| Unit name | Human Challenges |
|---|---|
| Unit code | ARCH20073 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Professor. Jordan |
| 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:
This unit explores how a four-field anthropological perspective can enhance our understanding of some of the key global challenges faced by humanity today. Pressing human challenges will be addressed from different disciplinary perspectives, allowing students to examine the origins and history of contemporary crises and to consider the contrasting ways in which anthropologists and archaeologists understand and confront these problems. Developing his type of analytic framework is a core skill to the objectives of the programme.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study:
This unit forms part of the core Year 2 mandatory units that engages all four fields of anthropology and provides students with a platform to develop fundamental analytic skills that focus on case-based studies.
An overview of content
The world faces many “wicked problems”. Contemporary global issues such as the climate crisis, divisive political movements, and fast-paced technological change have joined long-standing human challenges such as health inequality, population and migration issues, cultural autonomy and heritage, and the challenges faced by everyday individuals such as disability and trauma. In Human Challenges, we will take different anthropological approaches to a range of pressing contemporary social issues. Aimed at equipping students with an appreciation of the different perspectives offered by the four fields of anthropology in the Department, we will help you make connections between topics and research methods. Specific topics and themes will change year on year, reflecting changing social and cultural challenges. Assessments will advance your understanding of the potential contribution of anthropology to tackle those challenges.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit
By gaining knowledge of a range of real-world case studies, students will be able to confidently articulate examples of the value of anthropology as a discipline. You will be able find and draw thematic links between different case studies and subfields of anthropology. You will learn to communicate anthropology’s broad scope, different methods, and contemporary value to society to members of the public. Finally, you will be exposed to the range of topics that academics in the department are researching, and make informed choices about your 3rd year dissertation.
On completion of this unit, a successful student should be able to:
1. Compare and contrast different anthropological perspectives on key issues.
2. Demonstrate a critical awareness of the origins and history of a range of contemporary challenges and the variety of ways in which human populations have responded to these in both the present and the past.
3. Conceptualise and articulate these challenges with reference to broad cross-cutting themes.
4. Assess the impact of cultural, biological, historical and environmental factors on different case studies.
5. Articulate the value of anthropology to society in both scholarly and public forms of communication.
You will have different types of learning opportunities on this course, depending on the case studies and research methodologies presented by different members of staff. Lectures will be accompanied by interactive reading seminars, discussions, film screenings and some practical sessions. There may be optional activities in Consolidation Week.
You will have a specific workshop on learning to communicate anthropology to the public.
Seminar and practical sessions will have exercises and discussions in which you will receive verbal feedback on communicating the value of anthropology.
You will have an opportunity to discuss your integrative essay plan with a member of the teaching team and receive verbal feedback.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
None
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
Public communication task (500 words, summative, 25%): Students will prepare a flyer (or similar) that communicates the value of anthropology to the public.
Integrative essay (2000 words, summative, 75%): Students will write an essay on a cross-cutting theme of the course.
When assessment does not go to plan
For both assessments, re-assessment will take the same form. However, students must discuss their submissions in advance with the Unit Director, who will approve the new topic/theme to avoid overlap with other submissions.
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. ARCH20073).
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.
