KRS2070

Australian Aboriginal women

Liz Reed

8 points - 3 hours per week - First semester - Clayton - Prerequisites: First-year sequence or with approval of course coordinator.

Objectives Upon completion of this subject students should have acquired an understanding of the roles of Australian Aboriginal women historically and in their communities today, and of the ways in which academic knowledge of Aboriginal women has been constructed; developed an awareness of the value of interdisciplinary approaches to a study of this kind, and of the importance of Aboriginal oral testimonies, as well as the uses of film and other media in the study of Australian Aboriginal women.

Synopsis The subject focuses on theoretical and cultural issues involved in studying Australian Aboriginal women; 'traditional' roles of Aboriginal women and their place in the colonial economy; European constructions of Aboriginal women's sexuality; the place of Aboriginal women in the State and the nation; Aboriginal women and feminism; media constructions and stereotypes of Aboriginal women; representations of Aboriginal women in film; present needs and future prospects; and comparisons with Maori women. The subject is presented in a three-hour seminar.

Assessment Research essay (3000 words): 45% - Seminar paper (2000 words): 25% - Class test (1 hour): 20% - Attendance and participation: 10%

Prescribed texts

A reading pack will be available from the Koorie Research Centre in the seminar in the first week of semester.

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