This seminar is part of the “special topics” curriculum and offers an in-depth exploration of specific themes and research methodologies aligned with the expertise of the faculty member leading the course (subject to regular rotation). Each offering of this seminar will focus on a different ethnographic and theoretical problem at the forefront of the discipline, providing students with a unique opportunity to engage in high-level thinking, collaborate with faculty, and contribute to research projects rooted in ethnographic methods and writing.

It is important to note that the course content and structure will be reshaped and adapted for each offering based on the expertise and research agenda of the faculty member leading the seminar. The format, assessment structure, reading list, and schedule will be updated to align with the specific theme and research area of the “special topic.” This seminar provides an unparalleled opportunity for students to engage with cutting-edge research.

Special topics might include the following:

• Multispecies ethnography
• Graphic ethnography: anthropology and comics
• Xenophobia
• Linguistic anthropology
• Anthropology underground
• Pirate cultures
• illiberalism

Topic for Winter Session 2025:

Illiberal Worlds: Anthropological Responses to the Rise of Far Right and Extremist Movements

In recent years societies across the world have been confronted with a steep rise in far-right and authoritarian movements. In the wake of the pandemic, and amidst rising social inequality, reactionary anti-cosmopolitan and anti-liberal ideologies are spreading like wildfire, leading to the increased destabilisation of liberal democratic principles. While media outlets and scholars have written much about right-wing political party strategies, not much is known about the lifeworlds of the ordinary people propelling this shift. Anthropology has a history of solidarising with the struggles of their often-marginalised interlocutors. With few exceptions, anthropologists have therefore long been reluctant to study ideologies they could not empathise with. Yet, in recent years, anthropologists have woken up to the fact that they can no longer afford to ignore the rise of authoritarian movements. In this course we will look at some of these recent anthropological works and tackle the question in how far an anthropological focus on the social worlds of the supporters of exclusionary ideas can contribute to a better understanding of the increased polarisation of the public sphere. How do anthropologists go about studying exclusionary and extremist groups, such as far-right activists, neo-Nazis or the proponents of conspiracy theories? What are the ethical and methodological difficulties involved in studying radical positions that might be diametrically opposed to anthropologists’ own views? And what can ethnographically driven research on illiberal lifeworlds reveal about the state of important tropes underlying modern democracies, such as truth, free speech, openness and participation?

To create a space for in-depth exchange and collaboration, the course will be run as an intensive. Interactive and team-based learning methods will encourage students to switch their roles from passive recipients of knowledge to becoming active co-creators of the course's shape and content. The first three sessions of the course will be dedicated to reading and discussing key concepts and ideas from the anthropology of populism as well as the historical contextualization of contemporary forms of illiberalism. Having established a robust critical analytical framework, the second half of the course will be dedicated to case studies of illiberal lifeworlds from across the world. Based on students' interests, these ethnographic examples will shed light on the everyday micropolitics of exclusionary ideas and practices and highlight the complex social and cultural processes they involve.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. engage advanced analytical skills in critically examining and evaluating dynamics of social transformation and change;
2. collaborate effectively with faculty and fellow students to contribute to the development and prototyping of a new research agenda within the field of anthropology;
3. develop a critical and reflexive approach to understanding the complexities and challenges associated with the “special topic”. Engage in thoughtful analysis and evaluation of theoretical perspectives, empirical evidence, and ethical considerations as you develop new fields of inquiry; and
4. communicate research findings, arguments, and theoretical concepts effectively through advanced writing skills in anthropology.

Research-Led Teaching

This course is research-led in that it will be based on case studies around the themes of labour, ecology, collapse, and crisis. It will also draw on the instructor's research expertise in studying environmental crises and multispecies relationships, the sociopolitical life of technology and science, and the politics of non-human labour.

Field Trips

Not applicable

Additional Course Costs

Not applicable

Examination Material or equipment

None needed.

Required Resources

The essential readings are on Canvas: readings are updated according to topics from relevant journals and book chapters.

Recommended Resources

Whether you are on campus or studying online, there are a variety of online platforms you will use to participate in your study program. These could include videos for lectures and other instruction, two-way video conferencing for interactive learning, email and other messaging tools for communication, interactive web apps for formative and collaborative activities, print and/or photo/scan for handwritten work and drawings, and home-based assessment.

ANU outlines recommended student system requirements to ensure you are able to participate fully in your learning. Other information is also available about the various Learning Platforms you may use.

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• written comments
• verbal comments
• feedback to whole class, groups, individuals, focus group etc

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). Feedback can also be provided to Course Conveners and teachers via the Student Experience of Learning & Teaching (SELT) feedback program. SELT surveys are confidential and also provide the Colleges and ANU Executive with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Introduction	2-hour seminar
2	What Counts as Work?	3-hour seminar
3	Labouring Bodies	3-hour seminar
4	This Logistical Life	3-hour seminar
5	The Politics of Endurance	3-hour seminar
6	Audit Cultures and the Corporate University	3-hour seminar
7	Film Screening	3-hour seminar
8	Exhausted Ecologies	3-hour seminar
9	Self-Devouring Growth	3-hour seminar
10	Hope and the Politics of Stuckedness	3-hour seminar
11	Beyond Burnout	3-hour seminar
12	Final Thoughts	3-hour seminar

Tutorial Registration

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.

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value
1. Reading and Collaborative Annotation (20%)	20 %
2. Leading the Seminar (20%)	20 %
3. Moderating the Discussion (20%)	20 %
4. Final Assignment (30%)	30 %
Seminar Participation (10%)	10 %

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines , which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Integrity Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Extenuating Circumstances Application
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure
• Code of practice for teaching and learning

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using 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. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the Academic Skills website. In rare cases where online submission using Turnitin software is not technically possible; or where not using Turnitin software has been justified by the Course Convener and approved by the Associate Dean (Education) on the basis of the teaching model being employed; students shall submit assessment online via ‘Canvas’ outside of Turnitin, or failing that in hard copy, or through a combination of submission methods as approved by the Associate Dean (Education). The submission method is detailed below.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Participation

This is a discussion-based course, and your active participation is essential. Good participation does not simply mean speaking often. It means listening carefully to others, responding thoughtfully to their ideas, asking questions, and helping to build a productive intellectual conversation.

Students are expected to attend regularly, complete the readings, and contribute respectfully throughout the semester.

Worth 10%

Examination(s)

None.

Assessment Task 1

1. Reading and Collaborative Annotation (20%)

Reading is often imagined as a solitary activity, but we will approach it as a collective act. Throughout the semester, we will use Hypothesis, a collaborative annotation platform that allows us to read and comment on texts together before we meet in class. The goal is to begin our conversations while we are reading, rather than waiting until the seminar.

Before each class, you are expected to complete the assigned reading and contribute thoughtful annotations using Hypothesis. Annotations may include observations, questions, connections to previous readings, points of confusion, or passages that you find particularly significant. For each reading, you should identify at least one passage that you think is central to the author's argument and pose at least one discussion question for the seminar. These should be included as part of your annotations.

The aim is not simply to demonstrate that you have completed the reading, but to engage critically with it and contribute to a shared conversation that will shape our seminar discussion.

Assessment Task 2

2. Leading the Seminar (20%)

Each student will lead one seminar discussion during the semester. If we have higher numbers, we may do this in pairs.

Discussion leadership can take many forms. You may organize close readings of particular passages, small-group discussions, debates, collaborative exercises, or other activities that encourage sustained engagement with the text. Creativity is encouraged, provided that the discussion remains grounded in the week's readings.

Before class, you may review your classmates' Hypothesis annotations to identify recurring themes, questions, and points of disagreement. Your role is not to lecture or summarize the reading, but to help the class think together about its central arguments and implications.

Assessment Task 3

3. Moderating the Discussion (20%)

While one student leads the seminar discussion, you will act as the discussion moderator.

Rather than directing the conversation, your role is to observe it carefully. Pay attention to the questions that emerge, the concepts students struggle with, disagreements that arise, and unexpected connections that develop. Your task is to capture the intellectual work of the seminar as it unfolds.

Following the class, you will submit a short reflection of 300–400 words. This should not summarize the discussion. Instead, it should identify one or two key concepts or debates that emerged during the seminar, reflect on why they mattered, and consider how they extend or complicate the week's readings.

Assessment Task 4

4. Final Assignment (30%)

For the final assessment, you will build on the readings from one week of the course by placing them in conversation with two additional sources of your own choosing.

One of these sources must be a scholarly work (for example, a journal article or book chapter). The second source is deliberately open-ended. It might be a film, documentary, work of art, novel, comic or graphic novel, podcast, exhibition, performance, piece of music, or another cultural text that helps illuminate, challenge, or extend the themes of the week's readings.

Your task is not simply to summarize these materials, but to curate an intellectual conversation between them. What new questions emerge when these works are read together? How do they deepen, complicate, or contest the arguments made in the course? You are encouraged to be imaginative in your choice of materials while remaining analytically rigorous in the connections you draw. The format is open-- you can use this assignment as a way to creatively explore media -- with the aim that the resulting work should be equal to a 2000-2500 word essay.

Further details on the format and length of this assignment will be provided during the semester.

Assessment Task 5

Seminar Participation (10%)

This is a discussion-based course, and your active participation is essential. Good participation does not simply mean speaking often. It means listening carefully to others, responding thoughtfully to their ideas, asking questions, and helping to build a productive intellectual conversation.

Students are expected to attend regularly, complete the readings, and contribute respectfully throughout the semester.

Worth 10%

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of the ANU culture as a community of scholars. The University’s students are an integral part of that community. The academic integrity principle commits all students to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support, academic integrity, and to uphold this commitment by behaving honestly, responsibly and ethically, and with respect and fairness, in scholarly practice.

The University expects all staff and students to be familiar with the academic integrity principle, the Academic Integrity Rule 2021, the Policy: Student Academic Integrity and Procedure: Student Academic Integrity, and to uphold high standards of academic integrity to ensure the quality and value of our qualifications.

The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 is a legal document that the University uses to promote academic integrity, and manage breaches of the academic integrity principle. The Policy and Procedure support the Rule by outlining overarching principles, responsibilities and processes. The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 commences on 1 December 2021 and applies to courses commencing on or after that date, as well as to research conduct occurring on or after that date. Prior to this, the Academic Misconduct Rule 2015 applies.

 

The University commits to assisting all students to understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. All coursework students must complete the online Academic Integrity Module (Epigeum), and Higher Degree Research (HDR) students are required to complete research integrity training. The Academic Integrity website provides information about services available to assist students with their assignments, examinations and other learning activities, as well as understanding and upholding academic integrity.

Online Submission

You will be required to electronically sign a declaration as part of the submission of your assignment. Please keep a copy of the assignment for your records. Unless an exemption has been approved by the Associate Dean (Education) submission must be through Turnitin.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Late Submission

Individual assessment tasks may or may not allow for late submission. Policy regarding late submission is detailed below:

• Late submission not permitted. If submission of assessment tasks without an extension after the due date is not permitted, a mark of 0 will be awarded.
• Late submission permitted. Late submission of assessment tasks without an extension are penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted after 10 working days after the due date, or on or after the date specified in the course outline for the return of the assessment item. Late submission is not accepted for take-home examinations.

Referencing Requirements

The Academic Skills website has information to assist you with your writing and assessments. The website includes information about Academic Integrity including referencing requirements for different disciplines. There is also information on Plagiarism and different ways to use source material. Any use of artificial intelligence must be properly referenced. Failure to properly cite use of Generative AI will be considered a breach of academic integrity.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure. Extensions may be granted for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information.
In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service – including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy.
If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes.

Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Accessibility for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents all ANU students