Issues in Cross-Cultural Preservation

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2016:

170 hours

To enrol in this subject, you must be admitted in the Specialist Certificate in Cross Cultural Conservation and Heritage (SC-CCCH) . This subject is not available for students admitted in any other courses.

For the purposes of considering requests for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Objectives, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this course are encouraged to discuss this matter with the Student Equity and Disability Support Team: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/

Issues in Cross-Cultural Preservation provides students with knowledge and practical skills to contribute to the preservation of cultural material in their own and other cultures, informed by strong cross-cultural understanding, engagement and respect. This knowledge also enables students to respond to broader issues of cultural significance and cultural responsibility as practiced within cultures and as required when working across cultures. Knowledge in these areas will be built through an articulated delivery, which examines the history of cultural engagement in the region, current community and professional practices that support cultural preservation, the use of technological bases to support cross-cultural engagement and cultural preservation, and the deterioration mechanisms that are of concern within different cultures. Students will obtain a strong grounding in understanding the development, technology and threats to cultural material, and will build knowledge in cultural material and heritage preservation management, occupational health and safety, identification and documentation, professional and senior knowledge relating to cultural preservation and preservation processes, and disaster risks and responses. This subject will be taught as an intensive with some material available online and the opportunity for industry placement in the student’s area of interest.

• Define role and the impact of cultural preservation on the wellbeing of communities.
• Contextualise protocols and conventions relevant to cross-cultural engagement, in particular as reflected in enquiry relating to cultural materials.
• Reflect on community sensitivities, cultural contexts and community needs.
• Demonstrate a thorough understanding of conservation principles, ethics and methods across a range of cultural practices and communities.
• Develop strong collaborative and communication skills within a multicultural and multidisciplinary team.

• Presentation (10 minutes with 5 minutes questions), due Day 2 (20%)
• Practical demonstration of preservation assessment and documentation (team project) (20 minutes), due Day 3 (20%)
• Oral and visual examination (30 minutes - 10 questions), held Day 5 (30%)
• Workbook to be completed each day (hurdle requirement - no word limit), to be completed daily and handed in one week after completion of teaching period (hurdle)
• Issues paper/essay/media presentation (1000 words or 10 minutes media presentation, or equivalent combination), to be completed one month after completion of teaching period (30%)

A subject reader will be available in the pre-teaching period.

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

• Develop strong research and research production skills that reflect complex cross-cultural decision-making.
• Understand and articulate the value of cross-cultural engagement in education and community development.
• Ability to contextualise complex knowledge and synthesise this into rigorous documentation and effective communication.
• Ability to understanding how value and significance are assigned within other cultures that is transferable to other learning environments (including in other cultures or other education and research programs).
• Contribute to debates about culture and its significance.