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POLS402 Community, Culture and Rights

Debates over the relationship between difference, cultural membership, and individual and collective rights in contemporary political theory that have arisen due to the increasing multicultural dimension of modern states.

What does justice mean in the increasingly plural societies that characterise most Western states? Do we need to accommodate and affirm cultural differences through public recognition, or is it sufficient to leave people to pursue their own ends within the limits of a common legal framework? These questions have been centre-stage in recent political theory, with various attempts to accommodate cultural differences. Yet this new orthodoxy is increasingly under attack in both public debates and political theory.

Issues we address in this paper include the validity of human rights and universal values; liberal multiculturalism and nationalism; indigenous co-sovereignty; and the conflict between cultural and gender claims.

Paper title Community, Culture and Rights
Paper code POLS402
Subject Politics
EFTS 0.1667
Points 20 points
Teaching period Not offered in 2023 (On campus)
Domestic Tuition Fees (NZD) $1,206.91
International Tuition Fees Tuition Fees for international students are elsewhere on this website.

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Prerequisite
72 300-level POLS points
Notes
The prerequisite for students taking the subject Philosophy, Politics and Economics is 36 300-level POLS points.
Contact
politics@otago.ac.nz
Teaching staff
Associate Professor Vicki Spencer
Textbooks

Readings will be available on eReserve via Blackboard.

Graduate Attributes Emphasised
Scholarship, Communication, Critical thinking, Cultural understanding, Ethics, Research, Self-motivation.
View more information about Otago's graduate attributes.
Learning Outcomes
Demonstrate an in-depth understanding of contemporary political theories on issues relating to culture and their policy implications.

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Timetable

Not offered in 2023

Location
Dunedin
Teaching method
This paper is taught On Campus
Learning management system
Blackboard