Cross-Cultural Assessment and Treatment

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/

This subject will examine a range of cultural objects, with various deterioration and preservation issues. Using participant-led discussion and teacher-led investigation, students will provide input from their particular cultural perspective as to possible best practice and effective treatment options for the longer term conservation of the object. Students will also learn to contextualise particular examples within broader knowledge-sharing principles that are central to cross-cultural conservation practices. Basic conservation treatment decision-making will be examined and this will require students to consider the complexity of intervention and the impact of cross-cultural decision making where senior knowledge may be cultural, academic or professional. Students will then undertake basic treatment of an object.

• Understand the role and value of cultural material as the basis for developing cross-cultural dialogue and understanding.
• Become familiar with selected methods of construction of cultural material and be able to extrapolate this knowledge to other materials and practices.
• Be able to identify problems with cultural materials and provide recommendations for care
• Identify and discuss materials under consideration in objects presented to class.
• Demonstrate best practice in the decision-making relevant to the treatment of cultural materials and associated heritage.
• Articulate complex cultural issues involved in the treatment of objects and associated heritage.

• Presentation (10 minutes with 5 minutes questions), due Day 2 (20%)
• Practical demonstration of assessment of cultural item for treatment (team project) (20 minutes), due Day 3 (20%)
• Oral and visual examination (30 minutes - ten questions), held Day 5 (30%)
• Workbook (hurdle requirement - no word limit), to be completed daily and handed in one week after completion of teaching period (hurdle)
• Completed treatment of an object including relevant paperwork (1000 words or 10 minutes media presenatation, 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.
• Ability to contextualise complex knowledge and synthesis this into rigorous documentation and effective communication.
• Ability to understanding how value and significance are assigned within other cultures, and that is transferable to other leaning environments (including in other cultures or other education and research programs).
• Contribute to debates about culture and its significance.