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Overview

Course Prescription

Examines contemporary theories of justice focusing on the relationships between justice, equality and liberty. Students explore a range of topics that may include the distribution of resources both globally and domestically, and the rights of cultural minorities, gender groups, animals and future generations.

Course Overview

The question: “What is justice?” is one of the oldest in the western tradition of political philosophy.  Classical political thinkers answered it by drawing analogies between the just society and the ethical person; since the liberal revolution of the 17th century, however, political philosophers have tended to emphasize distributive justice – the rules by which a society distributes those resources it considers valuable.  Today we tend to think of these as material resources or outcomes, but they might also include intangibles such as self-respect and rights.
In this course we focus on contemporary debates surrounding social – particularly distributive – justice.  These originate in early modern ideas about the relationship between private property and social organization, and reflect some of the most important debates within liberal philosophy – particularly between libertarianism and liberal egalitarianism.  In the first half of the course, we examine the ideas of John Rawls, and Robert Nozick as key thinkers in these traditions, and then focus on the question of equality, which has since the 1980s preoccupied liberal philosophers thinking about distributive justice.  
In the second half of the course, we move away from liberal debates to examine theoretical perspectives critical of the basic assumptions of liberal theories of justice.  We begin by exploring socialist critiques of the market, and then consider feminist arguments that gender inequalities underlie even the “just” liberal society.  We examine the significance of the public/private split fundamental to liberal political theory.  We then discuss identity politics more broadly, and the implications of cultural pluralism for theories of justice.  Finally, we examine justice in the global context.
This course should appeal to all students of politics who are interested in the ethical dimensions and philosophical justifications of public policy.  It will be of particular interest to Law and Criminology students, and to those who have taken lower level courses in political or social thought, philosophy, international relations theory, political economy or gender studies.

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.

For this course, you can expect per week:  2 hours of lectures and 1 hour of lectorial, and 7 hours of reading and thinking about the content and working on assignments and/or exam preparation.

Course Prerequisites, Corequisites and Restrictions

Prerequisite

Locations and Semesters Offered

LocationSemester
City

Teaching and Learning

Campus Experience

Attendance is required at all scheduled activities.
Lectures will be available as recordings. Other learning activities will not be available as recordings.
The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.

Teaching and Learning Methods

Two interactive lectures per week, one discussion hour spent mainly in small group discussion.

Learning Resources

Taught courses use a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas to provide students with learning materials including reading lists and lecture recordings (where available). Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Additional Information on Learning Resources

Readings will be available through Canvas.  Students should have access to a copy of Clayton and Williams, eds., Social Justice, Blackwell: 2004.

Copyright

The content and delivery of content in this course are protected by copyright. Material belonging to others may have been used in this course and copied by and solely for the educational purposes of the University under license.


You may copy the course content for the purposes of private study or research, but you may not upload onto any third-party site, make a further copy or sell, alter or further reproduce or distribute any part of the course content to another person.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption, we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and course assessment continues to meet the principles of the University’s assessment policy. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator/director, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the university website for information about how to proceed.

Other Information

Please note that while lecture recordings will be available online, the mock select committee hearings, which are a mandatory component of assessment, can only be done in person.  Also, the reading presentation must be completed in person in class.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed for potential plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct, using computerised detection mechanisms.

Similarly, research students must meet the University’s expectations of good research practice. This requires:

  • Honesty - in all aspects of research work
  • Accountability - in the conduct of research
  • Professional courtesy and fairness – in working with others
  • Good stewardship – on behalf of others
  • Transparency – of research process and presentation of results
  • Clarity - communication to be understandable, explainable and accessible

For more information on the University’s expectations of academic integrity, please see the Academic Conduct section of the University policy hub.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about taught courses is made available to enrolled students in Canvas.

Students may be asked to submit assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. In exceptional circumstances changes to elements of this course may be necessary at short notice. Students enrolled in this course will be informed of any such changes and the reasons for them, as soon as possible, through Canvas.


Assessment and Learning Outcomes

Course Learning Outcomes

CLO #OutcomeProgramme Capability Link
1
2
3
4
5

Assessments

Assessment TypeAssessment PercentageAssessment Classification

Assessment to CLO Mapping

Assessment Type12345

Student Feedback, Support and Charter

Student Feedback

Feedback on taught courses is gathered from students at the end of each semester through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions. Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students. In addition, class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

Additional Information on Student Feedback

I'd like to remind students that there is a group work component to this course!  On the basis of previous feedback, I have dropped the exam so that there is less assessment at the end of the semester.

Class representatives

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

Tuākana

Tuākana is a multi-faceted programme for Māori and Pacific students providing topic specific tutorials, one-on-one sessions, test and exam preparation and more. Explore your options at Tuakana Learning Communities.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website.

Wellbeing

We all go through tough times during the semester, or see our friends struggling. There is lots of help out there - please see the Support Services page for information on support services in the University and the wider community.

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed work is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due. If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page. This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter.

Student Academic Complaints and Disputes

Students with concerns about teaching including how a course is delivered, the resources provided, or supervision arrangements, have the right to express their concerns and seek resolution. The university encourages informal resolution where possible, as this is quicker and less stressful. For information on the informal and formal complaints processes, please refer to the Student Academic Complaints Statute in the Student Policies and Guidelines section of the Policy Hub.