Students
ANTH3002 – The Anthropology of Politics and Power
2020 – Session 2, Special circumstance
Notice
As part of Phase 3 of our return to campus plan, most units will now run tutorials, seminars and other small group learning activities on campus for the second half-year, while keeping an online version available for those students unable to return or those who choose to continue their studies online.
To check the availability of face to face activities for your unit, please go to timetable viewer. To check detailed information on unit assessments visit your unit's iLearn space or consult your unit convenor.
General Information
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| Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Convener and lecturer
Max Harwood
Contact via 0298502077
Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Arts, Level 5, 25B Wally's Walk
On appointment
Chris Houston
Payel Ray
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|---|---|
| Credit points |
Credit points
10
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| Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
130cp at 1000 level or above
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| Corequisites |
Corequisites
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| Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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| Unit description |
Unit description
Politics and power can be thought of as intimate aspects of our social life and relationships, and hence as aspects of all subjects of anthropological investigation. Processes of domination, resistance and social transformation are inevitably involved in the creation and representation of cultural practices and meanings. In the first half of the unit students will identify and compare the themes - explicit or otherwise - that dominate the composition of a number of classical political ethnographies, while also exploring the wider question of their colonial contexts and how this context influenced the development of anthropological knowledge. Its second half examines how these themes are still relevant in illuminating more contemporary manifestations of power, including forms of political practice such as nationalism and its project of social transformation; violence and terror; gender and agency; resistance and collaboration; and peace-making and reconciliation.
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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:
- ULO1: Apply the concerns of various anthropological writings to contemporary processes of power and politics.
- ULO2: Discern and discuss the tensions and correspondences between the political institutions of different societies, their representation in ethnographic writing or film, and political processes in the ethnographers’ own society.
- ULO3: Demonstrate knowledge of influential ethnographies and debates relevant to the anthropology of politics and power.
- ULO5: Write cogently about the sociocultural dimensions of political systems and practices
Assessment Tasks
| Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minor Essay | 25% | No | TBA |
| Take-Home Test | 25% | No | TBA |
| Tutorial Participation | 10% | No | TBA |
| Major Essay | 40% | No | TBA |
Minor Essay
Assessment Type 1: Essay
Indicative Time on Task 2: 22 hours
Due: TBA
Weighting: 25%
The minor essay will count for 25% of the semester’s work. Please base this essay on any cluster of readings that takes your fancy from the other 6 weeks of group presentations.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Apply the concerns of various anthropological writings to contemporary processes of power and politics.
- Discern and discuss the tensions and correspondences between the political institutions of different societies, their representation in ethnographic writing or film, and political processes in the ethnographers’ own society.
- Demonstrate knowledge of influential ethnographies and debates relevant to the anthropology of politics and power.
- Write cogently about the sociocultural dimensions of political systems and practices
Take-Home Test
Assessment Type 1: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: TBA
Weighting: 25%
The exam will consist of a combination of short answers to questions that link together topics and themes covered in lectures and tutorials throughout the course.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Apply the concerns of various anthropological writings to contemporary processes of power and politics.
- Discern and discuss the tensions and correspondences between the political institutions of different societies, their representation in ethnographic writing or film, and political processes in the ethnographers’ own society.
- Demonstrate knowledge of influential ethnographies and debates relevant to the anthropology of politics and power.
- Write cogently about the sociocultural dimensions of political systems and practices
Tutorial Participation
Assessment Type 1: Participatory task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: TBA
Weighting: 10%
Students participation in tutorial discussions and activities.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Apply the concerns of various anthropological writings to contemporary processes of power and politics.
- Discern and discuss the tensions and correspondences between the political institutions of different societies, their representation in ethnographic writing or film, and political processes in the ethnographers’ own society.
- Demonstrate knowledge of influential ethnographies and debates relevant to the anthropology of politics and power.
Major Essay
Assessment Type 1: Essay
Indicative Time on Task 2: 45 hours
Due: TBA
Weighting: 40%
The major essay will account for 40% of the semester's work. Remember, students will write two essays in total, one from each half of the course, dealing with the major themes under discussion. Essay questions will be self-selected, but this selection will be facilitated by tutorial discussion. Your essay question must be clearly stated in your assignment.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Apply the concerns of various anthropological writings to contemporary processes of power and politics.
- Discern and discuss the tensions and correspondences between the political institutions of different societies, their representation in ethnographic writing or film, and political processes in the ethnographers’ own society.
- Demonstrate knowledge of influential ethnographies and debates relevant to the anthropology of politics and power.
- Write cogently about the sociocultural dimensions of political systems and practices
1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:
- the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
- the Writing Centre for academic skills support.
2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation
Delivery and Resources
TBA
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Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
- Academic Appeals Policy
- Academic Integrity Policy
- Academic Progression Policy
- Assessment Policy
- Fitness to Practice Procedure
- Grade Appeal Policy
- Complaint Management Procedure for Students and Members of the Public
- Special Consideration Policy (Note: The Special Consideration Policy is effective from 4 December 2017 and replaces the Disruption to Studies Policy.)
Students seeking more policy resources can visit the Student Policy Gateway (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/student-policy-gateway). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.
If you would like to see all the policies relevant to Learning and Teaching visit Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/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/study/getting-started/student-conduct
Results
Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) 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 or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au
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