Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Chris Vasantkumar
AHH North, W32
Tuesdays 11-1, Piccolo Me, AHH
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Credit points |
Credit points
4
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Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
Admission to MDevStud or MGlobalHlthDevStud or GradCertGlobalHlthDevStud or MDevStudGlobalHlth or GradCertDevStudGlobalHlth or MAppAnth or MDevCult or MIntRel or MPASR or GradDipPASR or GradDipIntRel or MSocEntre or GradCertSocEntre or MPPPMDevStud or MPASRMDevStud or 4cp in ANTH units at 800 level
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Corequisites |
Corequisites
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Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
ANTH731
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Unit description |
Unit description
In the contemporary world, it is often assumed that the economic and the cultural are opposites, that notions of the market or the economy are natural facts rather than cultural constructs, that abstract economic models perfectly capture the messy realm of actual human exchanges, that money corrupts traditional culture. None of these claims, however, stands up on closer inspection. The goal of this class is to peel back the layers of myth and misapprehension surrounding human transactions and get at the complex nexus of economics and culture that shape exchange in particular historical and cultural contexts.
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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:
Submission and Citation
All essays must be submitted via the turnitin link on the unit iLearn page by 23:59 on the due date.
All words and ideas that are not your own must be cited correctly. See iLearn for further details.
University Late Assessment 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.
No consideration for lost work or technology issues
It is the student’s responsibility to keep a copy (electronic or otherwise) of all written work submitted for each unit. No consideration will be given to claims of ‘lost work’ or technology issues no matter what the circumstances. It is your responsibility to ensure that your computer is fully compatible with iLearn during exam periods.
Extensions and Special Consideration:
Please view the Special Consideration Policy at: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/my-study-program/special-consideration
All Special Consideration notifications are to be made online via the University’s Ask MQ system.
Remember, the University has determined that some circumstances routinely encountered by students are not acceptable grounds for claiming Disruption of Studies. These grounds include, but are not limited, to:
Conditions existing prior to commencing a unit of study are not grounds for Special Consideration. The student is responsible for managing their workload in light of any known or anticipated problems. The student is responsible for contacting Student Support Services if they have a chronic condition.
Re-mark of Work During the Semester:
A re-mark will be considered only on the following grounds:
1. Administrative error
2. The feedback provided on the assessment does not justify the grade awarded
Grade Appeals
The Macquarie Grade Appeal Policy is available here: http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/gradeappeal/policy.html
Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
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Class Preparation: DPG | 20% | No | Weekly |
Participation in Seminar | 20% | No | Weekly |
Short Paper #1 | 10% | No | End of Week 4 |
Short Paper II | 10% | No | End of Week 9 |
Final Presentation | 10% | No | Week 13 in Class |
Research Essay | 30% | No | End of Week 13 |
Due: Weekly
Weighting: 20%
Each week, you must fill out a Discussion Preparation Guide and bring it to class. See iLearn for details and sample DPG.
Due: Weekly
Weighting: 20%
Brief description: Each student is expected to participate actively and constructively in the seminar discussion. See iLearn for how participation will be assessed.
Due: End of Week 4
Weighting: 10%
Details: Write a short paper (1250-1500 words, double-spaced) on one of four topics from the first third of the unit. In your paper you should make to reference at least 3 of the readings from class, and you should also find at least 2 outside sources. See iLearn for topics and assessment rubric. Essay must be submitted via turnitin (link on iLearn page) by 23:59 on the due date.
Due: End of Week 9
Weighting: 10%
Details: Write a short paper (1250-1500 words, double-spaced) on one of four topics from the second third of the unit. In your paper you should make to reference at least 3 of the readings from class, and you should also find at least 2 outside sources. See iLearn for topics and assessment rubric. Essay must be submitted via turnitin (link on iLearn page) by 23:59 on the due date.
Due: Week 13 in Class
Weighting: 10%
Brief description: Each Student will present for 15-20 minutes on the topic of their Research Essay during the last meeting of the session. See iLearn for further details.
Due: End of Week 13
Weighting: 30%
Details: For the final class project you will conduct a commodity chain analysis of a commodity of your choice. Your paper (3000-3500 words) will will “follow” the varied travels of your chosen commodity; including a discussion of its history, a mapping of its key sites of production, distribution and consumption, an overview of varied impacts (positive and negative) created across the world by that commodity. Your commodity chain analysis will pay attention to its “social life” as well as to how its travels have been shaped by (and shape) class, race and gendered power. For this assignment, you should do significant independent research. See iLearn for further information. Essay must be submitted via turnitin (link on iLearn page) by 23:59 on the due date.
Please check university timetable for class meeting times and location.
All required readings will be available on electronic reserve, iLearn, the Multisearch feature of the MQ Uni Library website, or the internet.
Check the unit iLearn page frequently for up to date information.
Week |
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Seminar Topic |
Assessment |
1 |
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Commodity Fetishism 101/About the Class |
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2 |
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Global Connections and Frameworks/ False Universals |
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3 |
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Cultural Economies/ Wealth and Poverty Beyond the Bottom Line |
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4 |
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Beyond North Atlantic Universals I: Exchange |
Short Paper #1 due |
5 |
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Beyond North Atlantic Universals II: Money |
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6 |
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Beyond North Atlantic Universals III: Consumption in Critical Perspective |
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7 |
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Following the Thing/Friction in the Commodity Chain |
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Mid-semester Recess |
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8 |
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Follow the Mobile I—Extraction |
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9 |
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Follow the Mobile II—Production |
Short Paper #2 due |
10 |
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Follow the Mobile III—Consumption |
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11 |
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Follow the Mobile IV—The Cloud |
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12 |
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Follow the Mobile V—E-waste |
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13 |
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Student Presentations |
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RESEARCH ESSAY DUE |
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).
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 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://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.
Our postgraduates will demonstrate a high standard of discernment and common sense in their professional and personal judgment. They will have the ability to make informed choices and decisions that reflect both the nature of their professional work and their personal perspectives.
This graduate capability is supported by:
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This graduate capability is supported by:
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This graduate capability is supported by: