| Unit name | Big Ideas in Anthropology |
|---|---|
| Unit code | ARCH10012 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | C/4 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Adom Philogene Heron |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | Department of Anthropology and Archaeology |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
Why is this unit important?
The course addresses key “big ideas” which have shaped and defined the discipline of Anthropology.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
Taking a topic-based approach, we trace the conceptual development of Anthropology from its early days to contemporary thinking, attending to key approaches, methods, and debates. Engaging directly with the original texts that have shaped anthropology, we trace how the discipline’s founding mothers and fathers and subsequent prominent thinkers have devised, developed, and questioned anthropological theories and practices.
This unit therefore aims to:
An overview of content:
Anthropology is a broad discipline that covers multiple lines of thought and method. This unit addresses some of those ideas and introduces students to one of anthropology’s key aspects: reflexivity – the examination of our own practices, assumptions, and theoretical positions within our own disciplinary framework. This course addresses key “Big Ideas” which have shaped and continue to define the discipline of anthropology. Taking a topic-based approach, we trace the conceptual development of key ideas in anthropology and start critiquing attempts to apply them to the world around us.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit what you know, how you think and what you can do:
This unit will introduce students to key ideas, theories, and debates that have shaped the discipline. The unit has a focus on understanding of the history and development of anthropology and introduces the discipline’s founding academics and subsequent prominent thinkers. Students will be able to relate historical debates and ideas to contemporary anthropological thinking and writing and develop a toolkit of methods and theories for anthropological thinking.
Learning Outcomes:
Weekly Lectures
Fortnightly seminars
Weekly Asynchronous Activities
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
Tasks which do not count towards your unit mark but are required for
credit (zero-weighted):
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
When assessment does not go to plan:
When required by the Board of Examiners, you will normally complete reassessments in the same formats as those outlined above. However, the Board reserves the right to modify the form or number of reassessments required. Details of reassessments are normally confirmed by the School shortly after the notification of your results at the end of the academic year.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. ARCH10012).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
