SOC10236 Applied Ethics and Sustainability
Assessment details
Assignment 1 Part A -
Consequential ethical analysis
Due: 11 pm 29 March 2019
Word guide: 750
Weighting: 20%
You should follow the ‘Assignment Planning’ activities in the SOC10236 Study Guide and all relevant online discussions concerning this assessment to perform well in this assignment.
You are required to select one of the five topics listed below and clearly define one focused and specific ethical question relevant to your chosen topic which you will analyse in both assignments 1 and 2.
The five topics are
1. Media, advertising or journalism (including social media);
2. The operating, investing or financing activities of multinational business organisations;
3. The taking of human or non-human life;
4. Artificial intelligence, robots, or any new technology;
5. Equity, diversity, multiculturalism, immigration (in the workforce or society).
Required tasks:
a. Select one of the five topics.
By carefully following the extensive guidelines provided in the Study Guide (Topic 1) clearly and concisely define one specific ethical question relevant to one of the five topics in no more than one short sentence.
(3 marks- Marking Criteria: Apply guidelines, Clarity of language)
Note: This is a critical stage of your assignment and it is not easy. If you don’t clearly define the ethical problem/question then you cannot perform a focused ethical analysis. It is strongly recommended that you rigorously apply the guidelines provided in the Topic 1 assessment planning activity to form your ethical question.
b. Explain why your specific ethical problem is important and worthy of your analysis?
(3 marks- Marking Criteria: Understand concepts, Depth of research)
c. Identify and fully reference 6 key facts relevant to the analysis of your ethical question. (6 marks- Marking Criteria: Depth of research, Referencing)
d. Analyse the ethical act central to your ethical question using act utilitarianism by forecasting three important positive and three important negative consequences. (6 marks- Marking Criteria: Understand concepts, Apply theory, Analyse and interpret information)
e. Provide an ethical conclusion which compares expected positive with negative consequences including an estimate as to whether net utility will rise or fall.
(2 marks- Marking Criteria: Analyse and interpret information)

Assignment 1 Part B -
Non-consequential ethical analysis
Due: 11 pm 21 April 2019
Word guide: 750
Weighting: 20%
This assignment is a continuation of Assignment 1 Part A and you must analyse the same ethical question which you defined in Part A.
Restate your ethical question from Assignment 1 Part A on page 1 of Assignment 1 Part B. You can modify the precise wording of your ethical question drawing on feedback provided in Assignment 1 Part A.
a) Identify the act central to your ethical question.
(Note: you are analysing the ethics of this specific act.)
(1 mark- Marking Criteria: Understand concepts)
b) Identify 2 virtues relevant to the morality of the act central to your specific ethical question. Define each virtue in no more than one sentence.
(2 marks- Marking Criteria: Understand concepts, Apply theory)
c) Discuss the morality of the act central to your ethical question by comparison with your 2 chosen virtues.
(2 marks- Marking Criteria: Apply theory, Analyse and interpret information)
d) Apply Kant’s categorical imperative by completing the following tasks. You need to support any yes/no answers with reasons.
i) Define a specific rule which authorises the act central to your ethical question.
(2 marks- Marking Criteria: Apply theory)
ii) Define the general rule which authorises the act central to your ethical question.
(1 mark- Marking Criteria: Apply theory)
iii) Is the general rule inherently self-contradictory? Why or why not?
(2 marks- Marking Criteria: Critical thinking)

iv) Does the general rule violate Kant’s practical imperative or any of Kant’s other absolute moral rules?
(2 marks- Marking Criteria: Apply theory, Understand concepts)
v) Is the general rule contrary to its fundamental purpose?
(1 mark- Marking Criteria: Critical thinking)
vi) Is the act ethical according to Kant’s ethical system?
(2 marks- Marking Criteria: Apply theory)
e) Provide an ethical conclusion by comparing your conclusions from the act utilitarian analysis in Assignment 1 Part A, your virtue ethics and Kantian analyses in Assignment 1 Part B, and drawing on your own ethical conscience.
(5 marks- Marking Criteria: Apply theory, Understand concepts, Analyse and interpret information, Clarity of language)
Assignment 2 Personal footprint, product and organisational sustainability analysis
Due: 11 pm 17 May 2019
Word guide: 1500
Weighting: 40%
Required
1. Go to http://www.wwf.org.au/get-involved/change-the-way-you-live/ecological-footprint-calculator and calculate your personal ecological footprint. Copy your footprint results (i.e. ‘Results By Land Type and By Consumption Category’) into your assignment document. (1 mark- Marking Criteria: Follow instructions)
2. With reference to your results perform the following tasks
a. Explain the meaning of your ecological footprint measured in global hectares with reference to relevant benchmarks.
(2 marks- Marking Criteria: Understand concepts)
b. Explain the meaning of your carbon footprint (tonnes per year) with reference to a relevant forestry carbon sequestration (offset) rate.
(2 marks- Marking Criteria: Understand concepts, Analyse and interpret information)
c. Interpret your key results by Land Type and Consumption Category.
(2 marks- Marking Criteria: Analyse and interpret information)
3. By utilising your footprint analysis (results and questions), identify four major causes of the unsustainable aspects of your personal lifestyle.
(4 marks- Marking Criteria: Apply theory, Understand concepts, Analyse and interpret information, Depth of research)
4. Identify one potential solution to your unsustainable lifestyle in each of the categories of ‘City’, ‘Energy’, ‘Food’ and ‘Population’. (Note: your Ecological Footprint results provide some ideas in each of these categories).
(4 marks- Marking Criteria: Problem solving, Creativity, Clarity of language)
5. Select one product that you consume and identify the business organisation which manufactures this product. (1 mark- Marking Criteria: Follow instructions)
6. Identify the main energy and raw material inputs needed to manufacture this product and the stage in the production process each energy and materials component is consumed. (2 marks- Marking Criteria: Understand concepts)

7. Identify the main causes of unsustainability over the product’s lifecycle (production, distribution and/or consumption and disposal stages).
(3 marks- Marking Criteria: Apply theory, Understand concepts, Analyse and interpret information)
8. By applying the principle of the ‘waste=food model’ or the ‘waste management hierarchy’ provide one recommendation to reduce the volume of waste or pollutants discharged in the production, distribution or consumption of this product.
(4 marks- Marking Criteria: Apply theory, Creativity)
9. By applying the principle of the cradle to cradle design protocol, suggest one key improvement to the design of this product and explain how your idea will reduce the unsustainability of the product. (4 marks- Marking Criteria: Apply theory, Creativity)
10. Identify this organisation’s key stakeholder groups and their specific expectations of the organisation. (4 marks- Marking Criteria: Understand concepts, Depth of research)
11. Describe one major CSR issue which confronts this organisation.
(3 marks- Marking Criteria: Understand concepts, Depth of research, Referencing)
12. Select one stakeholder group and make a recommendation as to how this organisation could improve their social impact on this group of stakeholders.
(2 marks- Marking Criteria: Problem solving, Clarity of language)
13. Explain how your recommendation will improve this stakeholder group’s wellbeing. (1 mark- Marking Criteria: Understand concepts)
14. Are you able to change your own consumption of this product to reduce your contribution to the problem and causes of unsustainability? Explain why or why not.
(1 mark- Marking Criteria: Problem solving)
Referencing
Note that Wikipedia (and equivalent websites) are not acceptable as references in this unit. Please use the Harvard referencing system, or similar widely accepted system such as APA, but varied for quoted text – see Assignment Submission Instruction 3 later in this document.
Assignment extensions
Assignments are due on the dates specified above. An additional 3 days are available to all students where needed to confirm their submissions meet the required authenticity tests. There is no need to apply for extensions of 3 days or less. Extensions for longer than 3 days are made using the standard Southern Cross University application for ‘Special Consideration - Extension of Assessment’ to be submitted via the Special Consideration eForm found in My Enrolment.
Assignment authenticity tests
Your assignment is considered successfully submitted when you pass the first two of the following three assignment authenticity tests. The third test is implemented by marking staff, during the marking process, and no feedback is provided unless there is an irregularity with your submission.
AUTHENTICITY TEST 1
Turnitin text match of less than 10%.
The Turnitin Originality Report must show a text match of less than 10%. Note that any text match sourced to the Assignment Cover Sheet or Bibliography is excluded when calculating your text match % for the purposes of this authenticity test.
If your text match is 10% or more, rewrite your assignment carefully following the Assignment submission instructions (see below). Resubmit your assignment and confirm your revised text match is below 10%.
AUTHENTICITY TEST 2
Word document edit time and date document created.
Each submitted assignment is to be completed from start to finish entirely on one word document; that is do not change documents once you begin writing this assignment. This will ensure your document properties track the total time spent preparing and editing your assignment. The editing time and date started are required information when you make your final submission.
In your word document -
i) Click on FILE
ii) view document Properties and record the Total Editing Time
iii) view Related Dates and record the date the document was Created.
The Total Editing Time must be more than 1 hour.
AUTHENTICITY TEST 3
Writing style comparison
Marking staff perform comparisons of writing style and standard with your previously submitted assessments to confirm consistency, authenticity and originality.
Assignment Cover Sheet
Do NOT attach the standard SCU assignment cover sheet. Prepare your own front page with only the following information –
Name
Student number
Assignment number
Turnitin text match %
Total document edit time
Date document created
Assignment 1 and 2 submission instructions
Assignments 1 and 2 can only be submitted using Turnitin via the Assessment function on the MySCU site for this unit. For more information on Turnitin, see http://study.scu.edu.au/turnitin/
Please follow these instructions for successful submission of Assignments 1 & 2.
1. Your assignments must be submitted as Word documents.
2. Do NOT attach an SCU assignment cover sheet.
3. All text that you copy from other sources must be quoted like this –
“…quoted text here” (author, year, page number).
Note that the “double quotation marks” are essential to signal to Turnitin that you are acknowledging this text is taken directly from another author’s work; but also note that good assignment writing requires limited use of directly quoted text.
It is recommended you follow this method for quoting text regardless of the referencing convention you are following.
4. Do NOT rewrite the questions in your assignment. Answer each question under a sub heading consisting of only the question number or letter.
5. Provide a list of references at the end of your assignment on a new page under the subheading Bibliography.
6. A required objective of this unit is that you learn how to use Turnitin to improve your referencing and academic writing to the required academic standard. Note that the first Turnitin Originality Report is generated within 5 minutes, however subsequent reports take 24 hours to produce.
7. It is your responsibility to review the Turnitin Originality Report and remove text matches so that your assignment conforms to the required academic writing standard by the due date.
You remove text matches by strictly following the instructions above (especially instruction 3); and where required, paraphrasing and/or restating text matches in your own original words.
You will find useful resources on referencing, paraphrasing and quoting here http://scu.edu.au/teachinglearning/index.php/6 .
8. Do NOT recycle an assignment used previously in this or any other unit.
Final examination
Exam period: to be advised
Weighting: 20%
The final examination is scheduled for the end of the study period. The exam will be 1.5 hours, consisting of 30 multi-choice questions. The exam will be closed book.
Note: Students are permitted to take a hard copy English translation dictionary into the examination. Electronic translation dictionaries are not permitted.
Academic Integrity
As part of a University initiative to support the development of academic integrity, assessments may be checked for plagiarism, including through an electronic system, either internally or by a plagiarism checking service, and be held for future checking and matching purposes.
Where a Unit Assessor requires further information to confirm the authenticity of any assessments submitted they may contact the student to discuss the process followed to prepare the assignment and/or the content of the assignment.
Assignment due dates and the examination period provided here apply to the Australian study period. These may be varied for students studying elsewhere, please confirm dates with your local tutor.
Marking criteria and rubric
Assessment rubric
Grade Description of Grade
High Distinction Clear understanding of key concepts. Correctly apply important theories to solve problems and provide creative solutions. Relevant information identified by extensive research and analysis and interpretation of that information leads to insightful and interesting conclusions. Very good language and referencing skills throughout.
Distinction Clear understanding of most concepts. Apply theories to solve problems and provide interesting solutions. Relevant information identified, analysed and interpreted leading to suitable conclusions. Good quality language and referencing skills evident throughout.
Credit Good understanding of key concepts. Able to apply some relevant theories leading to plausible solutions to problems. Able to correctly identify, analyse and interpret relevant information. Shows sufficient depth and quality of research, language and referencing skills.
Pass Demonstrates a basic understanding of key concepts and an ability to apply some relevant theory to the required tasks. An adequate level of research uncovers relevant information, which is analysed and interpreted at a basic level. Legitimate attempts made to problem solve but solutions lack any creative or insightful elements. Written expression is understandable with some relevant referencing provided.
Fail Inability to understand key concepts, apply theory or correctly analyse and interpret relevant information. No depth of research. Failure to solve problems or think critically. Poor language skills and referencing.
The following marking criteria are used to assess Assignments 1 and 2.
Marking criteria Description
Apply guidelines/follow instructions ability to comply with instructions
Understand concepts demonstrate an understanding of key unit concepts
Apply theory use unit theories to answer questions
Depth of research go beyond unit text and readings to uncover academically credible literature relevant to assessment tasks
Analyse & interpret information methodically examine data and explain its meaning
Problem solving/ Critical thinking ability to apply a logical process to solve problems
Creativity utilise the theoretical tools provided to develop original or unique solutions to improve design
Clarity of language English expression is unambiguous and easily understood
Referencing consistent and correct use of credible referencing system