Australian Indigenous Studies

Subject MULT10001 (2011)

Note: This is an archived Handbook entry from 2011.

Credit Points: 12.50
Level: 1 (Undergraduate)
Dates & Locations:

This subject is not offered in 2011.

Time Commitment: Contact Hours: Two 1-hour lectures and a 1-hour tutorial per week. The subject will also run optional screenings throughout the semester.
Total Time Commitment: 3 contact hours per week , 5 additional hours per week. Total of 8 hours per week.
Prerequisites: None.
Corequisites: None.
Recommended Background Knowledge: None.
Non Allowed Subjects: None.
Core Participation Requirements: For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Description, Subject Objectives, Generic Skills and Assessment Requirements of this entry.The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the disability support scheme can be found at the Disability Liaison Unit website: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/

Contact

Philip Morrissey philipjm@unimelb.edu.au
Subject Overview:

This subject will provide students with an introduction to the complexity, challenges and richness of Australian Indigenous life and cultures. Social and political issues will be considered through engagement with specific issues both local and national. Students will have the opportunity to understand Indigenous histories and apply disciplinary perspectives through the experience of Indigenous cultural forms which may include sport, fine arts and performances. Perspectives from disciplines and fields such as Art History, Politics, Criminology, Health Sciences, Cultural Studies and Linguistics will provide students with a multi-faceted introduction to Indigenous studies and Indigenous society. While maintaining focus on Australian Indigenous issues subject matter will sometimes be reframed so that students will have the opportunity to appreciate a larger context, and linkages and correspondences with related fields indicated. (For instance the colonisation of Australia might be considered in relation to processes of colonisation affecting other Indigenous peoples.)

Objectives:
  • have an awareness of the extent of the Indigenous presence in Australia and an understanding of the diverse histories of Aboriginal communities as well as commonalities.
  • have an appreciation of the range of Aboriginal political, cultural and intellectual responses to colonisation.
  • have an ability to analyse and critique popular discourses and representations of Aboriginals.
  • have an informed awareness of political, social, economic, cultural, and health issues as they relate to Aboriginal communities.
Assessment: A 10-minute tutorial presentation, including a 500 word written submission 10% (students allocated a date during semester), an essay of 500 words 10% (due early in semester), an essay of 1000 words 30% (due mid-semester) and an exam 50% (during the examination period). Students must attend a minimum of nine tutorials in order to qualify to have their written work assessed.
Prescribed Texts:

A subject reader will be available at the beginning of the semester. Students may have the opportunity to make site visits including sporting events, exhibitions or performances.

Breadth Options:

This subject potentially can be taken as a breadth subject component for the following courses:

You should visit learn more about breadth subjects and read the breadth requirements for your degree, and should discuss your choice with your student adviser, before deciding on your subjects.

Fees Information: Subject EFTSL, Level, Discipline & Census Date
Generic Skills:
  • be able to critically analyse and discuss a wide range of research materials through participation in class discussions, the reading of critical essays and the writing of class papers and essays.
  • acquire the capacity for independent and targeted research as a result of preparing a class presentation and writing of essays.
  • have the confidence to present and defend ideas and propositions as a result of seminar participation and presentation.
  • have the capacity for creative thinking through participation in discussions and the writing of essays that apply critical and theoretical ideas to the reading and interpretation of cultural signs and social formations.
  • have the capacity for lucid and logical argument as a result of careful essay planning and writing.
  • be competent in the use of library and other information sources such as on line websites and search engines through the researching and writing of essays that require the use of these resources.
  • have the ability to organise oneself and manage one's time efficiently and effectively through the successful completion of a class paper and a written essay by the due date.
Related Course(s): Bachelor of Arts (Extended)
Related Majors/Minors/Specialisations: Australian Indigenous Studies
Australian Indigenous Studies
Australian Indigenous Studies
Australian Indigenous Studies Major
Australian Studies Major
Interdisciplinary Foundation Subjects
Related Breadth Track(s): Australian Indigenous Studies

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