ANTH 3100 - Anthropology Today: Experience, Power, Practice

North Terrace Campus - Semester 2 - 2014

Anthropological knowledge is principally developed in the full-length monographs, articles in professional journals, book chapters, film and other media. The aim of this course is to understand the way in which anthropologists deploy specific theoretical perspectives in the organisation and analysis of ethnographic material to produce critical knowledge and understanding of the social world. Through a critical reading of ethnography and the art of full-length monographs in particular, students have the opportunity to develop an understanding of both the process and product of the dialectic of fieldwork material and theoretical perspectives. The course content will focus on significant ethnographic monographs that exemplify the use of three major perspectives: experience, practice, and discourse and power. The goal is for students to be able to understand and begin to engage critically with ethnographic works. To maintain a coherent theme across the reading, the texts are all loosely centered on human-nature relations and interactions. This will allow for easier cross-pollination in the lectures and rotating seminar groups. Each student will read a total of four books and write a total of four original essays of 1100-1200 words each.

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Course Details

Course Code	ANTH 3100
Course	Anthropology Today: Experience, Power, Practice
Coordinating Unit	Anthropology and Development Studies
Term	Semester 2
Level	Undergraduate
Location/s	North Terrace Campus
Units	3
Contact	Up to 3 hours per week
Prerequisites	12 units of Level I Humanities/Social Sciences courses
Incompatible	ANTH 3029
Assessment	Participation 10%, short essays 90%

Course Staff

Course Coordinator: Associate Professor Georgina Drew

Course Timetable

The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

Course Learning Outcomes

At the successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

1	Obtain in-depth study of the discipline of anthropology as a basis for an undergraduate major and continuation into honours and postgraduate study
2	Demonstrate an understanding of the ethnographic process and the procedures that go into the data collection and writing styles that constitute what is termed ethnography
3	Conduct a critical examination of the theoretical perspectives that dominate anthropology today and contribute to major issues: agency, experience and culture
4	Provide a venue for the critical engagement with ethnographic monographs as the principal mode of producing anthropological knowledge
5	Gain experience in the creation of anthropological knowledge as critical, comparative and reflexive

University Graduate Attributes

This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

University Graduate Attribute	Course Learning Outcome(s)
Knowledge and understanding of the content and techniques of a chosen discipline at advanced levels that are internationally recognised.	1, 2, 4
The ability to locate, analyse, evaluate and synthesise information from a wide variety of sources in a planned and timely manner.	3, 4
An ability to apply effective, creative and innovative solutions, both independently and cooperatively, to current and future problems.	2, 3, 4
An awareness of ethical, social and cultural issues within a global context and their importance in the exercise of professional skills and responsibilities.	1-5

Learning Resources

Online Learning

The course uses MyUni as an online resource for the following course materials:
• The Course Profile
• All lecture recordings and PowerPoint slides
• Recommended Resources: Critical Readings

Learning & Teaching Modes

Lectures supported by problem-solving seminars which develop material covered in lectures.

Workload

The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

1 x 1-hour lecture (or equivalent) per week	12 hours per semester
1 x 2-hour seminar (or equivalent) per week	24 hours per semester
5 hours reading per week	60 hours per semester
3 hours research per week	36 hours per semester
2 hours assessment preparation per week	24 hours per semester
TOTAL WORKLOAD	156 hours per semester

Learning Activities Summary

Schedule
Week 1	Introduction to the Course & Ethnography
Week 2	Ethnography in Method, Practice, and Prose
Week 3	Ethnography in Method, Practice, and Prose
Week 4	Phenomenology—Understanding experience
Week 5	Phenomenology—Understanding experience
Week 6	Phenomenology—Understanding experience
Week 7	Power, Knowledge, History
Week 8	Power, Knowledge, History
Week 9	Power, Knowledge, History
Week 10	Theory of Practice
Week 11	Theory of Practice
Week 12	Theory of Practice

Specific Course Requirements

Each student will be assigned one hour of fieldwork during the course.

The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
Assessment must maintain academic standards.

Assessment Summary

No information currently available.

Assessment Related Requirements

Students are required to attend all lectures and seminars, to read a total of four books, and to turn in a total of four assignments.

Assessment Detail

Participation: based on an assessment of course engagement and active participation in seminars. A core component of seminar program will be group work and presentations and students will
be assessed on their performance in these exercises - 10% weighting.

3 x Book Précis (1500 words): the aim of each précis is to provide an opportunity for students to demonstrate ability to analyse the elements of an ethnographic monograph and their critical
knowledge/understanding of major theoretical perspective in discipline of anthropology that has guided its construction. After the completion of the each of the three seminar units, a book précis is to be written and submitted for assessment by each student. Each book précis focuses
on the ethnographic monograph that the student has selected for that unit. At the completion of the course, each student will have submitted three book précis, one for each unit of the course - 22% weighting each (total 66%).

Participant Witnessing and Ethnographic Writing (1100-1200 words): students get an opportunity to apply what they have learned in reading about ethnography. The intention is to give them an appreciation for the practice of participant witnessing or participant observation and the joy/challenge of ethnographic writing - 24% weighting.

Submission

All assignments must be submitted online via MyUni

Course Grading

Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
Grade	Mark	Description
FNS		Fail No Submission
F	1-49	Fail
P	50-64	Pass
C	65-74	Credit
D	75-84	Distinction
HD	85-100	High Distinction
CN		Continuing
NFE		No Formal Examination
RP		Result Pending

Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

Student Feedback

The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.
Student Support
Policies & Guidelines
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Authorised by:	Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Academic)
Maintained by:	Course Outlines Administrator