classes!

After much deliberation, confusion, frustration, and refusal to commit... I have my four classes for this semester set. Here they are.

1. Australian Politics (This will complete my [undeclared] government minor.): "This subject is an introduction to Australia's political institutions including the Constitution, the High Court, Parliament, Cabinet and the Prime Minister, the bureaucracy and the Federal system. We will examine Australia's major political parties as well as the role of minor parties, interest groups and social movements. We will also discuss contemporary issues such as women and gender in politics, the representation of marginalised groups and the impact of globalisation on Australia's political institutions and political culture. Students who complete this subject should have a solid understanding of Australia's political institutions and be able to analyse critically competing theories and interpretations of Australia's political system. Students should develop an awareness of contemporary political issues which challenge the existing institutions and political order."

2. Indigenous Culture and Learning (This class is disorganized... it didn't meet during the first week of class, but they didn't let anyone know. It is unclear how many times it *does* meet. But it seems good, so I'm sticking with it. Our first lecture was today and was taught by a guy (not the professor?) who is of Indigenous descent and discussed his involvement in the Indigenous political movement.): This subject will provide an overview of Indigenous youth cultures and a critical assessment of the fit between Indigenous learning approaches and needs of Indigenous students in contemporary education programs. The subject will develop an understanding of Australia's Indigenous societies, their histories, cultures and sport through interaction with Indigenous communities and visiting significant Indigenous sites (bush tucker and bush medicine). Exploration of Indigenous education will involve visits to schools and community centres including sports venues.

3. Minds and Madness (A history of psychiatry. Aka: a class all about crazy people, craziness, and perceptions of craziness.): This course examines changing ideas of mind and mental malady from the ancients up to the present, focusing on the diverse ways in which mental phenomena have been defined, studied, treated and explained. Minds and Madness explores how the human mind, traditionally considered the seat of the soul, has been brought within the purview of science. We chart the way in which mind has been reduced to matter, mind has been conflated with brain, and theology has given way to biological science. This course also considers how the experience and the meaning of insanity have been shaped by religion, the rise of science and the decline of magical beliefs. Specific lectures focus on insanity and the witch-craze; madness; stigma and the wise fool; the rise of mental materialism; phrenology; IQ testing and the measurement of the mind; the psychiatric response to shell-shock; and several lectures analyse the impact of new scientific paradigms upon our understanding of the mind: Cartesian physics during the Scientific Revolution, electrophysiology from the eighteenth century, Darwinism since the mid-1800s, and the considerable advances, in more recent times, in our understanding of neural circuitry and brain chemistry.

4. Quantitative Methods for Psychology 2 (I have to take this class for my major. The only thing I couldn't get away with in designing my own major was skirting around a quantitative course. Both my advisors said I needed one... and they have also both said that I need to have completed it before the start of my senior year (before my thesis/special studies). This means that I *have* to take this course while here. And get this— there is one, three-hour, multiple choice exam at the end of the semester. It is 100% of my grade. Holy fucking shit.)

(Part 1) Introduction to Design and Analysis for Psychological Research covers basic experimental and survey design for psychological research and associated methods for data analysis. The unit is intended to develop students' capabilities in a range of exploratory and hypothesis-testing data analytic techniques, including skills in creating and interpreting graphical displays, and an understanding of a range of descriptive and inferential statistics. Methods of statistical inference, interval estimation and hypothesis testing are introduced, and emphasis is given to the interpretation of data analysis. The practical classes introduce students to computer-based data analysis using the statistical package SPSS.

(Part 2) Introduction to Psychological Measurement is an introduction to the process and purpose of psychological testing at the level of the individual. The unit covers basic concepts in psychological testing and measurement to show how individual differences are quantified. Quantitative measurement of individual behaviour serves a fundamental purpose in psychology including, for example, obtaining data for theoretical investigations, identification of abnormal behaviour in clinical settings, and identification of special skills or attributes in personnel selection or workplace settings. All applications of psychological measurement may involve evaluation of the quality or reliability and validity of measurement. Topics include the history of psychological measurement and testing; methods for new test development; evaluating the reliability and validity of measurement; validity of professional decisions; contemporary approaches to evaluating psychological measurement; and an introduction to psychological tests and testing applications.

I have no classes on Fridays. I don't have class before 2:15 on Monday or Thursday. (And on Monday I only have one hour of class). It feels like they never go to class here! And I have the one intensely scary exam, and a total of six other papers and one other exam. Seems pretty easy right? Well we'll see. Apparently to get the equivalent of an A here (an H1) your paper has to be... publishable. But... you only need an 80%? Who knows. There are mixed sentiments about whether classes here are really hard or really easy. I'm just going to do what I need to do and make sure I'm not missing out on travelling because of school work. I'll be having none of that this semester.