AIS1020 - Aborigines and white Australia: colonial encounters

Leader: Dr Amanda Kearney and Dr Stephen Pritchard

Offered

Clayton Second semester 2008 (Day)

Synopsis

This unit considers the colonial encounter between Aboriginal people and white Australia. Students will gain an appreciation of the historical context in which relationships between Aborigines and white Australia have developed. The unit focuses on the theoretical, political and legal dimensions of Aboriginal encounters with white Australia and provides students with foundational knowledge required to undertake further Indigenous Studies. The unit is therefore centrally concerned with introducing students to the key 'factual' information of the colonial encounter between Aborigines and white Australia.

Objectives

On successful completion of this subject, students will:

1. have gained a broad understanding of the historical, political and legal dimensions that have shaped the colonial encounter between Aborigines and white Australia (Objectives 5,6,7 and 9)

2. have gained an understanding of the theoretical ideas that have shaped understandings of the colonial encounter between Aborigines and white Australia. For example, the theoretical idea of colonialism in the 19th and 20th will be explored as will the related ideas of race and culture. (Objectives 7 and 8)

3. have engaged in written and oral presentations which reflect these understandings as well as an awareness of the value of interdisciplinary approaches to a study of this kind. (Objectives 3, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9).

4. have developed skills of organizing materials and using these to write in a coherent manner on topics of students' choice, with suitable referencing of sources consulted; have developed oral skills through the presentation of information and ideas in a coherent manner within the tutorial context, based upon research of suitable materials. (Objectives 1, 2, 3 and 4).

Assessment

Discussion paper (1000 words): 20%; Essay (2000 words): 45%; Class test (1000 words): 25%; tutorial exercise: 10%.

Contact hours

3 hours (2 x 1 hours lecture + 1 x 1 hours tutorial)

Prerequisites

ANY1010