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Unit of study_
USSC1201: America and Australia: The Issues Compared
2025 unit information
In this unit we explore major American social issues by comparing them with similar issues in Australia. What makes America different? How do personal rights, from gun rights to LGBTI rights, work differently in the two countries? What differences and similarities exist on issues like race and mass incarceration? How much do we either exaggerate or downplay political differences between the United States and ourselves?
Unit details and rules
Managing faculty or University school:
DVC (Research)
| Study level | Undergraduate |
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| Academic unit | United States Studies Centre |
| Credit points | 6 |
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Prerequisites:
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None |
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Corequisites:
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None |
| Prohibitions:
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None |
| Assumed knowledge:
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None |
At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:
- LO1. identify key social differences and similarities between the United States and Australia
- LO2. use comparison as a method of understanding social issues across different countries
- LO3. explain the historical and cultural factors that lead to differences in social and political outcomes between the countries
- LO4. critically analyse and evaluate claims that Americans and Australians make about your own uniqueness or difference from each other
- LO5. reflect on how our understanding of American social issues affects our understanding of Australian social issues, and vice versa.
Unit availability
This section lists the session, attendance modes and locations the unit is available in. There is a unit outline for each of the unit availabilities, which gives you information about the unit including assessment details and a schedule of weekly activities.
The outline is published 2 weeks before the first day of teaching. You can look at previous outlines for a guide to the details of a unit.
| Session | MoA ? | Location | Outline ? |
|---|---|---|---|
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Semester 1 2025
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Normal day | Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney |
Outline unavailable
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Modes of attendance (MoA)
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