Politics and Society
Understanding the world helps us to understand our place in it. Learn about the important political and social events and people that have shaped, and are shaping, our world. Referendums and elections, democracy and dictatorships, recessions and depressions come to life when we explore the people whose power politics, passions and obsessions are unpacked.
Available Classes
Sunni-Shia Divide in the Middle East and the Role of Iran
<p>Middle East has been a region of many conflicts be it religious, political or ethnic. The religious schism between Sunnis and Shias has been one significant factor underlying tensions in the region
...Available Classes
Australia's Political Landscape
<p>Gain a deeper understanding of Australia’s political landscape, democracy, and governance in a rapidly changing world. Explore key issues, including post-Trump US-China relations, the 2025 federal
...Australia's Political Landscape
<p>Gain a deeper understanding of Australia’s political landscape, democracy, and governance in a rapidly changing world. Explore key issues, including post-Trump US-China relations, the 2025 federal
...Available Classes
Twenty-First Century First Ladies
<p>First Lady of the United States (FLOTUS) is probably the worst job in American politics. There is no job description, it is a role you cannot refuse, it is unpaid and involves giving up most of
...Twenty-First Century First Ladies
<p>First Lady of the United States (FLOTUS) is probably the worst job in American politics. There is no job description, it is a role you cannot refuse, it is unpaid and involves giving up most of
...Twenty-First Century First Ladies
<p>First Lady of the United States (FLOTUS) is probably the worst job in American politics. There is no job description, it is a role you cannot refuse, it is unpaid and involves giving up most of
...
Available Classes
Trump's Third Term?
<p>President Trump loves the political limelight so much, he has hinted that he might seek to extend his presidency beyond his second term. Such a move is almost without precedent in American history.
...Trump's Third Term?
<p>President Trump loves the political limelight so much, he has hinted that he might seek to extend his presidency beyond his second term. Such a move is almost without precedent in American history.
...
Available Classes
Silk Road to Belt Road
<p>This lecture approaches China’s Belt and Road Initiative as a process of culturalisation, one that started with the Silk Road and continued over the millennia. In mainstream literature, the Belt
...Available Classes
Modern China - From Declining Empire to Global Power
<p>This course surveys China’s transformation from late Qing reforms at the turn of the 20th century to its rise as a global power at the beginning of the 21st. It examines historical shifts,
...
Available Classes
Trump's Truth: Truth, Lies and Politics
<p>Why did millions embrace Donald Trump’s truth-bending style - and why did traditional fact-checking fail to matter? In this timely course, Sonya Thompson, MA, MALP, who brings over thirty years of
...Available Classes
The Australian Constitution - It's Worth Talking About
<p><em>"Britain has no written constitution - the Americans are obsessed with theirs"</em>. The Australian Constitution fundamentally shapes our government and politics and hence has an impact on all
...
Available Classes
From Tea to Twitter - The American Revolution and the Politics of Protest
<p>The American Revolution promised liberty, equality, and a new beginning - yet it also entrenched slavery, excluded many, and left profound contradictions at the heart of the republic. This course
...Available Classes
Trump's Tariffs
<p>President Trump was elected promising to reintroduce tariffs as part of his America First agenda. Trump kept this promise on 2 April 2025, his self-declared Liberation Day. This was a daring move,
...Trump's Tariffs
<p>President Trump was elected promising to reintroduce tariffs as part of his America First agenda. Trump kept this promise on 2 April 2025, his self-declared Liberation Day. This was a daring move,
...