Drawing on models of collaborative ethnography and arts this course introduces students to storytelling as a collaborative method of cultural research as it applies to fields such as museum practice, anthropology, art and design. The course will use experiential project-based learning to guide students through a cycle of collaborative cultural research and production of a product for public display or dissemination. Beginning with a grounding in the influences and practices shaping ‘the collaborative turn’ across a broad range of disciplines, the course will support students to identify and design collaborative research and production processes, identify and address ethical issues and processes of feedback with collaborators, and complete and reflect upon a cycle of collaborative production of a cultural research product.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- identify and articulate a viable, collaborative cultural research project;
- synthesise and critically reflect upon factors impacting on collaborative practices in relevant discipline areas;
- describe and critically reflect upon the project's social, cultural and ethical dimensions;
- apply collaborative methodologies to data collection and production of research outputs; and
- realise, document and present a collaborative cultural research project.
Other Information
Please note this course involves a 3 day intensive which is completed before the commencement of semester (typically during orientation week, which is the week before semester commences) and subsequent 3-hour workshops either weekly or fortnightly.Indicative Assessment
- Project proposal and preparation of a variation to a Human Research Ethics Committee protocol - methodology & impact discussion (800 words) (10) [LO 1,2,3]
- Project documentation and critical reflection journal (1000 words) (20) [LO 2,3,4,5]
- Edited interview draft (1500 words) (20) [LO 4,5]
- Research Project and Display (2500 words) (50) [LO 1,4,5]
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
A total of 130 hours consisting of
a) 36 contact hours comprised of a 3-day intensive (21 hours) completed before the commencement of semester (typically during orientation week, which is the week before semester commences) and 5 x 3 hour workshops over the semester and
b) 94 hours of independent research, reading and project work by students.
Inherent Requirements
Not applicable
Requisite and Incompatibility
Prescribed Texts
Haviland, M. (2017). Side by Side? Community Art and the Challenge of Co-Creativity. London: Routledge.Preliminary Reading
Bishop, C. (2006). The Social Turn: Collaboration and its Discontents. Artforum.Breunlin, R., Himelstein, A., & Nelson, A. (2008). "Our Stories, Told By Us:" The Neighborhood Story Project in New Orleans. In R. Solinger, M. Fox, & K. Irani (Eds.), Telling Stories to Change the World (e-book edition ed.): Taylor & Francis; Routledge.
Haviland, M. (2017). Side by Side? Community Art and the Challenge of Co-Creativity. London: Routledge.
Lassiter, L. E. (2005). The Chicago Guide to Collaborative Ethnography. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Narayan, K. (2014). How Native Is a "Native" Anthropologists. In L. Laphere, H. Ragone, & P. Zavella (Eds.), Situated Lives (pp. 23-41): Taylor and Francis.
Sprague, Q. (2014). Collaborators: Third Party Transactions in Indigenous Contemporary Art. In I. Mclean (Ed.), Transculturation and Indigenous contemporary art: Cambridge Scholar Press.
Stout, N. (2014). Bootlegged: Unauthorized Circulation and the Dilemmas of Collaboration in the Digital Age. Visual Anthropology Review, 30(2), 177-187.
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
Commonwealth Support (CSP) Students
If you 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). More information about your student contribution amount for each course at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 14
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are a domestic graduate coursework student with a Domestic Tuition Fee (DTF) place or international student you will be required to pay course tuition fees (see below). Course tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found 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 |
|---|---|
| 2025 | $4320 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2025 | $6360 |
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.
First Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3580 | 23 Feb 2026 | 02 Mar 2026 | 31 Mar 2026 | 29 May 2026 | In Person | N/A |