VCE Politics

What is VCE Politics?

VCE Global Politics provides students with an introduction to the actors, institutions, dynamics and key debates that make up contemporary international politics. It equips students to 'go behind the news' of world affairs and understand the deeper structural and political changes and challenges confronting states, citizens and non-state actors in our increasingly interconnected world. Topics covered include diplomacy and the interactions of states, the changing nature of war; terrorism; nuclear proliferation; great power rivalry; and the roles of the EU, the US, China and India in international politics; human rights; humanitarian intervention; trade liberalisation and its critics; global inequality; climate change; and the refugee crisis. The topics will be used to demonstrate the relevance of competing theories of international politics, including realism, pragmatism, liberalism and critical theories.

Unit 1 - Politics, power and political actors

In this unit, students learn that politics is about how political actors use power to resolve issues and conflicts over how society should operate. Each area of study focuses on concepts that form essential disciplinary knowledge, and which allow students to gradually build on their understanding of what it is to think politically.

Areas of Study:

1. Power and national political actors

2. Power and global political actors

Unit 2 - Democracy: stability and change

In this unit, students investigate the key principles of democracy and assess the degree to which these principles are expressed, experienced and challenged, in Australia and internationally. They consider democratic principles in the Australian context and complete an in-depth study of a political issue or crisis that inherently challenges basic democratic ideas or practice. Students also investigate the degree to which global political actors and trends can challenge, inhibit or undermine democracy, and evaluate the political significance of these challenges.

Areas of Study:

1. Issues for Australia's democracy

2. Global Challenges for democracy

Unit 3 - Global cooperation and conflict

In this unit, students investigate an issue and a crisis that pose challenges to the global community. Students begin with an investigation into an issue of global scale, such as climate change, global economic instability, the issue of development or weapons of mass destruction. Students also examine the causes and consequences of a humanitarian crisis that may have begun in one state but which has crossed over into neighbouring states and requires an emergency response. This crisis must be chosen from the areas of human rights, armed conflict and the mass movement of people. They consider the causes of these issues and crises, and investigate their consequences on a global level and for a variety of global actors.

Areas of Study:

1. Global issues, global responses

2. Contemporary crises: conflict, stability and change

Unit 4 - Global challenges

In this unit students investigate key global challenges facing the international community in the twenty-first century. They examine and analyse the debates surrounding two ethical issues, which are underpinned by the contested notion of global citizenship. They then evaluate the effectiveness of responses to these issues. Students also explore the context and causes of global crises, and consider the varying effectiveness of responses and challenges to solving them. VCE Global Politics is a contemporary study and focus must be on examples and case studies from within the last 10 years. However, contemporary issues and events may need to be contextualised for students and this may require some investigation prior to this timeframe.

Areas of Study:

1. Ethical issues and debates

2. Global crises

Who do I contact to find out more?

Ms Katie French: kfrench@cmc.vic.edu.au

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