Year
2021
Units
4.5
Contact
1 x 2-hour seminar weekly
Enrolment not permitted
INTR9049 has been successfully completed
Topic description

The topic aims to introduce students to the problematic and ambivalent relationship between religious and ethnic identity, and the impact that each of these can have - separately or together - on politics and national identity. After a consideration of each of these elements in the abstract, along with alternative secular, civic and multicultural construction of national identity and politics, the topic will focus on case studies drawn from contemporary world politics (including Australia) and the history of the twentieth century. They will include both bloody and benign examples of religious and ethnic nationalism operating in authoritarian, democratic, and international environments.

Students will be expected to scrutinise an appropriate case study. They might choose to study a particular state, religion, ethnicity, leader, election, coup, political party or movement, persecution, conflict, war or genocide.

Educational aims

The topic aims to introduce students to the problematic and ambivalent relationship between religious and ethnic identity, and the impact that each of these can have - separately or together - on politics and national identity. After a consideration of each of these elements in the abstract, along with alternative secular, civic and multicultural construction of national identity and politics, the topic will focus on case studies drawn from around the world. Students should emerge from the topic with a nuanced understanding of ethnic and religious nationalism and the politics of ethnic and religious identity as they manifest themselves in contemporary world politics.

Expected learning outcomes
On completion of this topic you will be expected to be able to:

  1. Demonstrate an understanding of the problematic and ambivalent relationship between religious and ethnic identity, and the impact that each of these can have - separately or together - on politics, and national identity
  2. Identify and isolate elements of ethnic and religious nationalism in national and international political discourses
  3. Analyse the problems associated with achieving, sustaining and improving ethnic and racial harmony in a variety of contemporary societies