Students
MHIS701 – Advanced Studies in History A
2015 – S1 Day
General Information
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| Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Unit Convenor
Leigh Boucher
Contact via leigh.boucher@mq.edu.au
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| Credit points |
Credit points
4
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| Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
Admission to MRes
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| Corequisites |
Corequisites
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| Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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| Unit description |
Unit description
Students in this unit will engage with the latest developments of a specific field of historical research and in so doing will consider how new research methodologies have produced different questions and new answers in specific fields of enquiry. Students in this unit will collectively trace the development of a field of research over its’ decades long development and consider the interplay between new archival discoveries and changing historical knowledge. By the close of this unit, students will have mastered the key contours of a specific field, developed a critical perspective on its strengths and limitations and engaged with developing lines of enquiry.
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Important Academic Dates
Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- Demonstrate a coherent and advanced understanding of key debates in feminist theory
- Critically reflect on the relationship between feminist politics and research in the humanities and social sciences
- Exercise independence in the identification of a research problem and formulate a sophisticated approach to investigate it
- Practice ethical and inclusive engagement with learning peers
- Demonstrate advanced written and verbal communication skills to deploy feminist categories of analysis
General Assessment Information
Late submissions will be penalised 2% per day, please contact Leigh if you have any learning difficulties or would like to apply for an extension due to unforseeable problems.
Assessment Tasks
| Name | Weighting | Due |
|---|---|---|
| Seminar Participation | 25% | Ongoing |
| Research Essay | 50% | 1/6 5pm |
| Critical Review | 25% | 27/3 5pm |
Seminar Participation
Due: Ongoing
Weighting: 25%
Students should come to the seminars ready to engage and discuss the weekly materials.There is no hurdle requirement to come to class – if students haven’t completed the readings, attendance is not recommended. Please also be aware of others in the seminar-room and differing levels of familiarity with feminist thought – some students will not have engaged closely with this material before. As part of the seminar participation mark, each week all students must contribute either a "post" or a "response" to the class blog. This can be accessed via ilearn, "posters" and "responders" will be nominated each week.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Demonstrate a coherent and advanced understanding of key debates in feminist theory
- Critically reflect on the relationship between feminist politics and research in the humanities and social sciences
- Practice ethical and inclusive engagement with learning peers
- Demonstrate advanced written and verbal communication skills to deploy feminist categories of analysis
Research Essay
Due: 1/6 5pm
Weighting: 50%
Produce a piece of independent research that employs a key framework from the weekly topic schedule. You should design this project yourself. Students must obtain approval for their research topic (via appointment). The essay should be submitted via turnitin.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Demonstrate a coherent and advanced understanding of key debates in feminist theory
- Exercise independence in the identification of a research problem and formulate a sophisticated approach to investigate it
- Demonstrate advanced written and verbal communication skills to deploy feminist categories of analysis
Critical Review
Due: 27/3 5pm
Weighting: 25%
Write a critical review of one piece of scholarship (article or book chapter) that engages with a concept/idea developed in one of the weekly seminars. Select a piece of scholarship that emerges in your own field. You should consider how this piece of research engages with the concept you have selected and consider its utility in your chosen research field (ie, is the sex/gender distinction useful for media studies?).
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Demonstrate a coherent and advanced understanding of key debates in feminist theory
- Critically reflect on the relationship between feminist politics and research in the humanities and social sciences
- Demonstrate advanced written and verbal communication skills to deploy feminist categories of analysis
Delivery and Resources
Seminars will take place on Tuesdays, 3-5, in room W6A 407
A reader will be available from the co-op
Unit Schedule
- Week 1 Are we “post” feminism?
- Week 2 Contested Foundations I: Identity
- Week 3 Contested Foundations II: Experience
- Week 4 Contested Foundations III: Agency
- Week 5 Contested Foundations IV: Bodies
- Week 6 Contested Foundations V: Queer / Sexuality
- Week 7 Reading Week
- Week 8 Reformulations I: Intersectionality
- Week 9 Reformulations II: Psychoanalysis
- Week 10 Reformulations III: Inter/subjectivity
- Week 11 Reformulations IV: Emotion/Affect
- Week 12 Reformulations V: New Materialism
- Week 13 Feminist Im/possibilities
Policies and Procedures
Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central. Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
Academic Honesty Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html
Assessment Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/assessment/policy.html
Grading Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grading/policy.html
Grade Appeal Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/gradeappeal/policy.html
Grievance Management Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grievance_management/policy.html
Disruption to Studies Policy http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html The Disruption to Studies Policy is effective from March 3 2014 and replaces the Special Consideration Policy.
In addition, a number of other policies can be found in the Learning and Teaching Category of Policy Central.
Student Code of Conduct
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/support/student_conduct/
Results
Results shown in iLearn, or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au.
Student Support
Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/
Learning Skills
Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.
Student Services and Support
Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.
Student Enquiries
For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au
IT Help
For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://informatics.mq.edu.au/help/.
When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.
Graduate Capabilities
PG - Capable of Professional and Personal Judgment and Initiative
Our postgraduates will demonstrate a high standard of discernment and common sense in their professional and personal judgment. They will have the ability to make informed choices and decisions that reflect both the nature of their professional work and their personal perspectives.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Assessment task
- Research Essay
PG - Discipline Knowledge and Skills
Our postgraduates will be able to demonstrate a significantly enhanced depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content knowledge in their chosen fields.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Learning outcomes
- Demonstrate a coherent and advanced understanding of key debates in feminist theory
- Critically reflect on the relationship between feminist politics and research in the humanities and social sciences
- Exercise independence in the identification of a research problem and formulate a sophisticated approach to investigate it
- Demonstrate advanced written and verbal communication skills to deploy feminist categories of analysis
Assessment tasks
- Seminar Participation
- Research Essay
- Critical Review
PG - Critical, Analytical and Integrative Thinking
Our postgraduates will be capable of utilising and reflecting on prior knowledge and experience, of applying higher level critical thinking skills, and of integrating and synthesising learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments. A characteristic of this form of thinking is the generation of new, professionally oriented knowledge through personal or group-based critique of practice and theory.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Learning outcomes
- Demonstrate a coherent and advanced understanding of key debates in feminist theory
- Critically reflect on the relationship between feminist politics and research in the humanities and social sciences
- Exercise independence in the identification of a research problem and formulate a sophisticated approach to investigate it
Assessment tasks
- Seminar Participation
- Research Essay
- Critical Review
PG - Research and Problem Solving Capability
Our postgraduates will be capable of systematic enquiry; able to use research skills to create new knowledge that can be applied to real world issues, or contribute to a field of study or practice to enhance society. They will be capable of creative questioning, problem finding and problem solving.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Learning outcome
- Exercise independence in the identification of a research problem and formulate a sophisticated approach to investigate it
Assessment tasks
- Research Essay
- Critical Review
PG - Effective Communication
Our postgraduates will be able to communicate effectively and convey their views to different social, cultural, and professional audiences. They will be able to use a variety of technologically supported media to communicate with empathy using a range of written, spoken or visual formats.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Learning outcomes
- Practice ethical and inclusive engagement with learning peers
- Demonstrate advanced written and verbal communication skills to deploy feminist categories of analysis
Assessment tasks
- Seminar Participation
- Research Essay
- Critical Review
PG - Engaged and Responsible, Active and Ethical Citizens
Our postgraduates will be ethically aware and capable of confident transformative action in relation to their professional responsibilities and the wider community. They will have a sense of connectedness with others and country and have a sense of mutual obligation. They will be able to appreciate the impact of their professional roles for social justice and inclusion related to national and global issues
This graduate capability is supported by:
Learning outcomes
- Critically reflect on the relationship between feminist politics and research in the humanities and social sciences
- Practice ethical and inclusive engagement with learning peers
Assessment task
- Seminar Participation
Changes from Previous Offering
The unit has been reframed because of a new offering in gender studies. The new unit description is:
This unit examines the ways in which various contestations (over postmodernism, poststructuralism and queer theory) challenged the foundational categories of feminist theory in the 1980s and 1990s. The unit will ponder whether the call for a contingent feminist theory and practice undermined or, in fact, invigorated feminist critical thought and practice. Through an engagement with the various critical frameworks that emerged in the wake of these contestations, the unit will then examine the reformulations and reframings that feminist scholars have produced in the decades since these interventions. What do these new critical frameworks seek to explain? Do they represent a return or a critical rupture? Are we living in a post-feminist moment? This unit, whilst taught by an historian, will be framed as a cross-disciplinary unit, students are encouraged to bring their diverse disciplinary perspectives to the discussion and assessment.