Precolonial Aboriginal cultures have long been seen as the social, economic and ecological prototype of the hunting and gathering way of life. The aim of this course is to convey a basic understanding of their customary or ‘traditional’ Aboriginal practices and beliefs as they were at the threshold of colonisation. Exploring these issues also means exploring the intellectual struggle Europeans have had to come to terms with Aboriginal societies and cultures, understanding why Aboriginal social and cultural practices captured the European imagination, and how they became so significant in European intellectual history and the production of European social theory.
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:- Understand why Aboriginal societies and cultures have been so important in the history of European social theory;
- Critically discuss the diversity of indigenous societies and cultures prior to colonisation;
- Describe the core features of Indigenous economic, social and religious life and their interrelationship;
- Relate Australian ethnography to fundamental concepts in anthropology and the debates around them; and
- Better assess much of the public discourse around Aboriginal culture.
Indicative Assessment
Essay, 3500 words (40%) Learning outcomes 3-5Tutorial PowerPoint Presentation, 10 mins (20%) Learning outcomes 1-5
Mini Essays x 5, 600 words each (8% each for a total of 40%) Learning outcomes 1-5
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Workload
130 hours of total student learning time made up from:a) 36 hours of contact over 12 weeks: 24 hours of lectures and 12 hours of workshop and workshop-like activities; and
b) 94 hours of independent student research, reading and writing
Requisite and Incompatibility
Specialisations
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8395 | 27 Jul 2020 | 03 Aug 2020 | 31 Aug 2020 | 30 Oct 2020 | In Person | N/A |