Aboriginalities

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2016:

Total expected time commitment is 170 hours across the semester, including class time.

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100-181 Australian Indigenous Studies; MULT10001 Australian Indigenous Studies

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/

This subject will provide students with an introduction to the complexity, challenges and richness of Australian Indigenous life and cultures. Drawing on a wide range of diverse and dynamic guest lecturers, this subject gives students an opportunity to encounter Australian Indigenous knowledges, histories and experiences through interdisciplinary perspectives. Across three thematic blocks - Indigenous Knowledges, Social and Political Contexts and Representation/Self-Representation - this subject engages contemporary cultural and intellectual debate. Social and political contexts will be considered through engagement with specific issues and a focus on Indigenous cultural forms, which may include literature, music, fine arts, museum exhibitions and performance, will allow students to consider self-representation as a means by which to disrupt and expand perceptions of Aboriginality.

On completion of the subject students should have:

• demonstrated an informed awareness of the extent of the Indigenous presence in Australia and an understanding of the diverse histories of Aboriginal communities as well as commonalities;
• applied appropriate critical skills and methodologies to analyse and critique popular discourses and representations of Aboriginals;
• identified and engaged with common methods of research in the humanities and social sciences;
• approached critical debates in the humanities and social sciences with intellectual honesty, self-reflection and a respect for ethical scholarship;
• identified the strengths and weaknesses of scholarly arguments;
• communicated knowledge and arguments effectively in oral and written formats;
• worked effectively, in groups and independently, to identify, discuss and critically analyse key issues in the humanities and social sciences;

1. A 500 word bibliographic exercise 15% (due in week 5)
2. a 2000 word essay 45% (due in week 9)
3. and an Exam (1.5-hours, equivalent to 1500 words) 40% (during the examination period)

This subject has an attendance hurdle requirement of 75% tutorial attendance (9 out of 12 tutorials) and 100% skills workshop attendance (3 out of 3 skills workshops). Regular participation in tutorials is required. Assessment submitted late without an approved extension will be penalised at 10% per day. All pieces of written work must be submitted to pass this subject.

A subject reader will be available.

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

• Bachelor of Arts
• Bachelor of Biomedicine
• Bachelor of Commerce
• Bachelor of Environments
• Bachelor of Music
• Bachelor of Science
• Bachelor of Engineering

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.

Students successfully completing this subject will:

• be able to critically think and analyse through recommended reading, essay writing and tutorial discussion;
• be able to research through competent use of the library and other information sources, and the definition of areas of inquiry and methods of research;
• be able to engage with the methodologies of the humanities and social sciences;
• have gained critical self awareness, and be open to new ideas and possibilities through learning how to construct an argument;
• be able to communicate knowledge and arguments intelligibly and economically through essay writing and tutorial discussion;
• have the ability to assess the strength of an argument through recommended reading, essay writing and tutorial discussion;
• have gained time management and planning skills through managing and organising workloads for recommended reading, essay and assignment completion.