300-level

POLS301
Contemporary Political Theory
Description
The study of politics focuses not only on how the political world operates, but also the normative question of how it ought to operate. Is redistribution of wealth justified? Do people have a right to what they earn in the market? Is equality of opportunity possible? Is it desirable? This course examines theories of distributive justice and their implications for economics and markets. Topics covered include: Utilitarianism; Rawls’s theory of justice; Dworkin’s equality of resources; Libertarianism; Universal basic income; Market socialism; Citizenship; and culture and politics.
Occurrences
Semester One 2024
Semester One 2024 (Distance)
Points
30 points
Prerequisites
Any 30 points at 200 level from PHIL or POLS, or any 60 points at 200 level from the Schedule V of the BA, or LAWS, GEOG, or the Schedule V of the BCom.
Restrictions
PHIL317, POLS351
POLS304
Environmental Politics and Policy
Description
Has green politics come of age? Around the world we are seeing spontaneous community movements challenging four difficult and intersecting issues: dangerous environmental change, growing social inequality, weak democracy and a paradigm of growth that has contributed to resource extraction beyond the capacity of the planet. Against a background of difficult issues including climate change and the impact of colonization, this course examines the roots of environmental thinking and activism and asks- what are the implications of these ideas for how we live as citizens, communities, businesses and nations and how might we plan for just transitions towards a more equitable and sustainable future? The course involves a weekend field trip.
Occurrences
Semester Two 2024
Points
30 points
Prerequisites
Any 30 points at 200 level from POLS, or any 60 points at 200 level from the Schedule V of the BA, or LAWS, GEOG, or the Schedule V of the BCom.
POLS308
International Politics: Aotearoa New Zealand Foreign Policy
Description
This course will critically examine Aotearoa New Zealand’s past and present foreign policy while exploring future foreign policy directions.
Occurrences
Semester One 2024
Points
30 points
Prerequisites
Any 30 points at 200 level from POLS, or any 60 points at 200 level from the Schedule V of the BA, or LAWS, GEOG, or the Schedule V of the BCom.
Restrictions
PACS303
POLS314
Militaries and Societies
Description
This course focuses on civil-military relations. It covers the development of the modern professional military and its role in politics and society over time and in a wide range of countries, including European, Asian, American, and Australasian nations. It analyses the military role in the overthrow of democratic and non-democratic governments. It also examines the authoritarian nature of military regimes and the ways they may collapse or be overthrown by democratic uprisings. The final section of the course is devoted to contemporary issues in civil-military relations, raising questions regarding the emergence of the "post-modern", often politicised, military and how to control it, whether soldiers trained for battle are effective as peace-keepers, and the consequences of the return of mercenary forces.
Occurrences
Semester Two 2024
Points
30 points
Prerequisites
Any 30 points at 200 level from POLS, or any 60 points at 200 level from the Schedule V of the BA, or LAWS, GEOG, or the Schedule V of the BCom.
Restrictions
ILAP656, ILAP688
POLS315
Global Politics: Political Economy of Contemporary Democracies
Description
This seminar course is an in-depth comparative analysis of the political processes, behaviour, and institutions in industrial democracies. The course considers the numerous avenues through which citizens influence politics and policy-making and considers the implications of formal institutional structures and informal forms of participation. In this seminar, we will survey (i) the historical, geographic, and economic context, (ii) institutions and electoral processes, and (iii) recent transformations and future challenges of modern industrial democracies.
Occurrences
Semester One 2024
Points
30 points
Prerequisites
Any 30 points at 200 level from POLS, or any 60 points at 200 level from the Schedule V of the BA, or LAWS, GEOG, or the Schedule V of the BCom.

Not Offered Courses in 2024

300-level

POLS306
The Craft of Political Research and Risk Analysis
Description
This course introduces the ‘art’ and ‘science’ of designing and conducting empirical research in political science. The main focus of the course is on "doing" and "producing" political science research. The course will prepare students to be a consumer of political science literature as well as provide them with the fundamentals of scientific research in political science. This course will be valuable preparation for students considering postgraduate studies at the honours level and beyond.
Occurrences
Not offered 2024
For further information see POLS306 course details
Points
30 points
POLS307
Policy Issues in Science and Technology
Description
This course analyses major political issues and policy challenges in the areas of global health, bio-medicine and the life sciences industry. Specific issues will include the politics of infectious diseases, food security, human ‘enhancement,’ and the implications of disruptive technologies for medicine, human reproduction, and life extension. Cases will be drawn from North America, Australasia and Africa.
Occurrences
Not offered 2024
For further information see POLS307 course details
Points
30 points
POLS311
Northeast Asia and the Changing Global Order
Description
A new global order is arising and Northeast Asia is at the heart of it. How will China’s Rise affect global politics? Will the US have to accommodate China’s rising military power, or will it confront it? How stable is North Korea? Will energy security bring the countries of Northeast Asia together, or will it set them against each other? This course examines the changing global order, how it is being shaped in Northeast Asia, and the implications of this for New Zealand.
Occurrences
Not offered 2024
For further information see POLS311 course details
Points
30 points
POLS313
Critical Approaches to International Relations
Description
This course looks closely at a variety of critical perspectives in international relations. Through an examination of liberal, realist, marxist, poststructuralist, and constructivist perspectives, the course shows how critiques emerge in opposition to dominant discourses and theories of international relations. Each critical approach will be introduced and applied to case studies including the war in Iraq, humanitarian intervention, and terrorism. Finally, the course looks at the role of theorists in the practice of international relations in order to demonstrate the ways in which abstract scholarly thought is deeply intertwined with the everyday practice of international politics.
Occurrences
Not offered 2024, offered in 2012 , 2015 , 2016 , 2017
For further information see POLS313 course details
Points
30 points
POLS319
International Organisations: The United Nations and Contemporary Challenges
Description
An advanced undergraduate course examining international organisations with a special focus on the contemporary role of the United Nations.
Occurrences
Not offered 2024, offered in 2018 , 2020 , 2021 , 2022 , 2023
For further information see POLS319 course details
Points
30 points
POLS332
Media and Conflict
Description
The course sets out to provide a critical insight and analysis into the role of media in contemporary international contexts. Its focus is on political communication during conflicts and wars, as well as its contribution to international collaborations and cross-border and cross-culture dialogues. Through a series of in-depth case studies, the course provides a comprehensive review of the key concepts and theories on the media's impact on, and role in international political communication. This course includes group work with students in the course collaborating with students from different countries, and requires active in-class engagement. It has on-campus and distance options. It features internationally-recognised top experts as our guest speakers. Research, team work, international collaboration, creativity, writing, presentation and cross-cultural skills are among the core skills this course aims to advance.
Occurrences
Not offered 2024
For further information see POLS332 course details
Points
30 points