FSS:MVZ188 Australia and New Zealand - Course Information

MVZ188 Australia and New Zealand in International Politics

Extent and Intensity

1/1/0. 6 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).

Teacher(s)

PhDr. Tatiana Tökölyová, Ph.D. (lecturer), PhDr. Petr Suchý, Ph.D. (deputy)

Guaranteed by

PhDr. Petr Suchý, Ph.D.
Department of International Relations and European Studies – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Olga Cídlová, DiS.

Timetable

Mon 18. 10. 18:00–19:30 U32, Tue 19. 10. 8:00–9:40 exP52, Wed 20. 10. 8:00–9:40 exP52, Thu 21. 10. 8:00–9:40 exP52, Fri 22. 10. 8:00–9:40 exP52

Course Enrolment Limitations

The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.

The capacity limit for the course is 30 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/30, only registered: 0/30

fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with

there are 10 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display

Course objectives

This course is a part of international relations course and it introduces the students the Pacific region, especially Australia and New Zealand and their foreign policies and position within international politics. The course is organized into five lectures and some specific subfields connected with discussion. At the end of the course students, should be able to discuss current foreign policy of Australia and New Zealand; to outline the developments, contents and priorities of foreign policies of Australia and New Zealand and to evaluate the roles they play in the international system. They should also be able to improve and utilize their analytical and writing skills on issues related to the focus of the course.

Syllabus

• Lecture topics Date Topic 1. 18.10 Introduction. Development of Australia and New Zealand relations. 2. 19.10. New Zealand foreign policy and its political leaders 3. 20.10. Australia and New Zealand as important Pacific actors. Regional organizations within the Pacific region. 4. 21.10. Australia – global middle power 5. 22.10. EU- Pacific relations 1. Introduction. Development of Australia and New Zealand relations. The lecture will deal with mutual roots of political development of Australia and New Zealand, e.g. federal movement in 1901, reasons and consequences why New Zealand preserved its self-independent position and brief analysis of their current mutual relationships within the Pacific. HW for the following seminar: find a newspaper article concerning evaluation/analysis/study concerning their mutual relations in the area of culture, sports, trade and business, education, international relations, etc. Work in groups. 2. NZ foreign policy and its political leaders The will deal with role of New Zealand’s prime ministers influencing the course of the country’s foreign policy. It will especially concern on the four most important ones in New Zealand’s history, Kirk, Lange, Muldoon, and Clark as they shaped and influenced the way New Zealand went according to their personal wishes, style of leadership since they represent a connection of the domestic and international affairs. HW for the following seminar: prepare a presentation concerning (in more details) these prime ministers – why they are called the most important political personalities in New Zealand (e.g. Their achievement in domestic and foreign policy). Work in groups. 3. New Zealand’s evolution into important Pacific actor. Regional organisations within Pacific region ANZUS Treaty, SEATO, and APEC. Why is New Zealand’s transformation into republic not possible? Role of New Zealand in Tokelau that is a territory of New Zealand in the South Pacific Ocean under New Zealand administration from 1926. The lecture concerns especially on analysis of individual stages in the evolution of New Zealand within international relations- from close relations with their mother land, to being pushed by Cold war to strategic alignment with USA (together with Australia), to coordination of its own economic policy as consequence of British joining the EU, and finally changes in their national identity connected with attempts to improve relations with Maori people made New Zealand a country supporting human rights, as well as free trade. ANZUS Treaty is The Australia, New Zealand, and United States Security Treaty. It is a military alliance binding Australia and New Zealand and Australia and the United States to cooperate on defense matters in the Pacific Ocean area. The lecture will also deal with strengthening of Australia’s regionalism through APEC as a major redirection of Australia’s foreign policy after the end of Cold war. HW for the following seminar: find more information on other dependent areas/areas under New Zealand administration. Work in groups. 4. Australia –global middle power The lecture aims to introduce the most important aspects of Australian foreign policy and its position within the world international relations and explain how these aspects determined the development of Australia into its current position of middle power. This lecture is also to present an answer to question “Why Australia has developed into a global middle power?” HW for the following seminar: prepare for the final test. 5. EU-Pacific relations Conclusion. The lecture comprises a brief insight into relations of New Zealand and European Union itself and with its individual members analysing Cotonou Agreement, EU strategy for strengthening the partnership and other most influentional elements of EU – New Zealand relations framework. Final test

Literature

• Palmer. G., Palmer. M.: Bridled Power. New Zealand’s Constitution and Government. 4. edition. Oxford University Press, Wellington 2004.
• Smith, G.-Cox, D. – Burchill, S.: Australia in the World. An Introduction into Australian Foreign Policy. Oxford University Press. 2005. ISBN 0-19-553477-8.
• Smith, G.-Cox, D. – Burchill, S.: Australia in the World. An Introduction into Australian Foreign Policy. Oxford University Press. 2005. ISBN 0-19-553477-8.
• Sinclair, K.: Tasman relations. Auckland University Press 1987. ISBN 1 86940 018 6. pp. 142-182.
• Capie, D.: Constructing New Zealand in the World. In: Miller. R.: Political leadership in New Zealand. Auckland University Press 2006.

Teaching methods

The course is taught as both lectures and seminars. Active participation at the seminars is required (includes team work; quizzes; power point presentations; discussions). Readings serve to broaden and deepen the spectrum of knowledge students acquire during lectures.

Assessment methods

Evaluation:
40% of the final grade will be based on a final test.
The other 60% will be the result of other (seminar) activities as:
Quizzes – 30%
Active participation at the seminar– 30%
Specification:
- Final test - mostly a multiple-choice test that requests students to show their familiarity with the material covered by the given lectures (40%)
- Quizzes: Students are expected to prepare for every lecture/seminar, so each class will start with a short 5-10-minute quiz of five short questions each worth 1 point. Questions will deal with some issues discussed within the lecture before.
- Active participation at the seminar – how the student has fulfilled the given tasks for the following seminar (team work is possible in case of higher number of students; e.g. prepared/found newspaper articles on specific topic, power point presentations,…)

Language of instruction

English

Further comments (probably available only in Czech)

Study Materials
The course is taught only once.

• Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2010, recent)
  
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