Students
ANTH3008 – Psychological Anthropology
2021 – Session 2, Fully online/virtual
Session 2 Learning and Teaching Update
The decision has been made to conduct study online for the remainder of Session 2 for all units WITHOUT mandatory on-campus learning activities. Exams for Session 2 will also be online where possible to do so.
This is due to the extension of the lockdown orders and to provide certainty around arrangements for the remainder of Session 2. We hope to return to campus beyond Session 2 as soon as it is safe and appropriate to do so.
Some classes/teaching activities cannot be moved online and must be taught on campus. You should already know if you are in one of these classes/teaching activities and your unit convenor will provide you with more information via iLearn. If you want to confirm, see the list of units with mandatory on-campus classes/teaching activities.
Visit the MQ COVID-19 information page for more detail.
General Information
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| Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Greg Downey
|
|---|---|
| Credit points |
Credit points
10
|
| Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
130cp at 1000 level or above
|
| Corequisites |
Corequisites
|
| Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
|
| Unit description |
Unit description
Around the world and across time, human cultural variation has extended into the depths of the human psyche, shaping different ways of being human. Are we all the same or do the ways we treat emotion, conflict, social interaction, cognition, and other dimensions of life result in differences among people? Psychological anthropology has traditionally focused on such themes, investigating the cultural dimensions of self, personality, cognition, emotion, normalcy and deviance, seeking to understand both the variant and universal features of human emotional, cognitive, and social life. Students will have the opportunity to explore an area of personal interest in psychological anthropology. |
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: Demonstrate mastery of psychological anthropology, analysing and discussing the literature and central theories related to psychological anthropology and the broader study of cultural practices in their social and cultural contexts.
- ULO2: Discover the variety of humanity, including the peculiarity of Western traits, ways we understand ourselves, and social roles.
- ULO3: Interrogate ‘human nature’ to better understand the relationship between universal traits and variability.
- ULO4: Explore the role of social setting and norms in shaping human development.
- ULO5: Actively participate in collegial discussion of anthropological theory.
- ULO6: Gain greater understanding of techniques for investigating experience, including ethnography, field research, and comparative approaches.
- ULO7: Improve writing and critical reading skills.
Assessment Tasks
| Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online Weekly quiz | 20% | No | Weekly |
| Take-Home Midterm exam | 20% | No | 30/9/2021 |
| Research Essay | 25% | No | 22/10/2021 |
| Final exam | 20% | No | 8/11/2021 |
| In-tutorial discussion questions | 15% | No | Weekly |
Online Weekly quiz
Assessment Type 1: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task 2: 6 hours
Due: Weekly
Weighting: 20%
Students will be expected to take a weekly quiz online based on the readings, lecture and tutorial activity. The quiz will close prior to the lecture in the following week.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Demonstrate mastery of psychological anthropology, analysing and discussing the literature and central theories related to psychological anthropology and the broader study of cultural practices in their social and cultural contexts.
- Discover the variety of humanity, including the peculiarity of Western traits, ways we understand ourselves, and social roles.
- Gain greater understanding of techniques for investigating experience, including ethnography, field research, and comparative approaches.
Take-Home Midterm exam
Assessment Type 1: Examination
Indicative Time on Task 2: 10 hours
Due: 30/9/2021
Weighting: 20%
Take-Home Midterm exam
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Demonstrate mastery of psychological anthropology, analysing and discussing the literature and central theories related to psychological anthropology and the broader study of cultural practices in their social and cultural contexts.
- Interrogate ‘human nature’ to better understand the relationship between universal traits and variability.
- Gain greater understanding of techniques for investigating experience, including ethnography, field research, and comparative approaches.
- Improve writing and critical reading skills.
Research Essay
Assessment Type 1: Essay
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: 22/10/2021
Weighting: 25%
Research Essay (2000 word maximum)
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Demonstrate mastery of psychological anthropology, analysing and discussing the literature and central theories related to psychological anthropology and the broader study of cultural practices in their social and cultural contexts.
- Discover the variety of humanity, including the peculiarity of Western traits, ways we understand ourselves, and social roles.
- Interrogate ‘human nature’ to better understand the relationship between universal traits and variability.
- Explore the role of social setting and norms in shaping human development.
- Gain greater understanding of techniques for investigating experience, including ethnography, field research, and comparative approaches.
- Improve writing and critical reading skills.
Final exam
Assessment Type 1: Examination
Indicative Time on Task 2: 10 hours
Due: 8/11/2021
Weighting: 20%
Final Exam after the last lecture of the session.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Demonstrate mastery of psychological anthropology, analysing and discussing the literature and central theories related to psychological anthropology and the broader study of cultural practices in their social and cultural contexts.
- Interrogate ‘human nature’ to better understand the relationship between universal traits and variability.
- Gain greater understanding of techniques for investigating experience, including ethnography, field research, and comparative approaches.
- Improve writing and critical reading skills.
In-tutorial discussion questions
Assessment Type 1: Participatory task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 12 hours
Due: Weekly
Weighting: 15%
Each week, the tutorial (online and on campus) sets the students a series of tasks, including a participatory task depending upon the material for that week.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Interrogate ‘human nature’ to better understand the relationship between universal traits and variability.
- Explore the role of social setting and norms in shaping human development.
- Actively participate in collegial discussion of anthropological theory.
- Improve writing and critical reading skills.
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
All lectures will be pre-recorded; tutorials will be made available for both online and asyncrhonous (bulletin board) attendance. Every effort will be made to make the delivery flexible for students in order to best accommodate the changing conditions and health and well-being concerns.
Policies and Procedures
Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). 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
Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.
To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.
Student Code of Conduct
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/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
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 help you improve your marks and take control of your study.
The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources.
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
If you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au
IT Help
For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/.
When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.
Changes from Previous Offering
The unit is being offered at this level for the first time in 2021. There will be significant changes from the previous year as well because the convenor of the unit has changed and an entirely new curriculum introduced.
Unit information based on version 2021.02 of the Handbook