Students

ANTH307 – Culture Myth and Symbolism

2018 – S1 Day

General Information

Download as PDF
Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Convenor, Lecturer, Tutor
Diane Losche
Level 2, North Wing , AHH
Before and After Class, By Appointment
Credit points Credit points
3
Prerequisites Prerequisites
(39cp at 100 level or above) or admission to GDipArts
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description
All our social practices have a cultural dimension that is as profound as anything we would usually consider to be an imperative such as earning a livelihood. In the twentieth century anthropologists concerned with the study of culture came to focus on systems of symbols and meaning. In this course we will ground the study of symbols and meaning in three dimensions of human existence: our understanding of the world around us as specific kinds of meaningful places rather than as a neutral backdrop to meaning; our own bodies and sensory bodily practices as the vehicle and means for this capacity to make the world meaningful; our capacity to experience ourselves as creatures who inhabit time, but in quite varied and distinctive ways. Throughout the emphasis will be on allowing us as students of culture with our own experiences of place, of embodiment, of ritual, of symbol and myth, of death, and of happier experiences such as music and song. While as is usual in anthropology we will read broadly from rich ethnographies of other places and people, we will create spaces to explore our own experiences as cultural beings through story telling. Where possible we will create a degree of shared experiences even of other cultures, for example, by visiting a Hindu temple.

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:

  • Participate in group discussion and formulate discussion questions relevant to the themes of the unit.
  • Execute anthropological methods of observation, description and analysis.
  • Examine and evaluate a range of ethnographic and theoretical texts.
  • Develop critical analysis and creative thinking skills through both tutorial exercises, field trip and essay writing.
  • Understand key themes, theories and issues in the anthropology of place, bodily experience, cultural learning, myth, symbol and ritual.

General Assessment Information

Late Submission Penalty

“Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, (a) a penalty for lateness will apply – two (2) marks out of 100 will be deducted per day for assignments submitted after the due date – and (b) no assignment will be accepted more than seven (7) days (incl. weekends) after the original submission deadline. No late submissions will be accepted for timed assessments – e.g. quizzes, online tests.”

Any extensions must be requested in writing with valid documentation to support the request (e.g. medical certificate). See under Policies and Procedures below.

 

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Class Participation 20% No Week Assigned
Short Essay 20% No March 18, 2018
Task 3:Synopsis of Final Essay 20% No Friday 5pm, Week 10 May 18
Assessment 4:Final Essay 40% No 5pm, Friday June 15

Class Participation

Due: Week Assigned
Weighting: 20%

Assessment 1.Class mark: 20%

 All students who are in this unit are expected to attend all lectures and tutorials. For preparation each week come to the tutorial with:

  • a written summary of the tutorial reading, containing notes on: what is the concrete ethnographic context? What stories is the ethnographer, or the artist, telling? What is the argument? What kinds of broader theoretical points is the anthropologist making? What is your opinion about this piece? What are its strengths? Weaknesses? Does it relate to any dimension of your experience? Of other readings? If you are dealing with art work, how, by what means does the artist seek to persuade you?Take special note of how one theorist, argument or art work relates to others we cover in the course. That is how you build up your essay writing skills as well.

Do not hand in your summaries, these are the basis for tutorial discussion and they figure also as the basis for Essay 1, see below.

  • Each of you to take turns in leading the discussion for one week. You will come with ideas for questions to debate, and ways of organising discussion in the tutorial. Put your names down for this by week 2. Given numbers there will probably be two of you each week doing this.

On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Participate in group discussion and formulate discussion questions relevant to the themes of the unit.
  • Execute anthropological methods of observation, description and analysis.

Short Essay

Due: March 18, 2018
Weighting: 20%

Assessment 2: Short Essay (1000 words)

 

This essay is to give me a sense of how well you are preparing for classes, how much you are keeping up with the readings, and how you are actually digesting them.

The specific topic available on ilearn


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Execute anthropological methods of observation, description and analysis.
  • Examine and evaluate a range of ethnographic and theoretical texts.
  • Understand key themes, theories and issues in the anthropology of place, bodily experience, cultural learning, myth, symbol and ritual.

Task 3:Synopsis of Final Essay

Due: Friday 5pm, Week 10 May 18
Weighting: 20%

The Final Essay is based on Interpreting cultural productions visited in the Field excursion to the Biennale of Sydney via Unit Readings. This assignment is divided into two Assessments.

Assessment 3. worth 20%.  Due week 10, Friday 5pm, May18 through TurnItIn.

This component is an A4 Page Essay Outline or Synopsis of your plan for the Final Essay.This can be done in Bullet Point fashion or via Text but the outline should include: a Paragraph Synopsis of the essay, the title of works and artists from the Biennale that you plan to focus on, 2-3 of the main readings you plan to use. Make sure to include what you envision as the major point/or points of your essay. This should be in your synopsis. This assignment is designed to get you thinking and researching for your final essay and allows me to provide feedback prior to your handing in your Final Essay.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Participate in group discussion and formulate discussion questions relevant to the themes of the unit.
  • Develop critical analysis and creative thinking skills through both tutorial exercises, field trip and essay writing.

Assessment 4:Final Essay

Due: 5pm, Friday June 15
Weighting: 40%

Assessment 4.Final Essay : worth 40% Word length 2000 words. Due 5pm Friday, 15th June via Turnitin

All written work to be submitted through ILearn/Turnitin .

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Execute anthropological methods of observation, description and analysis.
  • Examine and evaluate a range of ethnographic and theoretical texts.
  • Develop critical analysis and creative thinking skills through both tutorial exercises, field trip and essay writing.
  • Understand key themes, theories and issues in the anthropology of place, bodily experience, cultural learning, myth, symbol and ritual.

Delivery and Resources

All learning resources will be available from your iLearn unit.... ilearn.mq.edu.au

Policies and Procedures

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:

Undergraduate 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 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://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.

Graduate Capabilities

Creative and Innovative

Our graduates will also be capable of creative thinking and of creating knowledge. They will be imaginative and open to experience and capable of innovation at work and in the community. We want them to be engaged in applying their critical, creative thinking.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

  • Develop critical analysis and creative thinking skills through both tutorial exercises, field trip and essay writing.

Assessment tasks

  • Task 3:Synopsis of Final Essay
  • Assessment 4:Final Essay

Capable of Professional and Personal Judgement and Initiative

We want our graduates to have emotional intelligence and sound interpersonal skills and to demonstrate discernment and common sense in their professional and personal judgement. They will exercise initiative as needed. They will be capable of risk assessment, and be able to handle ambiguity and complexity, enabling them to be adaptable in diverse and changing environments.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

  • Develop critical analysis and creative thinking skills through both tutorial exercises, field trip and essay writing.

Assessment tasks

  • Task 3:Synopsis of Final Essay
  • Assessment 4:Final Essay

Commitment to Continuous Learning

Our graduates will have enquiring minds and a literate curiosity which will lead them to pursue knowledge for its own sake. They will continue to pursue learning in their careers and as they participate in the world. They will be capable of reflecting on their experiences and relationships with others and the environment, learning from them, and growing - personally, professionally and socially.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

  • Participate in group discussion and formulate discussion questions relevant to the themes of the unit.

Assessment tasks

  • Class Participation
  • Task 3:Synopsis of Final Essay

Discipline Specific Knowledge and Skills

Our graduates will take with them the intellectual development, depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content in their chosen fields to make them competent and confident in their subject or profession. They will be able to demonstrate, where relevant, professional technical competence and meet professional standards. They will be able to articulate the structure of knowledge of their discipline, be able to adapt discipline-specific knowledge to novel situations, and be able to contribute from their discipline to inter-disciplinary solutions to problems.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Participate in group discussion and formulate discussion questions relevant to the themes of the unit.
  • Execute anthropological methods of observation, description and analysis.
  • Examine and evaluate a range of ethnographic and theoretical texts.
  • Understand key themes, theories and issues in the anthropology of place, bodily experience, cultural learning, myth, symbol and ritual.

Assessment tasks

  • Class Participation
  • Short Essay
  • Task 3:Synopsis of Final Essay
  • Assessment 4:Final Essay

Critical, Analytical and Integrative Thinking

We want our graduates to be capable of reasoning, questioning and analysing, and to integrate and synthesise learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments; to be able to critique constraints, assumptions and limitations; to be able to think independently and systemically in relation to scholarly activity, in the workplace, and in the world. We want them to have a level of scientific and information technology literacy.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Participate in group discussion and formulate discussion questions relevant to the themes of the unit.
  • Examine and evaluate a range of ethnographic and theoretical texts.
  • Develop critical analysis and creative thinking skills through both tutorial exercises, field trip and essay writing.

Assessment tasks

  • Class Participation
  • Short Essay
  • Task 3:Synopsis of Final Essay
  • Assessment 4:Final Essay

Problem Solving and Research Capability

Our graduates should be capable of researching; of analysing, and interpreting and assessing data and information in various forms; of drawing connections across fields of knowledge; and they should be able to relate their knowledge to complex situations at work or in the world, in order to diagnose and solve problems. We want them to have the confidence to take the initiative in doing so, within an awareness of their own limitations.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Execute anthropological methods of observation, description and analysis.
  • Examine and evaluate a range of ethnographic and theoretical texts.
  • Develop critical analysis and creative thinking skills through both tutorial exercises, field trip and essay writing.

Assessment tasks

  • Class Participation
  • Short Essay
  • Task 3:Synopsis of Final Essay
  • Assessment 4:Final Essay

Effective Communication

We want to develop in our students the ability to communicate and convey their views in forms effective with different audiences. We want our graduates to take with them the capability to read, listen, question, gather and evaluate information resources in a variety of formats, assess, write clearly, speak effectively, and to use visual communication and communication technologies as appropriate.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

  • Participate in group discussion and formulate discussion questions relevant to the themes of the unit.

Assessment tasks

  • Class Participation
  • Task 3:Synopsis of Final Essay

Socially and Environmentally Active and Responsible

We want our graduates to be aware of and have respect for self and others; to be able to work with others as a leader and a team player; to have a sense of connectedness with others and country; and to have a sense of mutual obligation. Our graduates should be informed and active participants in moving society towards sustainability.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

  • Examine and evaluate a range of ethnographic and theoretical texts.

Assessment tasks

  • Short Essay
  • Assessment 4:Final Essay

Changes from Previous Offering

This semester we will visit the Biennale of Sydney rather than a Hindu Temple as our field visit.

Changes since First Published

Date Description
21/02/2018 Assessment Changes due to need to change date and weighting of Assessment 2