Students
ANTH3008 – Psychological Anthropology
2024 – Session 1, Online-flexible
General Information
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| Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Paul Mason
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.
General Assessment Information
Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark) will be applied each day a written assessment is not submitted, up until the 7th day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a mark of ‘0’ (zero) will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. Submission time for all non-timed written assessments (incl essays, reports, posters, portfolios, journals, recordings etc) is set at 11.55pm. A 1-hour grace period is provided to students who experience a technical issue. Late submission of time sensitive tasks (such as tests/exams/quizzes, performance assessments/presentations, scheduled practical assessments/labs etc) will only be addressed by the unit convenor in a Special consideration application. Special Consideration outcome may result in a new question or topic.
Assessment Tasks
| Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online Weekly quiz | 20% | No | Weekly |
| Discussion questions | 15% | No | Weekly |
| Final exam | 20% | No | 4/6/2024 |
| Research Essay | 25% | No | 24/5/2024 |
| Take-Home Midterm exam | 20% | No | Thursday 11/4/2024 |
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 unit content. The quiz will close 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.
Discussion questions
Assessment Type 1: Participatory task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 12 hours
Due: Weekly
Weighting: 15%
Each week, students are set 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.
Final exam
Assessment Type 1: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task 2: 10 hours
Due: 4/6/2024
Weighting: 20%
Final Exam at the end 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.
Research Essay
Assessment Type 1: Essay
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: 24/5/2024
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.
Take-Home Midterm exam
Assessment Type 1: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task 2: 10 hours
Due: Thursday 11/4/2024
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.
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
Timetable All students are strongly encouraged to attend lectures and tutorials. Lectures are the primary vehicle of course content and tutorials involve facilitated discussion, guided group activities, and framed reflection exercises. Please refer to the university timetable for lecture and tutorial times and locations.
Technology used and required:
Students will need to have access to the iLearn section, as handouts, FAQs, video links, and a host of other resources will be available through iLearn.
Readings
Information about readings for the unit will be available through the iLearn space for the units. Students will not be able to complete the unit without these materials.
Every effort will be made to make lecture recordings available for students who may need to accommodate any changing conditions or health 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
- Assessment Procedure
- Complaints Resolution 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 connect.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au
Academic Integrity
At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.
Student Support
Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/
The Writing Centre
The Writing Centre provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.
- Workshops
- Chat with a WriteWISE peer writing leader
- Access StudyWISE
- Upload an assignment to Studiosity
- Complete the Academic Integrity Module
The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources.
Student Services and Support
Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:
- IT Support
- Accessibility and disability support with study
- Mental health support
- Safety support to respond to bullying, harassment, sexual harassment and sexual assault
- Social support including information about finances, tenancy and legal issues
- Student Advocacy provides independent advice on MQ policies, procedures, and processes
Student Enquiries
Got a question? Ask us via the Service Connect Portal, or contact Service Connect.
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.
Unit information based on version 2024.02 of the Handbook