[IMCnetwork] IMC Seminar | What’s to know about politics? Positivism and tradition in Australian undergraduate program and course descriptions by William Howe | Friday 7 March 2025

[RSSS - Admin]

[Australian National University]
School of Politics and International Relations
What’s to know about politics? Positivism and tradition in Australian undergraduate program and course descriptions


William Howe (Australian National University)

Friday 7 March 2025
12 pm AEST
Level 3 Room 3.72, RSSS building and via Zoom
Zoom Link<https://anu.zoom.us/j/3364169330?pwd=ZStOdm4vTWpwS1RMbmFYUisxWVB2UT09>
[cid:image003.jpg at 01DB86AB.67595940]
Image: Lecture Hall’ by Sholeh (CC 2.0)
How do Australian universities today communicate to potential and new
students what constitutes fundamental knowledge in the study of
politics? In this talk William discusses results of research on required or core
undergraduate course descriptions in political science; international
relations; and politics, philosophy and economics across five Australian
universities. He describes how the program descriptions treat students as
rational actors who want knowledge about politics for high-status
employment.
Few descriptions made reference to interpretive, feminist or critical methodologies; fewer, to indigenous perspectives. Calls to globalise the political sciences and decolonise the production of academic knowledge currently go unacknowledged in them. He concludes by suggesting that universities might instead try to more deliberately address potential and new students as members of political communities, rather than power-seeking individualists.
Presenter Bio
William Howe is a PhD student in the School of Politics and International Relations at the Australian National University. This talk is based on an article of the same title published in the Australian Journal of Political Science (59.4, 2025).
Recordings of past seminars are available at the following links:

  *   https://politicsir.cass.anu.edu.au/events/interpretive-political-science-tool-understanding-policy-making-practice-sarah-ball
  *   https://politicsir.cass.anu.edu.au/events/making-al-qa-ida-legible-interpretive-methods-secrets-and-mess-sarah-phillips
  *   https://politicsir.cass.anu.edu.au/events/how-do-interpretive-research-insights-phd-students-and-early-career-researchers-social

Contact
april.biccum at anu.edu.au<mailto:mailto:april.biccum at anu.edu.au>
politicsir.cass.anu.edu.au<https://politicsir.cass.anu.edu.au/events/series/imc-seminar-series>
[cid:image004.png at 01DB86AB.67595940]<https://www.facebook.com/politicsANU/>
[cid:image005.png at 01DB86AB.67595940]<https://twitter.com/politicsanu?lang=en>
The Australian National University,
Canberra

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If you do not wish to receive future seminar emails from us, please email admin.rsss at anu.edu.au<mailto:admin.rsss at anu.edu.au>
[Australian National University]


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