This 2000 level course provides an introductory overview to the field of heritage and museum studies and explores some of the conceptual, political and ethical issues faced by those working within and researching in the area of heritage and museums. The course questions dominant perceptions that heritage is simply about the collection and management of artifacts, sites and monuments and challenges students to engage with understanding heritage as an area of cultural and political practice. Students are introduced to the key intellectual frameworks that allow us to understand heritage as a form of cultural practice, while each week students are introduced to particular issues or ‘problems’ that heritage represents and are encouraged to explore and debate their meanings, consequences and, where relevant, their resolutions. This is the core course for the minor area of study in heritage and museum studies and will lay the foundation of some of the conceptual, political and ethical issues that will be explored in more depth in other subjects of the minor. It will also provide a critical framework for understanding and assessing heritage and museum practices that will be explored in the practice based courses within the minor.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- critically analyse the concept of 'heritage' and of the range of tangible and non-tangible associations that the term may have both within Australia and internationally;
- outline the history and development of the concept of heritage in contemporary society;
- analyse the role heritage and museums play in the formation, maintenance and negotiation of a range of identities and historical and cultural narratives at both national and subnational levels;
- critique the role heritage and museums play in the processes of remembering, forgetting and commemoration;
- analyse the various ways the concept of heritage is utilised in heritage interpretation, education, the media and tourism; and
- identify and analyse the consequences heritage has in political conflict and the role that heritage and museum experts play in the mediation of such conflict.
Indicative Assessment
- Student led discussion/tutorial participation (10) [LO 1,2,3,4,5,6]
- Tutorial paper 1,000 (20) [LO 1,2]
- Minor essay 1,500 (25) [LO 3,4]
- Major essay 2,500 (45) [LO 5,6]
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
130 hours of total student learning time made up from: a) 36 hours of contact over 12 weeks: 24 hours of lectures and 12 hours of tutorials; and b) 94 hours of independent student research, reading and writing.Inherent Requirements
Not applicable
Requisite and Incompatibility
Prescribed Texts
Harrison, R. (ed) (2010) Understanding the Politics of Heritage,Manchester University Press.Smith, L. (2006) Uses of Heritage, London: Routledge.
Assumed Knowledge
This course does not assume any prior knowledge with heritage and museum studies.Minors
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 |
|---|---|
| 2024 | $4080 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2024 | $5280 |
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.
Second Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7300 | 21 Jul 2025 | 28 Jul 2025 | 31 Aug 2025 | 24 Oct 2025 | In Person | N/A |
