Bibliographical Assignment (Due Week 8, September 14, 4pm, 750 words;

weighting 20%)
NB You may well have completed a similar exercise for another Government
and International Relations unit. The exercises are slightly different, so make
sure you follow the instructions on this page carefully.
Objectives
The objectives of this assignment are to help students learn how to (i) use a
range of mechanisms for locating relevant information while undertaking
research; (ii) scan sources of information quickly and effectively to determine
whether and how those sources are likely to be useful; and (iii) develop notes
and records that will form the basis of an essay. There is a wealth of information
on power out there. You cannot read it all, so you need to get to the useful
material as efficiently as possible and begin to put it together in ways that will
help you to write your essay. As with all skills, finding and assimilating
information in this way improve through practice.
Tasks
1. Choose a combination of one power theory and one contemporary example
from those set out in the Essay section below.
The six must include:
* a chapter from an edited book;
* a chapter from a sole or multiple‐authored book (not an edited book);
* a recent Australian Commonwealth, state or territory government report or
publication related to your topic;
* a recent academic journal article related to your topic from a peer-reviewed
journal. For a list of peer-reviewed journals you may use Ulrich’s International
Periodicals Directory from the University of Sydney library website;
* a website of an organisation or group relevant to your topic; and
* a recent newspaper article.
3. Write notes on each of the six items. Your notes must contain a brief
summary of the type of information provided by each item and identify how
each item is relevant to your topic. Each source should have a sub-heading
under which a short explanation is provided.
4. At the end of the assignment (but before the Bibliography), write a brief
account, again with a sub-heading, of the aspects of the future essay (assessment
task below) you think you could cover through this research and those aspects
that you will need to research further before you can complete a successful
essay.

Assessment Criteria for the Bibliographic Assignment

We grade the Bibliographic Assignment according to the following criteria:
1. Correct number and correct types of items chosen;
2. Relevance of items chosen;
3. Clarity of notes on the information in each item;
4. Quality of final account of your research to date;
5. Accuracy, completeness and standard conventions of the bibliography;
6. Scholarly justification for selection of items.

Research essay (Due, October 19, 16.00; 2,000

words, weighting 35%)
Objectives
The objectives of this assignment are to help students learn how to put together
a coherent and convincing argument about how power operates in a particular
context. The assignment combines skills in research and writing that have been
foreshadowed and/or practised in the Bibliographical Assignment. The main
objective that the essay adds is that students should learn to apply a theory of
power to a body of evidence that they have collected and reflect critically on
what this application means for the theory. For some advice about how to
approach academic essays, see ‘Writing Academic Essays: Tips and
Techniques’ in the ‘Learning Resources’ section of the GOVT1104 Blackboard
site.
The Essay Topic
Essay question: What does [insert chosen area of power] reveal about
[insert case-study]? What are the strengths and limitations of this theory in
understanding [insert case-study]?
Take one of the theories of power set out below and critically apply it to explain
aspects of one of the contemporary Australian political case-studies also set out
below. Reflect on what your application and explanation reveal about the
strengths and limitations of the chosen theory.
Tasks details
1. Choose one of the following theories of (aspects of) power (some of the key
thinkers associated with each theory are given in parentheses after the theories
to help orient your choice):
• Feminist theory, which may include patriarchy (e.g. MacKinnon; Millett;
Pateman) This is My ESSAY THEORY !!
2. Use your chosen theory to analyse aspects of power in one of the following
contemporary examples:
• Debates around universal paid maternity leave in Australia. This is my
ESSAY CASE STUDY !!

Assessment Criteria
We will grade the Essay according to the following criteria:
1. Depth of research. (Note: this does not mean the more references the merrier.
There is no fixed lower limit for the number of sources you will need to consult.
Keep going until you are confident that you have enough to write a good essay).
2. Demonstrated understanding of the chosen power theory.
3. Demonstrated understanding of the example chosen.
4. Marshalled convincing evidence for major claims.
5. Demonstrated depth and creativity of overall argument.
6. Structure of the essay.
7. Clarity of written style.
8. Appropriate referencing and bibliography.

An important note here:

Your analysis of power must focus on empirical questions; that is, questions
about how power has actually operated in the situation you have selected. You
must avoid normative discussion about how power ought to have operated in the
situation, whether a particular aspect of power was good or bad, whether an
actor’s particular stance was just or unjust, fair or unfair, and so on.
3. Think about what your investigation of an example of power in society
suggests about the strengths and limitations of your chosen theory.
Another important note:
You will not be able to think about everything to do with your theory of power
or your example. You should make judgements about the most important
aspects of power you have identified in your research and focus on them.
4. Write up your argument in essay form. Your essay must have an introduction,
a body of argument that includes an application of your theory to explain some
aspects of the exercise of power in the context you have chosen and some
reflection on your theory, a conclusion and a correct bibliography. It should be
written in a scholarly fashion and not in the form of a reflective journal. Your
essay must be properly referenced.
A final important note:
Just as you will not be able to think about everything to do with your theory of
power or your example, you will not be able (or expected) to write about
everything you have thought. You will need to make some judgements when
you are writing the essay about the most important points to include. An
obvious criterion is whether points go to the heart of the theory’s ability to
explain power in the chosen example.
5. Attach your Bibliographic Essay with comments to the Research Essay. If
you wish, you can attach a photocopy of the original, marked copy. This is
important as part of the criteria for marking this Research Essay will be how
you have learned/whether you have learned from your work on the
Bibliographic Essay and how you have expanded your resources beyond the
Bibliographic Essay. Students who do not attach their previous Bibliographic
Essay in its corrected form will be penalised in the Research Essay.