MUSEUMS 704A Exhibiting Cultures - Course Outlines

Course Prescription

Investigates the presentation of cultures in museums, art galleries and other sites globally, the strategies of public exhibitions, and the role of curators and institutions in identity formation and nationalism. Case studies are drawn from international and indigenous practice as well as regional examples from Aotearoa New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific. Restriction: ARTHIST 715, 721, 736, MUSEUMS 700, 701, 703, 705

Course Overview

Nau mai, haere mai, piki mai, kake mai - welcome to Exhibiting Cultures!

The aim of this course is to provide you with an introduction to the GLAM world (galleries, libraries, art galleries and museums). In the first semester you will engage with some of the critical arguments from an indigenous perspective. Your materials list is filled with amazing Native writers from around the world who are increasingly vocal about the ways in which museums and other public spaces need to (keep) changing to respond better to their colonial histories, and ongoing legacies of this. In the second semester we switch to looking at museums in other parts of the globe, and you will learn about important themes and issues facing the sector. Throughout you will have the opportunity to write and talk about what you are hearing, seeing, reading and experiencing, all in an open, inclusive and informal atmosphere.

What will my class look like? The class is usually culturally diverse which adds value and meaning to the course. You are encouraged to work together as a team in your learning, not only inside the classroom but also outside class hours and will be given lots of chances to work together in class on smaller exercises. I believe that you learn best in a supportive and encouraging environment, not only in terms of lecturer-student, but also, as important, student-student. I strive for the classes to be open and friendly with any debates which arise in them to stay in the class – critical thinking and articulating such thinking is essential at post-grad level, but you are reminded that one person’s perspective should not be disregarded simply because it differs from your own. You should embrace such diversity and try to think beyond your way of thinking.

Where to from here? I have been teaching this class since 2013 as the core course in Museums and Cultural Heritage. Many students have gone on to write their MA theses on topics they have learnt about in this class. And some are starting to use this as the basis for their PhDs this year too - all very exciting! Other graduates of the class have gone on to work in museums and art galleries, both here and elsewhere, so always reach for the stars.

Whaia te iti kahurangi, me tuohu koe, he maunga teitei - always aim high; if you bow your head, let it be to a lofty mountain.

Course Requirements

To complete this course students must enrol in MUSEUMS 704 A and B, or MUSEUMS 704

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

Research and present in oral and written form with confidence about the history, role and function of museums in relation to indigenous peoples (Capability 1.1, 1.3 and 2.1)
Develop skills in interdisciplinary thinking and the ability to apply theoretical ideas to case studies (Capability 2.1, 2.2 and 2.3)
Develop and demonstrate an understanding of the key writers in the field of museums and cultural heritage, particularly in relation to indigenous communities (Capability 4.1, 4.2 and 4.3)
Demonstrate an understanding of the ongoing shifts in Museums and Cultural Heritage (Capability 6.1, 6.2 and 6.3)

Assessments

Assessment Type	Percentage	Classification
Reading Response	15%	Individual Coursework
Exhibit label	15%	Individual Coursework
Essay	70%	Individual Coursework
3 types	100%

Next offered

Semester 1, 2020.

Learning Resources

Highly recommended:

Hakiwai, Arapata, ‘He Mana Taonga, He Mana Tangata: Maori Taonga and the Politics of Maori tribal identity and development,’ PhD Thesis, Victoria University of Wellington, 2014.
Lonetree, Amy. Decolonizing Museums. Representing Native America in National and Tribal Museums. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 2012.
Mithlo, Nancy Marie, ed., Manifestations: New Native Art Criticism. Santa Fe: Museum of Contemporary Native Arts, 2012.
Susan Sleeper-Smith, (ed.), Contesting Knowledge. Museums and Indigenous Peoples. Lincoln and London: University of Nebraska Press, 2009.
Thomas, Nicholas. The Return of Curiosity: What Museums Are Good for in the Twenty-First Century. London: Reaktion Books, 2016.
Vunidilo, Tarisi. ‘I Yau Vakaviti: Fijian Treasures in International Museums – A Study of Repatriation, Ownership and Cultural Rights.’ PhD thesis, The University of Auckland, 2015.

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 2 hours of lectures, and 8 hours of reading and thinking about the content and working on assignments.

Digital 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.

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 against online source material using computerised detection mechanisms.

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 at 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.

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.

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 you may be asked to submit your 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. The final decision on the completion mode for a test or examination, and remote invigilation arrangements where applicable, will be advised to students at least 10 days prior to the scheduled date of the assessment, or in the case of an examination when the examination timetable is published.

Capability 1:	Disciplinary Knowledge and Practice
Capability 2:	Critical Thinking
Capability 4:	Communication and Engagement
Capability 6:	Social and Environmental Responsibilities

MUSEUMS 704A/B : Exhibiting Cultures

Arts

2020 Semester One (1203) / Semester Two (1205) (30 POINTS)