Few regions of the world can match Melanesia in the diversity and richness of the cultures it encompasses. This course, through a mixture of general characterisations and intensive study of particular contexts, seeks to provide students with an understanding of the range of cultures found in Melanesia. We will also consider just what that variation encompasses in terms of subsistence, exchange, social organisation, cosmology, conceptions of personhood and historical transformations. The region has also been a crucial part of the theoretical developments within the discipline of anthropology. Not only does the course aim to give the student a deeper appreciation of the various peoples who live so close to Australia, but it also highlights the debates that the ethnography of Melanesia has given rise to and the contributions these have made to the broader field of anthropology.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
By the end of the course you should be able to:
- Appreciate the unique diversity of cultural forms in Melanesia in relation to their various histories.
- Give an account of the importance of New Guinea within the broader anthropology of Melanesia and appreciate the place of the region in theoretical debates within anthropology.
- Grasp the continuities spanning pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial Melanesian life-worlds and their role in the current dynamics of the region.
- Appreciate the issues involved in using essentialising categories in a region with such a rich, dynamic history.
- Appriciate an instance of the subtle interaction between feminist theory and regional ethnography.
Other Information
This course may be counted towards an Anthropology or Development Studies major.
Indicative Assessment
Article abstract (15%), short tutorial paper (25%) and 2500-word essay (60%).
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
2 hours of lectures and one hour of tutorial per week
Requisite and Incompatibility
Preliminary Reading
*Brookfield, H.C. and Hart, D. Melanesia: a geographical interpretation of an island world, Methuen, 1971.
*Chowning, A. An Introduction to the Peoples and Cultures of Melanesia, Addison-Wesley, 1977.
Majors
Minors
Specialisations
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
If you are a domestic graduate coursework or international student you will be required to pay tuition fees. Students continuing in their current program of study will have their tuition fees indexed annually from the year in which you commenced your program. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 1
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are an undergraduate student and 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). You can find your student contribution amount for each course 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 | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1994-2003 | $1164 | |
| 2014 | $2478 | |
| 2013 | $2472 | |
| 2012 | $2472 | |
| 2011 | $2424 | |
| 2010 | $2358 | |
| 2009 | $2286 | |
| 2008 | $2286 | |
| 2007 | $2286 | |
| 2006 | $2286 | |
| 2005 | $2286 | |
| 2004 | $1926 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 1994-2003 | $2574 |
| 2014 | $3246 |
| 2013 | $3240 |
| 2012 | $3240 |
| 2011 | $3240 |
| 2010 | $3240 |
| 2009 | $3240 |
| 2008 | $3240 |
| 2007 | $3132 |
| 2006 | $3132 |
| 2005 | $3132 |
| 2004 | $2916 |
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.