Course Title: Rhetorics & Politics of the Contemporary World

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Rhetorics & Politics of the Contemporary World

Credit Points: 12.00

Terms

Course Code

Campus

Career

School

Learning Mode

Teaching Period(s)

COMM2402

City Campus

Undergraduate

335H Applied Communication

Face-to-Face

Sem 1 2009,
Sem 2 2009

COMM2402

City Campus

Undergraduate

345H Media and Communication

Face-to-Face

Sem 1 2010,
Sem 2 2010,
Sem 1 2011,
Sem 2 2011,
Sem 1 2012,
Sem 2 2012,
Sem 1 2013,
Sem 2 2013,
Sem 1 2014,
Sem 2 2014,
Sem 1 2018,
Sem 1 2019,
Sem 1 2020,
Sem 1 2021,
Sem 1 2022,
Sem 1 2023,
Sem 1 2024

Course Coordinator: Associate Professor Cathy Greenfield

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 5038

Course Coordinator Email: cathy.greenfield@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Location: Building 9 Level 4

Course Coordinator Availability: Please email for an appointment


Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

None


Course Description

In this course you will examine how political power, forms of governing and communication are intimately connected, and why these connections matter. You will explore practices and technologies of communication, and their various uses, as integral parts of a wider political economy.

Areas to be examined include rhetorics, political economy, democracy, rights and freedoms, changing business and work practices, the knowledge economy, digital communication and the role of technologies in society, and a variety of important contemporary political issues.

Throughout the course attention is paid to communication as something that is applied, as practices and technologies. You will also investigate the political, economic and commercial locations and aspects of such communication.

 


Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

Program Learning Outcomes

In this course you will develop the following program learning outcomes:

  •  Identify, evaluate and critically analyse cultural, historical and theoretical practices which contextualise your professional practice and further study


Upon successful completion of the this course you will be able to:

  1. Discuss what is counted as ‘politics’, ‘governing’ and ‘the economy’, and how these are routinely organised and communicated.
  2. Describe the use of communication in the exercise of power through rhetoric, argument and persuasion.
  3. Analyse particular uses of communication in contemporary political economic life.


Overview of Learning Activities

You will be actively engaged in a range of learning activities which may include project work, lectures, tutorials, class discussion, individual and group activities.

Delivery may be face to face, online or a mix of both.


Overview of Learning Resources

RMIT will provide you with resources and tools for learning in this course through our online systems.

A list of recommended learning resources will be provided by your lecturer, including books, journal articles and web resources. You will also be expected to seek further resources relevant to the focus of your own learning.

There are services available to support your learning through the University Library. The Library provides guides on academic referencing and subject specialist help as well as a range of study support services. For further information, please visit the Library page on the RMIT University website and the myRMIT student portal. 


Overview of Assessment

You will be assessed on how well you meet the course’s learning outcomes and on your development against the program learning outcomes. Assessment may include written and oral reports, reflective papers, creative projects and presentations, individually and in groups.

Assessment Tasks

Assessment 1: Short Essay (Individual) 25%
In this assessment you will apply critical thinking and research skills by undertaking a task that involves reading and explaining. 
This assessment will cover the following course learning outcomes:
CLO1 - Discuss what is counted as ‘politics’, ‘governing’ and power relations, and how these are routinely practised and communicated.

Assessment 2: Reading and Text Responses (Individual) 30%
In this assessment you will apply critical thinking and research skills by undertaking a task that involves responding to a set of questions on course set readings as well as on instances of texts displaying particular rhetorics. 
This assessment will cover the following course learning outcomes:
CLO1 - Discuss what is counted as ‘politics’, ‘governing’ and power relations, and how these are routinely practised and communicated.
CLO2 - Describe the use of communication in the exercise of power through rhetorics, argument and persuasion.

Assessment 3: Final Essay (Individual) 45%
In this assessment you will apply critical thinking and research skills by undertaking a task that involves reflection on learning. 
This assessment will cover the following course learning outcomes:
CLO1 - Discuss what is counted as ‘politics’, ‘governing’ and power relations, and how these are routinely practised and communicated.
CLO2 - Describe the use of communication in the exercise of power through rhetorics, argument and persuasion.
CLO3 - Analyse particular uses of communication in contemporary political economic life.

Feedback will be given on all assessment tasks.

If you have a long term medical condition and/or disability it may be possible to negotiate to vary aspects of the learning or assessment methods. You can contact the program coordinator or Equitable Learning Services if you would like to find out more.

Your course assessment conforms to RMIT assessment principles, regulations, policies, procedures and instructions.