |
Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)
This subject engages with the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs), which are tailored to the Graduate Attributes set for all graduates of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences:
- Possess information literacy skills to locate, gather, organise and synthesise information across diverse platforms to inform the understanding of the communication industries (2.1)
- Be reflexive critical thinkers and creative practitioners who are intellectually curious, imaginative and innovative, with an ability to evaluate their own and others' work (2.2)
- Possess a critical understanding of the importance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples within contemporary Australian politics, history and culture (4.1)
- Possess well-developed skills and proficiencies to communicate and respond effectively and appropriately across different contexts (6.1)
Teaching and learning strategies
There will be active promotion of collaborative reading and engagement in class activities that will have both online and peer-to-peer components. A series of online modules will be used to develop the skills to engage critically with scholarly materials, undertake research on relevant topics and essay writing skills. An aim of this subject is to help you develop academic and professional language and communication skills in order to succeed at university and in the workplace. To determine your current academic language proficiency, you are required to complete an online language screening task, OPELA (information available at https://www.uts.edu.au/research-and-teaching/learning-and-teaching/enhancing/language-and-learning/about-opela-students) . If you receive a Basic grade for OPELA, you must attend additional Language Development Tutorials each week from week 3 to week 11 in order to pass the subject. These tutorials are designed to support you to develop your language and communication skills. Students who do not complete the OPELA and/or do not attend 80% of the Language Development Tutorials will receive a Fail X grade.
Content (topics)
Citizenship and civic participation; government and governing; legal frameworks; ideologies & political parties; civil society and social movements, media institutions; social media and civic participation; environmental citizenship and social justice.
Assessment
Assessment task 1: Critical Responses
| Objective(s): | a, b, d and e | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight: | 30% | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Length: | 1200 words (300 words x 4 critical resposes). | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Criteria linkages: |
SLOs: subject learning objectives CILOs: course intended learning outcomes |
Assessment task 2: Essay
| Objective(s): | a, b and d | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight: | 40% | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Length: | 1500 words | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Criteria linkages: |
SLOs: subject learning objectives CILOs: course intended learning outcomes |
Assessment task 3: Group Presentation
| Objective(s): | a, b, c and d | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight: | 30% | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Length: | up to 5 minutes per group presentation (depending on the number of participants). This will be followed by an in-class discussion on your topic involving questions from peers and tutor. You are expected to prepare some questions for the class. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Criteria linkages: |
SLOs: subject learning objectives CILOs: course intended learning outcomes |
Minimum requirements
Students must have completed the following modules:
- Academic literacy online
- Collaboration skills online
- Video skills online
Classes are based on a collaborative approach that involves essential work-shopping and interchange of ideas with other students and the tutor.
Students must undertake the OPELA (online post enrolment language assessment) screening tool as part of this subject to ascertain their level of Academic English. Students are expected to complete OPELA during Orientation and Preparation Week(s).
Academic staff will review OPELA completions and students who do not undertake the screening tool by the end of Week 3 will be ineligible to have their assignments assessed (in accordance with Rule 3.8).
It is a requirement of this subject that all students complete OPELA. Students who receive a Basic grade in the OPELA test are required to attend 80% of the Language Development Tutorials in order to pass the subject. Please see the UTS Student Rules Section 3.8 (detailed under ‘other resources’).
Recommended texts
Further readings:
Berger, B. 2011, Attention deficit democracy: The paradox of civic engagement. Princeton University Press, Princeton.
Collin, P. 2015, Young Citizens and Political Participation in a Digital Society: Addressing the Democratic Disconnect, Palgrave Macmillan, Australia.
Dalton, R. J., Farrell, D. M., & McAllister, I. 2011, Political parties and democratic linkage: How parties organize democracy. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Edwards, M. 2009, Civil society, Polity Press, Malden, MA.
Gastil, J. & Levine, P. (eds) 2005, The deliberative democracy handbook: Strategies for effective civic engagement in the twenty-first century. Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, CA.
Heywood, A. 2012, Political ideologies: An introduction. Palgrave Macmillan, New York.
Keane, J. 2009, The Life and Death of Democracy, W.W. Norton & Co, New York.
Lerner, J. 2014, Making Democracy Fun: How Game Design Can Empower Citizens and Transform Politics, MITPress, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Ratto, M., Boler, M., & Deibert, R. 2014, DIY citizenship: Critical making and social media. MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Sanford, S. 2007, Civic Life in the Information Age. Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke.
Skocpol, T., & Fiorina, M. P. (eds), 2004, Civic engagement in American democracy. Brookings Institution Press, Washington.