coursemapLoading course
Department of Pacific Affairs · ANU College of Asia and the Pacific
The Pacific Islands region, on Australia’s doorstep, is a region of diverse political traditions, complex developmental challenges and continuing strategic importance. Australia is the region's largest aid donor, reflective of a close - but contested - relationship. This course provides an overview of contemporary political and developmental issues in the region, including ongoing processes of decolonisation, coups and constitutional crises, and the existential threat of climate change. It also examines how the politics of aid plays out in an evolving geostrategic environment, as China becomes an increasingly influential regional player.
Podcast script interviewing an author of one of the readings (1,000 words)
Learning outcomes 3, 4, 5
Research essay on a topic related to politics, aid and development (3,500 words)
Learning outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Participation
Learning outcomes 1, 2
This course comprises some 130 hours of activity over 12 weeks, both interactive/seminar based and independent research. The course comprises a maximum of 6k words of assessment or the equivalent. Please note this is a general guide, averaged over the semester and the final hours ultimately depend on the individual's ability in reading and writing.
Each week students will have a set of required readings (usually 2-3 journal articles or book chapters) and additional supplementary readings and audio material. As there is no suitable textbook for this course, the readings will draw on a range of sources. Preliminary Reading Baker, Kerryn (2024) Female politicians struggle to get off the blocks in the Solomon Islands. East Asia Forum. https://eastasiaforum.org/2024/06/18/womens-potential-in-solomon-islands-politics-curtailed-by-structural-barriers/ Chandler, Jo (2022) PNG's Women in Waiting. Meanjin. Summer. 122-133. Dornan, Matthew and Jonathan Pryke (2017), Foreign Aid to the Pacific: Trends and Developments in the Twenty-First Century. Asia & the Pacific Policy Studies 4 (3): 386-404. Fry, Greg (2019) Framing the Islands: Power and Diplomatic Agency in Pacific Regionalism, Canberra, ANU Press. Hau’ofa, Epeli (1994), Our Sea of Islands, The Contemporary Pacific 6 (1): 148-161. Kabutaulaka, Tarcisius (2015), Re-Presenting Melanesia: Ignoble Savages and Melanesian Alter-Natives’, The Contemporary Pacific 27 (1): 110-145. The Little Red Podcast. ‘Should I Stay or Should I Go Now? Inside the Solomons’ Big Switch.’ Podcast available here: https://omny.fm/shows/the-little-red-podcast/should-i-stay-or-should-i-go-now-inside-the-solomo McDonald, Ewen (2020) ‘Realising the Pacific’s Vision for Stability, Security and Prosperity.’ Security Challenges 16 (1): 17-25. Murphy, Heather (2024) Navigating the competing purposes of Australian development. Development Intelligence Lab. May: 1-14. Wallis, Joanne & James Batley (2020) 'How does the 'Pacific' fit into the 'Indo-Pacific'? The changing geopolitics of the Pacific Islands.' Security Challenges 16 (1): 1-16. Watson, Amanda (2022) The Limited Communication Cables for Pacific Island Countries. Asia-Pacific Journal of Ocean Law and Policy. 7: 151–155. Zhang, Denghua and Graeme Smith (2017) China’s foreign aid system: structure, agencies, and identities, Third World Quarterly, 38(10): 2330-2346.