ANTHRO 759 : Special Topic

Arts

2024 Semester One (1243) (15 POINTS)

Course Prescription

No prescription

Course Overview

This Special Topic course titled 'Kaitiakitanga: Protecting Our Planet' explores the relevance of kaitiakitanga and environmental stewardship to anthropology. It will introduce students to a number of political and contested sites in Aotearoa-New Zealand, each with their own unique stories and guardians who have a duty of care for natural environments. This new course imagines an anthropology that is relevant now and for the future, with locations and people of Aotearoa not considered just as study sites to be extracted from but as active co-producers of anthropological knowledge.
Together we will weave key anthropological concepts and Mātauranga Māori through contemporary research settings located in whenua (land) and moana (waters) that demonstrate the usefulness of anthropology in addressing fundamental local and global issues. Aotearoa can no longer be passed off as a site of study and an anthropological periphery, rather, it is an active producer of knowledge and opportunity. 
This course introduces students to relevant and cutting-edge perspectives developed by local anthropologists that include the works of Joan Metge, Hugh Kawharu, Hirini Mead, Ngapare Hopa, Anne Salmond, Jeff Sissons and Merata Kawharu to understand and interpret cultures, sub-cultures and Māori and Indigenous kinship groups in and beyond Aotearoa. In this course we will explore key anthropological concepts through contemporary settings which demonstrate the usefulness of anthropology in creating solutions that respond to urgent issues such as climate change, loss of biodiversity, industrial exploitation and pollution, and increased infectious disease. Through a range of seminar discussions, reading materials and other resources, this course will expose students to growing local and Indigenous anthropologies.

Course Requirements

No pre-requisites or restrictions

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 1: People and Place
Capability 2: Sustainability
Capability 3: Knowledge and Practice
Capability 4: Critical Thinking
Capability 5: Solution Seeking
Capability 6: Communication
Capability 7: Collaboration
Capability 8: Ethics and Professionalism

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Demonstrate an understanding of and be able to critically evaluate advanced concepts and questions in anthropology (Capability 1, 3, 4 and 5)
  2. Analyse readings and debates about kaitiaki, protection and stewardship and competently discuss the broad range of views with peers and other parties (Capability 4, 6 and 7)
  3. Create, refine and communicate a viewpoint about kaitiakitanga in the form of a Project Report (Capability 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8)
  4. Critically analyse and evaluate the readings and resources that are used in the Course (Capability 4, 5 and 6)
  5. Develop a deeper understanding and appreciation of the relationship between Matauranga Maori and Anthropology (Capability 1, 2, 3 and 7)
  6. Identify institutions and discourses prevalent to kaitiaki activities and action (Capability 1, 2 and 3)
  7. Work collaboratively with class peers to advance understandings of the barriers and opportunities of kaitiakitanga and environmental preservation. (Capability 1, 2, 5 and 7)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Reading Summaries 10% Individual Coursework
Essay 30% Individual Coursework
Project Report 50% Individual Coursework
Report Presentation 10% Individual Coursework

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.

For this course, you can expect 24 hours of lectures, 48 hours of reading and thinking about the content and more than 50 hours of work on assignments.

Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

Attendance is required at scheduled activities (i.e. the seminar schedule and the Pukawa Domain Field trip) to receive credit for components of the course. Attendance on campus is required for the class project presentation. The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable. This course is not available for delivery to students studying remotely outside NZ in 2024.

Learning Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Student Feedback

At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.

Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.

Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

This is a new course and there is no feedback from students at this time.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed for potential plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct, using computerised detection mechanisms.

Class Representatives

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Well-being always comes first
We all go through tough times during the semester, or see our friends struggling. There is lots of help out there - for more information, look at this Canvas page https://canvas.auckland.ac.nz/courses/33894, which has links to various support services in the University and the wider community.

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption, we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and course assessment continues to meet the principles of the University’s assessment policy. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator/director, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the university website for information about how to proceed.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course students may be asked to submit coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. In exceptional circumstances changes to elements of this course may be necessary at short notice. Students enrolled in this course will be informed of any such changes and the reasons for them, as soon as possible, through Canvas.

Published on 14/01/2024 07:28 a.m.