Anthropology as a discipline is distinguished by its use of ethnography, the intense, intimate study of a small section of human society. This method brings with it both advantages and challenges. It allows anthropologists (and, by extension, their readers, project teams, and employers) to look into human motivations, concerns, hopes, and joys – in short, to see the fine detail of life behind the numbers of government reports, economic trends, opinion polls, and other statistics. At the same time, there is an intimate relationship between researcher and researched (individuals called informants, collaborators, partners, and often friends) that does not always exist in other fields. This course will chart the emergence of anthropology as a fieldwork science, and the changing features of ethnographic practice over 100 years of disciplinary history. We then engage with emerging trends and theories related to new fieldwork contexts like corporate and design applications, and digital anthropology.
Over the course of the semester we will survey and apply a broad range of anthropological methods. This course is structured as a practicum, emphasizing learning by doing. Each student will develop one project for the whole semester. Practicums will involve trialling, sharing, debating, and brainstorming applied anthropology in real world contexts.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
Upon successful completion of this course, students will have the knowledge and skills to:- discuss and critically evaluate the history and significance of ethnography within anthropological research methods;
- identify and formulate original anthropological questions as the basis for a range of fieldwork scenarios;
- draw upon and apply a broad array of anthropological research methods to an independent ethnographic project; and
- evaluate research design and develop advanced skills in communicating ethnographic findings to diverse audiences.
Indicative Assessment
Practicum portfolio (2,000 words) , 25% (LO 2,3)Infographic (500 words), 10% (LO 1)
Four applied projects (750 words each) 10% each, total 40% (LO 3,4)
15 minute presentation, 10% (LO 3,4)
Final reflective essay (1000 words), 15% (LO 1,2,4)
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Workload
130 hours of total student learning time made up from:a) 36 hours of contact over 12 weeks: 12 hours of lectures and 24 hours of hands-on practical; and
b) 94 hours of independent student research, reading and writing including 1 hour per week of service based learning.
Requisite and Incompatibility
Preliminary Reading
Ingold, Tim. "That's enough about ethnography!." HAU: Journal of Ethnographic Theory 4.1 (2014): 383-395.Duneier, Mitchell. “Race and Peeing on Sixth Avenue,” in Twine, France Winddance, and Jonathan W. Warren, eds. Racing research, researching race: Methodological dilemmas in critical race studies. NYU Press, 2000. Pp. 215-226
Nardi, Bonnie. "When Fieldnotes Seem to Write Themselves: Ethnography Online." EFieldnotes: The Makings of Anthropology in the Digital World (2015): 192-209.
Minkler, Meredith. "Community-based research partnerships: challenges and opportunities." Journal of Urban Health 82 (2005): ii3-ii12.
Sangster, Joan. "Telling our stories: Feminist debates and the use of oral history." Women's History Review 3.1 (1994): 5-28.
Ruby, Jay. "Researching with a Camera: The Anthropologist as Picture Taker." Picturing Culture. Explorations of Film and Anthropology (2000): 41-66.
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
If you are a domestic graduate coursework or international student you will be required to pay tuition fees. Tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 1
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are an undergraduate student and have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). You can find your student contribution amount for each course at Fees. Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2019 | $3360 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2019 | $5160 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
Second Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9345 | 22 Jul 2019 | 29 Jul 2019 | 31 Aug 2019 | 25 Oct 2019 | In Person | N/A |