Precolonial Aboriginal cultures have long been seen as the social, economic and ecological prototype of the hunting and gathering way of life. The aim of this course is to convey a basic understanding of their customary or ‘traditional’ Aboriginal practices and beliefs as they were at the threshold of colonisation. Exploring these issues also means exploring the intellectual struggle Europeans have had to come to terms with Aboriginal societies and cultures, understanding why Aboriginal social and cultural practices captured the European imagination, and how they became so significant in European intellectual history and the production of European social theory.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
By participating fully in this course you should expect the following outcomes:
- An understanding of why Aboriginal societies and cultures have been so important in the history of European social theory
- A knowledge of the diversity of Indigenous societies and cultures prior to colonisation
- An understanding of the basic features of Indigenous economic, social and religious life and their interrelationship
- An appreciation of some fundamental concepts in anthropology and the debates around them
- An ability to assess much of the public discourse around Aboriginal culture
- Insight into the nature of the human condition
Indicative Assessment
Tutorial assessment (15%), tutorial essay (25%) and 2000 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
*Hart, C.W.M. and Pilling, A.R. The Tiwi of North Australia, Holt, 1965.
*Tonkinson, R. The Mardudjara Aborigines, Holt, 1978.
*Poirier, S. A. World of Relationships: Itineraries, Dreams, And Events in the Australian Western Desert, University of Toronto Press, 2005.
Majors
Minors
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. Tuition fees are indexed annually. 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 |
|---|---|
| 2017 | $2856 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2017 | $4080 |
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.
First Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4392 | 20 Feb 2017 | 27 Feb 2017 | 31 Mar 2017 | 26 May 2017 | In Person | N/A |
