Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Deborah Van Heekeren
Monica Dalidowicz
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Credit points |
Credit points
3
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Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
(39cp including (9cp from ANTH units including 3cp from ANTH units at 300 level)) or admission to GDipArts
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Corequisites |
Corequisites
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Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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Unit description |
Unit description
This unit provides an introduction to fieldwork in cultural anthropology. As the primary goal of the unit is to teach students how to do ethnographic fieldwork, over the semester students engage in first-hand research where they regularly participate in and observe a cultural scene of their own choosing. Weekly meetings frame the fieldwork process as students learn anthropological methodology under the guidance of an experienced staff member, and then apply this knowledge to their ethnographic study. These meetings also provide the opportunity for students to share their fieldwork experiences with each other, and discuss the methodological issues and concerns raised by their own studies. Simultaneously students will read several classic ethnographies to develop an understanding of the relationship between ethnographic research and ethnographic writing. The program culminates in a report (or mini ethnography) due at the close of the semester.
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Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
1. Ethics quiz
Compulsory
Due: Week 3
Students will take the online ethics module for social science research developed by Wynn, Mason, and Everett (http://www.mq.edu.au/ethics_training/) and the online quiz at the end of the module.
Details: The online ethics module should be done as homework in the second week of the class. Upon completion of the quiz, print the certificate of completion and bring to class to turn it in. The module takes about 3-4 hours to complete. Warning: start the quiz well in advance because if you fail any section of the quiz, it will not allow you to proceed to the next section of the quiz until 24 hours have passed, so it’s not a good thing to do at the last minute.
Name | Weighting | Due |
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Participation and discussion | 20% | weekly |
Research Proposal | 20% | Week 7 |
Ethnographic Research Journal | 20% | Week 9 |
Ethnographic Research Paper | 40% | Week 13 |
Ethics Quiz | 0% | week 3 |
Due: weekly
Weighting: 20%
Each student should fully participate in class discussions and will take turns leading discussions of the week’s readings. There is also a final presentation of your research in Weeks 12 and 13.
Due: Week 7
Weighting: 20%
Brief Description: Research proposals will be original project designs for ethnographic research projects. Your research proposal should be a formal description of the ongoing project of ethnographic description that you are engaged in for this class.
Details: The ~1000-word proposal should include the following sections:
Proposal title: provide a short descriptive title of no more than 20 words.
Abstract: This should be a short summary of the project, maximum 100 words.
Background: Discusses the academic literature to set up the research question.What other researchers have tackled this issue?What have they said about the topic?What are the points of difference between theorists? How is your project similar to, or different from, those of other researchers?
Aims: What will this research concretely demonstrate or accomplish?
Methods: This should include a detailed discussions of research methods, rationales for choice of methods, background readings on the research questions as they are relevant to methodology, and a plan for completion.
Significance: What is the significance of this project?What new insight will it shed on the research question?
Due: Week 9
Weighting: 20%
Brief description: From the third week of class (after you have completed the online ethics module and taken the quiz), you will be asked to keep a research journal that documents your research project in a series of dated fieldnotes.
Due: Week 13
Weighting: 40%
Brief Description: You will write a short ethnography (2,700-3,000 words).
You must also include an appendix (up to 500 words) detailing how you ensured ethical research practice. This appendix should outline the steps you took to ensure (a) informed consent, (b) informant privacy and confidentiality, and (c) secure data collection and storage.
Due: week 3
Weighting: 0%
The online ethics module should be done as homework in the second week of the class. Upon completion of the quiz, print the certificate of completion and bring to class to turn it in. The module takes about 3-4 hours to complete. Warning: start the quiz well in advance because if you fail any section of the quiz, it will not allow you to proceed to the next section of the quiz until 24 hours have passed, so it’s not a good thing to do at the last minute.
iLearn will be used to support this Unit.
NB. but echo will not be used. If students miss a session it is their responsibility -- not the convenor’s -- to ensure that they are up to date.
**Weekly attendance is compulsory**
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.
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/support/student_conduct/
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.
Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/
Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.
Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.
For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au
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.
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