Course coordinator
Dr Richard Martin
Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 2, 2025 (28/07/2025 - 22/11/2025)
- Study level
- Undergraduate
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Social Science School
Anthropologists are experts in the 'how' of human diversity and anthropological insights into the infinite range of human experiences matter for understanding the world today. This course provides an introduction to anthropological approaches to knowing, focussing on questions of how humans make society and culture, and why this matters. Students are introduced to the diverse components of anthropology and also get to do what anthropologists do: practicing our hallmark methods of fieldwork and participant observation, and learning how to analyse and write about the fieldwork data. Specific topics in the discipline are practised by students through undertaking research 'at home'.
This course provides an introduction to anthropology, focusing on how humans make society and why culture matters. By taking this course, you will learn about underlying principles of anthropology which have informed the study of societies around the world, and look at case studies addressing the growing popularity of psychotherapy in China, the complexities of kinship in East Africa, the practice of ritual in India, the magic of capitalism in Switzerland, and the mysteries of translation in Hollywood, USA. Students will also learn how to apply the insights of anthropology in fields like medicine and health, Indigenous native title and cultural heritage protection, the social impacts of mining, and business development and human-centred design. ﾠ
The course involves a combination of weekly lectures and tutorials. Each week, there will be also be film, media content, and articles to read, as well as exercises in field research and writing practice in response to topical material.ﾠ
Research and academic writing skills specific to the discipline are taught in this course and assessment includes practical work in listening and observing real world situations, as well as reflecting on social and cultural worlds. Consult 'Learning Activities' for more information, and keep up-to-date during the semester by regularly monitoring email and Blackboard to get the most from this course.
Course requirements
Assumed background
An interest in the topics of the course is all that is needed.
Incompatible
You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:
ANTH7029
Course contact
School enquiries
Student Enquiries School of Social Science
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Additional timetable information
The course will provide weekly lectures, and students may be asked to engage with film or other media content. The tutorials will be face-to-face on campus, providing an intensive workshopping of ideas and skills needed to complete the course. Consult 'Learning Activities' for more information, and keep up to date during semester by regularly monitoring email and Blackboard.
Please refer to My Timetable for the most up-to-date timetable information.
Aims and outcomes
Introduction to Anthropology (ANTH1008) aims to:
- help you develop a basic understanding of the fundamentals of anthropology, its key concepts, its areas of substantive interests, its practice and outcomes;
- help you develop an appreciation ofﾠhuman cultural and social diversityﾠthrough time and space and why such an understanding matters;
- give you the ability to apply an anthropological perspective to the understanding of the cultural and social worlds humans live in, both locally and globally; and
- help you to develop your critical thinking abilities and academic skills.
Our approach to the course places emphasis on you as an active learner rather than as a passive recipient of knowledge.ﾠ
Active involvement requires that you read assigned texts, reflect critically on what you have read,
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
A well-founded understanding of anthropology, in particular how it relates to and differs from other disciplines and contributes to understanding the diversity of human worlds.
LO2.
The ability to apply ethically informed and critical analysis in responses to contemporary problems and in the interests of fairness, equality and inclusivity.
LO3.
The skills to collect, organise and analyse sociocultural research including that drawing from the anthropological literature and that resulting from original research.
LO4.
Proficiency and fluency in oral and written communication that conveys knowledge, ideas and complex questions about social relationships and human culture.
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation | Reading Anthropology | 15% |
2pm 15/08/2025 2pm 22/08/2025 2pm 29/08/2025 |
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation | Writing Anthropology | 15% |
19/09/2025 2:00 pm |
| Essay/ Critique | Doing Anthropology | 40% |
31/10/2025 2:00 pm |
| Examination |
Exam
|
30% |
End of Semester Exam Period 8/11/2025 - 22/11/2025 |
Assessment details
Reading Anthropology
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 15%
- Due date
2pm 15/08/2025
2pm 22/08/2025
2pm 29/08/2025
- Learning outcomes
- L02, L03, L04
Task description
This assessment is made up of 3 smaller components worth 5% each, and is focused on helping you develop your academic reading comprehension and writing skills, including how to summarise research. During the tutorials and via Blackboard, you will be provided with detailed instructions and guidance on how to complete them. The components include 3 article summaries, to be submitted via TurnitIn:
Reading Anthropology article summary 1 of Martin (Martin, Richard. 2024. Compensation for Cultural Loss in Indigenous Australia. Anthropology Today 40(3): 3-6. Available at: https://rai.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1467-8322.12890, due 15/8 at 2 p.m.
Reading Anthropology article summary 2 of Sutton (Sutton, D. 2018. Arrival: Anthropology in Hollywood. Anthropology Today 34(1): 7–10), due 22/8 at 2 p.m.
Reading Anthropology article summary 3 of Andersen (Andersen, Barbara. 2015. Style and self-making: String bag production in the Papua New Guinea Highlands. Anthropology Today 31(5): 16-20. Available at: https://rai.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1467-8322.12200, due 29/8 at 2 p.m.
Summaries should be 200 words maximum and must discuss the following:
* What is the key question, aim, or argument of the article? (You can use a quote from the article for this.)
* What kind of research did the author do to answer the question/aim?
* How does the author engage with anthropological concepts or debates?
Make sure you correctly reference the article in your summary using APA 7 style (UQ Library Guide ; APA 7 Quick Reference Guide).
All written assessment pieces must include a title, your full name, student number, page numbers, Times New Roman 12pt font, and double-line spacing.
Marking criteria and/or marking rubrics are available in the ‘Assessment’ folder in Blackboard for this course.
Please note that, if using AI, you should include a fulsome statement of the extent to which you have drawn on it. Please further note that fabrication or misrepresentation of sources will result in an automatic fail grade for this assessment, regardless of performance in other criteria. This includes but is not limited to: citing non-existent sources or attributing false quotes to real sources. Such issues demonstrate failure to meet the core learning outcomes for the course and may also be referred for academic misconduct. Additional resources are available through UQ AI Student Hub.
Submission guidelines
You must submit your assignment electronically by the due time, on the due date.
Your assignment must be submitted via Turnitin on blackboard. To submit your assignment electronically log in to https://learn.uq.edu.au/ultra with your UQ username and password, then click on Course Code>>Assessment>>Assignments, and use the appropriate assignment submission link for each piece of assessment. No e-mailed submissions of assessments will be accepted.
By uploading your assignment via Turnitin, you are certifying that the work you submit is your own work except where correctly attributed to another source. Do not submit your assignment if it contains any work that is not your own.
You are required to retain proof of submission of your assessment. Your Digital Receipt is available for download from your Assignment Dashboard. If you cannot see your submission and download your digital receipt, your assessment has not been successfully submitted; please submit again.
If you are experiencing technical difficulties with Blackboard, please contact the ITS Support Team.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
Please note that from Semester 2, 2025 the Assessment Procedure has changed. You must submit a request for an extension as soon as it becomes clear you need an extension. Your request should be submitted no later than the assessment item's due date and time.
The request must be accompanied by supporting documentation corroborating the reason for the request. A list of acceptable reasons for an extension and the evidence you must provide can be found here. Your request may be refused if you do not meet the acceptable reasons for an extension. The student submitting the request is fully responsible for all supporting documentation that is provided with the request and should ensure all documents are authentic.
Students who are registered with Student Support and Wellbeing Services may apply for an extension without providing documentation. This extension request must be the student’s first extension request for the assessment item. If you proceed with an extension request based on your SAP, you will be ineligible to use your discretionary extension for the same assessment item. In the School of Social Science, extensions on the basis of an approved Student Access Plan (SAP) can be approved for a maximum period of 7 calendar days. Subsequent extensions for a piece of assessment will require students to provide their SAP along with additional supporting documentation (e.g., a medical certificate or other supporting evidence listed on my.UQ).
A student is eligible for a discretionary extension for one assessment task per semester for a duration of 2 calendar days or less. A discretionary extension may only be used on a student’s first extension request for an assessment task.
A student may have a maximum of 3 extension requests approved for a single assessment task. If a third extension is necessary, you must submit an Assessment Management Plan in addition to your supporting documentation with your request.
In exceptional circumstances, a fourth extension may be requested through the grievance and appeals process.
Extension requests exceeding the maximum extension period stated for a piece of assessment will only be considered under exceptional circumstances (circumstances outside of your control) with additional supporting documentation.
Late applications must include evidence of the reasons for the late request, detailing why you were unable to apply for an extension by the due date and time. The School of Social Science will not accept personal statements.
Extension requests are processed and managed by the School of Social Science Administration Team.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Work will not be accepted if it is more than one week (7 calendar days) late without prior approval.
Writing Anthropology
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 15%
- Due date
19/09/2025 2:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04
Task description
Written Observation Description (max 750 words) to be submitted via Turnitin.
This assessment asks you to spend an hour-and-a-half undertaking observation as a research method. This observation will be in a public place of your own choosing. Possible public places include: Botanic Gardens, food courts, South Bank, a Café, town square, or a bus stop.
During the observation you must use your senses to take notes about visual, audio and olfactory (i.e. smell) aspects of your chosen fieldsite in order to describe the place in a way which transports your reader into the setting, in as few words as possible.
Secondly, you must also practice 'seeing' like an ethnographer and providing a narrative description based on your observations of human behaviour which makes reference to 1 relevant article of your choosing in anthropology. What are people doing in your setting? Spend your time writing as well as watching, trying to capture details such as snippets of conversation, details about people's dress or behaviour, and anything else that strikes you as interesting. You may wish to take a photograph of the general setting as well if you can, but make sure this is not a close-up or easily identifiable photo of any individual person.
The 750 word Observation Description will not be your actual observation notes made during the observation. Rather, what you submit as a description will be an organised form of your notes, written up for a reader in a way which relates your observation to one article of your choosing from your reading in anthropology. It could be categorised under headings such as visual, audio, olfactory, or you can find another structure that works for your data. You must try to be as detailed and succinct as possible, asking yourself - what is the significant of social behaviour in this public place, and how does the article you have chosen help you make sense of what is happening?
We will prepare for the observation exercise during the tutorials, but potential questions to consider include:
i. Visual: How are people dressed? Do people with the same dress sit/walk/stand together? How many people form a group? For how long are they together? What are people doing? Do people interact? In what ways? Are groups composed of different genders? What does the physical environment look like? Does this influence social interaction?
ii. Audio: What do you hear? What do these sounds do to the ‘feel’ of the place? Do these sounds impact the way people behave?
iii. Olfactory (smell): What do you smell? Where do these smells come from? Do they impact the ‘feel’ of the place?
Your observation should include a title. You may also wish to include a photograph of the setting to illustrate your prose.
All written assessment pieces must include a title, your full name, student number.
Marking criteria and/or marking rubrics are available in the ‘Assessment’ folder in Blackboard for this course.
Submission guidelines
You must submit your assignment electronically by the due time, on the due date.
Your assignment must be submitted via Turnitin on blackboard. To submit your assignment electronically log in to https://learn.uq.edu.au/ultra with your UQ username and password, then click on Course Code>>Assessment>>Assignments, and use the appropriate assignment submission link for each piece of assessment. No e-mailed submissions of assessments will be accepted.
By uploading your assignment via Turnitin, you are certifying that the work you submit is your own work except where correctly attributed to another source. Do not submit your assignment if it contains any work that is not your own.
You are required to retain proof of submission of your assessment. Your Digital Receipt is available for download from your Assignment Dashboard. If you cannot see your submission and download your digital receipt, your assessment has not been successfully submitted; please submit again.
If you are experiencing technical difficulties with Blackboard, please contact the ITS Support Team.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
Please note that from Semester 2, 2025 the Assessment Procedure has changed. You must submit a request for an extension as soon as it becomes clear you need an extension. Your request should be submitted no later than the assessment item's due date and time.
The request must be accompanied by supporting documentation corroborating the reason for the request. A list of acceptable reasons for an extension and the evidence you must provide can be found here. Your request may be refused if you do not meet the acceptable reasons for an extension. The student submitting the request is fully responsible for all supporting documentation that is provided with the request and should ensure all documents are authentic.
Students who are registered with Student Support and Wellbeing Services may apply for an extension without providing documentation. This extension request must be the student’s first extension request for the assessment item. If you proceed with an extension request based on your SAP, you will be ineligible to use your discretionary extension for the same assessment item. In the School of Social Science, extensions on the basis of an approved Student Access Plan (SAP) can be approved for a maximum period of 7 calendar days. Subsequent extensions for a piece of assessment will require students to provide their SAP along with additional supporting documentation (e.g., a medical certificate or other supporting evidence listed on my.UQ).
A student is eligible for a discretionary extension for one assessment task per semester for a duration of 2 calendar days or less. A discretionary extension may only be used on a student’s first extension request for an assessment task.
A student may have a maximum of 3 extension requests approved for a single assessment task. If a third extension is necessary, you must submit an Assessment Management Plan in addition to your supporting documentation with your request.
In exceptional circumstances, a fourth extension may be requested through the grievance and appeals process.
Extension requests exceeding the maximum extension period stated for a piece of assessment will only be considered under exceptional circumstances (circumstances outside of your control) with additional supporting documentation.
Late applications must include evidence of the reasons for the late request, detailing why you were unable to apply for an extension by the due date and time. The School of Social Science will not accept personal statements.
Extension requests are processed and managed by the School of Social Science Administration Team.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Work will not be accepted if it is more than one week (7 calendar days) late without prior approval.
Doing Anthropology
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Essay/ Critique
- Weight
- 40%
- Due date
31/10/2025 2:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04
Task description
This assessment is focused on 'doing' anthropology. The assessment asks you to interview a friend or family member, take notes, analyse the notes by 'coding' them, engage in literature research, and write an essay.
Your essay should be a maximum of 1500 words (+/- 10%, excluding references) and is worth 40%
All essays must include a title, your name, student number, page numbers, and be in Times New Roman 12 pt font. Essays must be properly referenced in APA 7 style (UQ Library Guide ; APA 7 Quick Reference Guide), with at least 4 anthropology sources (they can be found on recognised electronic academic journals, but not news websites or crowd-sourced encyclopaedias such as Wikipedia).
Choose one of the two topics, or the alternative assessment below.
Topic 1: Religion
Interview a close friend or relative about religion, spirituality, everyday rituals and practices, important holy days or rites of passage, or any other aspect of religious life. Consider how this may reflect broader sociocultural and/or historical conditions or realities. Re-consider the lecture and reading material from week 10 to help you think of a line of questioning. Your essay must include a kinship diagram in which you ‘map’ any connections between members of the family to which your interviewee refers (for example, if you were interested how your interviewee got into the religious tradition they are part of, or an rite of passage like a weddings ceremony or a religious feast, where family members are involved). Your essay must also reference at least four academic anthropological sources such as journal articles, book chapters, or books. The essay must conclude with a question for further research and/or a tentative finding about the religious matters you investigated.
Topic 2: Economics
Interview a close friend or relative about trade, money, value, labour, or some other aspect of economic life and consider how this may reflect broader sociocultural and/or historical conditions or realities. Re-consider the lecture and reading material from week 7 to help you think of a line of questioning. Your essay must include a kinship diagram in which you 'map' any connections between members of the family to which your interviewee refers (for example, if you were interested in the lines of inheritance of material wealth, the values in a family business, or the labour choices among family members). Your essay must also reference at least four academic anthropological sources such as journal articles, book chapters, or books. The essay must conclude with a question or tentative finding about the economic matters you investigated.
Essay structure
Your essay must include all of the following (although not necessarily in this order):
1. Essay title (be creative!)
2. Introduction
3. A description of the key findings from the interview. You may use literature here, but the emphasis should be on the description of main themes that arose from your conversation/interview.
4. Kinship diagram (however small or brief) of persons mentioned in the interview. Remember to give it a caption.
5. A literature review of anthropological material relevant to the topic – this will be anthropology of religion, economy, or political anthropology depending on the themes of the interview.
6. Discussion and Conclusion. Drawing together the previous sections, a discussion will outline how your data may be understood in relation to the anthropological literature. Take care to pose this as a question, or at least be careful of generalisations and causation (given the range of your research).
7. Reference list. Your essay needs to cite at least 4 academic anthropology sources using APA style. These need to be listed under a heading 'References Cited' at the end of your essay. Sources must be from (preferably peer-reviewed) academic publications.
8. APPENDIX: Coded notes (max 2 pages).The sample of Coded notes must be submitted at the same time as the essay and in the same document. Students receive training on how to code their notes (see online workshop 5) and guidance in tutorials. Coded notes MUST include references to relevant (anthropological) pieces of literature . Coded notes will be submitted via TurnitIn as an appendix to the essay in the same document.
Diagram Instructions
As noted, your essay must include a kinship diagram where you depict all members of the family you discuss mentioned in the essay. The names can be psuedonyms or first names only. Any individuals referred to within the essay should be clearly identifiable in the diagram, but this is not a 'family tree', rather you are using the diagram as an illustration of a key point in the essay. Using Microsoft Word (or other) drawing tools (or drawing by hand and photographing) Use standard anthropological symbols in the diagram as discussed in lectures and practiced the tutorials.
Identify EGO (your interviewee) in the diagram.
Use standard anthropological symbols as outlined in lectures and tutorials, these include:
- triangle for male
- circle for females
- Square for third or unknown gender
- = (equal sign) for marriage/union
- ≠ to represent divorce or separation.
- \\ or X through a deceased person dotted vertical line to represent adoption
Identify relatives with kinship terms from EGO’s perspective in whatever language is used within the family. E.g. ‘nan’, ‘pop’. Add these terms underneath the triangle/circle in the diagram.
Marking criteria and/or marking rubrics are available in the ‘Assessment’ folder in Blackboard for this course.
Please note that, if using AI, you should include a fulsome statement of the extent to which you have drawn on it. Please further note that fabrication or misrepresentation of sources will result in an automatic fail grade for this assessment, regardless of performance in other criteria. This includes but is not limited to: citing non-existent sources or attributing false quotes to real sources. Such issues demonstrate failure to meet the core learning outcomes for the course and may also be referred for academic misconduct. Additional resources are available through UQ AI Student Hub.
Submission guidelines
You must submit your assignment electronically by the due time, on the due date.
Your assignment must be submitted via Turnitin on blackboard. To submit your assignment electronically log in to https://learn.uq.edu.au/ultra with your UQ username and password, then click on Course Code>>Assessment>>Assignments, and use the appropriate assignment submission link for each piece of assessment. No e-mailed submissions of assessments will be accepted.
By uploading your assignment via Turnitin, you are certifying that the work you submit is your own work except where correctly attributed to another source. Do not submit your assignment if it contains any work that is not your own.
You are required to retain proof of submission of your assessment. Your Digital Receipt is available for download from your Assignment Dashboard. If you cannot see your submission and download your digital receipt, your assessment has not been successfully submitted; please submit again.
If you are experiencing technical difficulties with Blackboard, please contact the ITS Support Team.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
Please note that from Semester 2, 2025 the Assessment Procedure has changed. You must submit a request for an extension as soon as it becomes clear you need an extension. Your request should be submitted no later than the assessment item's due date and time.
The request must be accompanied by supporting documentation corroborating the reason for the request. A list of acceptable reasons for an extension and the evidence you must provide can be found here. Your request may be refused if you do not meet the acceptable reasons for an extension. The student submitting the request is fully responsible for all supporting documentation that is provided with the request and should ensure all documents are authentic.
Students who are registered with Student Support and Wellbeing Services may apply for an extension without providing documentation. This extension request must be the student’s first extension request for the assessment item. If you proceed with an extension request based on your SAP, you will be ineligible to use your discretionary extension for the same assessment item. In the School of Social Science, extensions on the basis of an approved Student Access Plan (SAP) can be approved for a maximum period of 7 calendar days. Subsequent extensions for a piece of assessment will require students to provide their SAP along with additional supporting documentation (e.g., a medical certificate or other supporting evidence listed on my.UQ).
A student is eligible for a discretionary extension for one assessment task per semester for a duration of 2 calendar days or less. A discretionary extension may only be used on a student’s first extension request for an assessment task.
A student may have a maximum of 3 extension requests approved for a single assessment task. If a third extension is necessary, you must submit an Assessment Management Plan in addition to your supporting documentation with your request.
In exceptional circumstances, a fourth extension may be requested through the grievance and appeals process.
Extension requests exceeding the maximum extension period stated for a piece of assessment will only be considered under exceptional circumstances (circumstances outside of your control) with additional supporting documentation.
Late applications must include evidence of the reasons for the late request, detailing why you were unable to apply for an extension by the due date and time. The School of Social Science will not accept personal statements.
Extension requests are processed and managed by the School of Social Science Administration Team.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Work will not be accepted if it is more than one week (7 calendar days) late without prior approval.
Exam
- Identity Verified
- In-person
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Examination
- Weight
- 30%
- Due date
End of Semester Exam Period
8/11/2025 - 22/11/2025
- Other conditions
- Time limited.
Task description
The exam will focus on content you have learnt across the course.
Exam details
| Planning time | 10 minutes |
|---|---|
| Duration | 90 minutes |
| Calculator options | Any calculator permitted |
| Open/closed book | Open book examination - any written or printed material is permitted; material may be annotated |
| Exam platform | Paper based |
| Invigilation | Invigilated in person |
Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You may be able to defer this exam.
You can request a deferred exam if you can provide evidence of unavoidable circumstances that prevented you from sitting your original exam at its scheduled date and time. Your application must include supporting evidence. The request will be assessed based on the evidence you provide when you apply.
An application on the basis of a Student Access Plan (SAP) alone will not be accepted. If you are applying on medical grounds, a medical practitioner must assess your condition and provide a signed medical certificate that covers the day of the examination. You must obtain a medical certificate no later than two business days after the date of the original examination. Further details of acceptable evidence for deferred examination can be found here.
For information on eligibility and application instructions, please view the following page on myUQ: Deferring an exam - my.UQ - University of Queensland
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Cut off Percent | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) | 1 - 29 |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 2 (Fail) | 30 - 44 |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) | 45 - 49 |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes |
| 4 (Pass) | 50 - 64 |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 5 (Credit) | 65 - 74 |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 6 (Distinction) | 75 - 84 |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 7 (High Distinction) | 85 - 100 |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Supplementary assessment is an additional opportunity to demonstrate that the learning requirements for an eligible course have been satisfied and that the graduate attributes for the course have been attained. Supplementary assessment may only be granted where Supplementary Assessment – procedures allow. A passing grade of 4 (or P) is the highest grade that can be awarded in a course where supplementary assessment has been granted. For further information on supplementary assessment please see my.UQ.
Additional assessment information
Academic Integrity: All students must complete the Academic Integrity Modules https://www.uq.edu.au/integrity/
School Guide for Written Assessments: School of Social Science Guide for Written Assessments
Release of Marks: The marks and feedback for assessments will be released to students in a timely manner, prior to the due date of the next assessment piece for the course. This is with the exception of the final piece of assessment. The marks and feedback for the final assessment item will only be made available to the student on the Finalisation of Grades date at the end of semester.
Assessment Re-mark: For information on requesting an assessment re-mark, please view the following page on my.UQ: https://my.uq.edu.au/querying-result
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Library resources are available on the UQ Library website.
Additional learning resources information
Further recommended readings will be added to Blackboard across the course of the semester. These recommended readings should be used to prepare your group tutorial presentation and will also be useful for researching your essay topics.
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Week 1 (28 Jul - 03 Aug) |
Lecture |
Introduction to anthropology Welcome to anthropology! This week we will ask, what is anthropology? What do anthropologists do? And what do we mean when we talk about the 'culture' of a people? Learning outcomes: L02, L03, L04 |
Week 2 (04 Aug - 10 Aug) |
Lecture |
The concept of culture and human diversity This lecture focuses on the concept of culture. What does it mean to have a culture? How do cultures change? How have anthropologists helped to describe human diversity through the concept of culture? Learning outcomes: L02, L03, L04 |
Tutorial |
Tutorial discussion and writing exercises Introduction tutorial. Get to know your fellow students. The key elements of a good article summary will be discussed and the tutorial will provide further instruction on writing summaries to prepare for the first assessment (starting from Week 3), during the tutorial you will practice with writing a summary of Graeber & Wengrow's book excerpt (weekly reading). Learning outcomes: L02, L03, L04 |
|
Week 3 (11 Aug - 17 Aug) |
Lecture |
Culture, Change, and Colonialism This week we think about the challenge of understanding change. If everyone has a culture, and cultures change constantly in interaction with each other, then how can they be differentiated from each other, and how can we conceptualise their influence on each other? Learning outcomes: L02, L03, L04 |
Tutorial |
Tutorial discussion and writing exercises Students should come to the tutorial having read the set readings. The tutorial will focus on discussion of cultural change, globalisation, colonialism, and de-colonisation. We will also discuss the first of our Reading Anthropology articles which you are required to critically summarise for your first assessment. Learning outcomes: L02, L03, L04 |
|
Week 4 (18 Aug - 24 Aug) |
Lecture |
Culture, language, and interpretation This week we start to think about language and its role in culture via a discussion of a Hollywood film, Arrival, and associated readings. Please watch the film in preparation for the lecture. Learning outcomes: L02, L03, L04 |
Tutorial |
Tutorial discussion and research exercises This tutorial will include a discussion of the material from the lecture, including the article by David Sutton about Arrival, which is the second of your critical summaries for the Reading Anthropology Assessment. The tutorial will also include a short workshop on how to find, evaluate and reference academic literature. Learning outcomes: L02, L03, L04 |
|
Week 5 (25 Aug - 31 Aug) |
Lecture |
Gender and the body This lecture delves into the history of women anthropologists and the influence of feminism on anthropological method and theory. We ask how diversity of bodies, sexualities, and genders matter to our understanding of culture. Learning outcomes: L02, L03, L04 |
Tutorial |
Tutorial discussion Please come to the tutorials prepared to discuss the readings. We will also discuss the article by Andersen which is the subject of your third and final critical summary for the Reading Anthropology assessment. Learning outcomes: L02, L03, L04 |
|
Week 6 (01 Sep - 07 Sep) |
Lecture |
Writing anthropology and ethnographic methods This week we look at how anthropologists create 'field notes' and how to capture a sense of place in writing. This lecture contains tips for the Writing Anthropology assessment. Learning outcomes: L02, L03, L04 |
Tutorial |
Tutorial discussion and observation exercises Students should come to the tutorial having read the set reading by Lassiter. The tutorial will include some observation activities to help you prepare for the Writing Anthropology assessment. You are also encouraged to find pieces of descriptive writing that convey a strong sense of place for discussion in class. Learning outcomes: L02, L03, L04 |
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Week 7 (08 Sep - 14 Sep) |
Lecture |
The Anthropology of Money and Value This lecture asks what anthropologists mean when they talk about economics. We examine economic systems and the study of value, labour, gift-giving, and money. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Tutorial |
Tutorial discussion Please come to the tutorial prepared to discuss the the readings. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
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Week 8 (15 Sep - 21 Sep) |
Lecture |
The Anthropology of Power and Politics This week looks at how anthropologists understand power in different settings around the world. We ask: are there commonalities in political systems across cultures? How do anthropologists understand resistance and other responses to the exercise of power? Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Tutorial |
Tutorial discussion In tutorials this week we will discuss the topic of power and politics from an anthropological perspective. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
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Week 9 (22 Sep - 28 Sep) |
Lecture |
Kinship and Doing Research We ask how anthropologists have sought to understand relationships across (and beyond) human societies. The second half of the lecture will describe anthropological approaches to interviewing for the Doing Anthropology assessment. Learning outcomes: L02, L03, L04 |
Tutorial |
Tutorial discussion and interview workshop The tutorial discussions focus on the question 'what makes us kin?'. We will also workshop interview questions and approaches for the Doing Anthropology assessment. Learning outcomes: L02, L03, L04 |
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Week 10 (06 Oct - 12 Oct) |
Lecture |
Anthropologies of Religion and Magic Anthropologists have long studied rituals, magic, myths and beliefs. In this lecture we consider how these categories can help us to understand everyday rituals and beliefs, and we ask if we can study science as cultural practice. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Tutorial |
Tutorial discussion and kinship diagram exercises Tutorials will discuss anthropological approaches to religion, magic, and science. We also undertake exercises focused on developing anthropological skills to construct a kinship diagram. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
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Week 11 (13 Oct - 19 Oct) |
Lecture |
Coding fieldnotes and doing anthropology To make sense of their data, anthropologists 'code' their fieldnotes. Coding can be as simple as using different coloured highlighters to underline relevant quotations in a fieldbook, or transferring references into a table. This week's lecture will discuss different approaches to coding, and provide guidance for the Doing Anthropology assessment. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Tutorial |
Tutorial discussion and coding exercises Students should complete their fieldnotes for the doing anthropology assessment prior to this tutorial and bring their notes to class for a coding exercise. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
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Week 12 (20 Oct - 26 Oct) |
Lecture |
Things and Technologies This week we look at what anthropologists contribute to industry and corporations. We will focus on the material culture of technology and how people adopt, adapt, and co-opt technologies for their own cultural purposes. What can anthropologists contribute to understanding 'culture' in business? Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Tutorial |
Tutorial workshop on technology This week - weather permitting! - we will venture out of the classroom to undertake a practical exercise in applied anthropology to understand the culture of technology. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
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Week 13 (27 Oct - 02 Nov) |
Lecture |
Where do we take anthropology? In this wrap-up lecture, we consider what anthropologists contribute to contemporary society by examining the different context in which anthropologists work. We also explore opportunities for further study in anthropology at UQ. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Tutorial |
Tutorial discussion In our final tutorial, we will discuss some of the questions raised in the course, including: what is culture? how is culture relevant in everyday life today? what does anthropology offer in thinking through some of the big questions in society today? There will also be opportunity do discuss your drafted final essay with your peers and tutor. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments for Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.