1003GIR Globalisation, the Asia-Pacific and Australia

1003GIR Globalisation, the Asia-Pacific and Australia

Topic 1: Australia and the World

•    What has happened to the Australian political economy since the early 1980s?*

•    Is ‘Indo-Pacific’ a better term than ‘Asia-Pacific’ to understand Australia’s position in the world? Why have Australian policy-makers pushed this term?*

•    How will COVID-19 affect Australia’s position in the world?*

•    How does public opinion shape Australia’s place in the world?*

  Topic 2: Defining and Understanding Globalisation

•    Is globalisation still a relevant term to describe what is happening in the world today? If not, what term would be better?*

•    What is the genealogy of globalisation?*

•    Will current conflicts in the global economy lead to deglobalisation?*

  Topic 3: Globalisation in Historical Perspective

•    Is globalisation best understood as a long-run or a more recent phenomenon?*

•    What does the study of the movements of homo sapiens out of Africa tell us about

  globalisation?*

•    Could readers of the 1993 article about a new web browser imagine what the Internet

  would become? Does the past provide any clues about how it will develop over the

  next 25 years?*

•    Why did the industrial revolution begin in England and not China?*

•    What does the fall of the first globalisation in the first half of the twentieth century tell us about the possible future trajectory of globalisation in the aftermath of the pandemic?*

  Topic 4: Globalisation, Power and the Rise of Asia

Topic 5: Globalisation and Australia

•    How accurate was Donald Horne’s 1960s’ assessment: Australia is a lucky country run mainly by second-rate people who share its luck. It lives on other people’s ideas? Do his sentiments still apply?*

•    Why have Australia’s economic vulnerabilities been largely ignored by policy- makers?*

•    Should Australia encourage all foreign investment?*

•    What are the major causes of Australian prosperity?*

•    How important is the property market and the buildup of household debt to the

  Australian economy?*

•    In a more protectionist world does it make sense for Australia to remain free trading?*

  Topic 6: Australia and Asia

•    Is Australia dependent on China economically? Does this have implications for security?*

•    Should Australians be worried about Chinese influence on Australian politics?* Topic 7: Globalisation, Immigration and Australia

•    How should the White Australia Policy be seen today?*

•    Is there a divide between ‘elite’ and ‘popular’ views about immigration in Australia?*

•    Does Australia need a bigger population to be more secure?*

•    Should Australia take in more migrants? If so, what sort of migrants should they be?*

•    Have Coalition governments’ policies towards asylum-seekers been successful?*

•    How does domestic politics affect Australia’s policies towards asylum-seekers?*

Topic 8: Globalisation, Security and Australia

•    How is the power transition in Asia affecting the Alliance?*

•    Is China a security threat to Australia?*

•    Does the threat of terrorism in Australia justify policy changes that restrict civil

  liberties?*

•    Will cyber security dominate security concerns in coming years?*

•    Is there a difference between security for Australia and for Australians?*

  Topic 9: Globalisation, the State and Politics

•    What are the attributes of states that have successfully handled the pandemic (so far)?*

•    What is the role of the corporate sector in the Australian political system?*

•    Has globalisation weakened the power of states?*

•    What is the relationship between capitalism and democracy?*

•    What does the global virus crisis tell us about the role of the state and politics in a

  globalising world?*

  Topic 10: Australia and the Future of Globalisation

•    Has globalisation taken a wrong turn?*

•    What does Morrison mean by ‘negative globalism’?*

•    What impact will the global virus crisis have on the social, political and economic

  dimensions of globalisation?*

•    Could increasing inequality undermine globalisation?*

•    Will Australia continue to prosper after the virus?*