Australian Indigenous studies
http://www.arts.monash.edu.au/schools/cais/
Room 219B, level 2, Monash University Museum of Arts (building
55), Clayton campus
Building 1S (C. H. Ford Building), Gippsland campus
Clayton: (03) 9905 4200
Gippsland: (03) 9902 6765
The Centre for Australian Indigenous Studies (CAIS) offers units that aim to
encourage students to understand the past and contemporary experiences of
Australian Indigenous peoples. Students will acquire a general knowledge of
many different aspects of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and of
how these cultures have undergone change and adaptation. Such understanding
will require students to construct critical arguments and analyse topics
studied in their historical and contemporary contexts. Courses in Australian
Indigenous studies aim to assist students to develop a good knowledge base
about key issues in Indigenous societies.
Units offered by the centre take an interdisciplinary approach to the
contemporary experiences of Australian Aborigines by including the study of
kinship and political systems in urban and remote societies, and the contrasts
between Indigenous and non-Indigenous societies. Introductory units examine
Indigenous lifestyles and kinship systems, pre and post- invasion, and the
concept of continuity, which provides a focus on understanding the importance
of land. Study of the post-invasion period examines the effects of colonisation
on Indigenous societies and economies, past and present governmental policies,
and their effects on organisations and communities.
Teaching in the centre includes lectures and small tutorial and seminar groups,
which encourage debate and inquiry. Presentations, written summaries and essays
incorporate reflective, analytical and oral skills specific to Indigenous
studies as well as to the arts degree. A number of Arts faculty units offered
in anthropology, Australian studies, geography, history, politics, linguistics,
environmental science, sociology, visual culture and women's studies complement
units offered in Indigenous studies.
The Centre for Australian Indigenous Studies offers units at the Clayton,
Caulfield and Gippsland campuses. Dr Lynette Russell is director of Monash
Aboriginal Programs. The teaching staff are Dr Liz Reed, Ms Marlene Drysdale,
Mr Lyell Wilson, Mr Barry Judd, Dr Greg Gardiner and Ms Isabel Ellender. A
major aim of the centre is to provide excellent and culturally appropriate
undergraduate, honours and postgraduate courses.
The centre is located on the second floor of the Monash University Gallery
building (building 55) on Clayton campus. Inquiries about courses and unit
information are welcomed. Inquiries may be directed to the enrolment adviser,
Ms Val Campbell, room 219, email val.campbell@arts.monash.edu.au.
For details of the following courses, see `Outline of studies' earlier in this section.
Previous page | Next page | Section contents | Title and contents