Despite full citizenship, the expenditure of much money and effort and twenty-five years of benign government policies, the material circumstances of many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have remained poor by all the standard social indicators. Their life circumstances are often a shock to those who have not seen them before and for those familiar with them the problems can seem intractable. In this course we will explore why it is so difficult to improve these circumstances by examining a range of theoretical and social issues relevant to a sociological analysis of the diversity and complexity of the surviving indigenous social orders and their location within the state.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
By participating fully in this course you should expect the following out comes:
- An understanding of the public debates and reporting of issues in Indigenous affairs in Australia and an ability to deconstruct them
- An understanding of the nature of the diverse Indigenous social orders in Australia
- An understanding of the anthropological debates around the concepts of culture and tradition and how these relate to Indigenous affairs
- An understanding of the complexities of policy making in this area and why achieving positive outcomes is often difficult
- An understanding of the nature of the Australian state and its significance for understanding Indigenous affairs
Indicative Assessment
Tutorial attendance and participation (15%), 1000 word Tutorial Essay (35%) and a 2000 word Main Essay (50%).
In response to COVID-19: Please note that Semester 2 Class Summary information (available under the classes tab) is as up to date as possible. Changes to Class Summaries not captured by this publication will be available to enrolled students via Wattle.
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
Musharbash, Y.Yuendumu everyday, Aboriginal Studies Press, Canberra, 2008.
Neill, R. White out: how politics is killing black Australia, Sydney: Allen and Unwin, 2002.
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 |
|---|---|
| 2020 | $3120 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2020 | $4800 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3375 | 24 Feb 2020 | 02 Mar 2020 | 08 May 2020 | 05 Jun 2020 | In Person | N/A |
