Undergraduate - UnitATS3912 - Performance studies II - Cultures

This unit entry is for students who completed this unit in 2014 only. For students planning to study the unit, please refer to the unit indexes in the the current edition of the Handbook. If you have any queries contact the managing faculty for your course or area of study.

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6 points, SCA Band 1, 0.125 EFTSL

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered, or view unit timetables.

Level	Undergraduate
Faculty	Faculty of Arts
Organisational Unit	Centre for Theatre and Performance
Offered	Clayton Second semester 2014 (Day)
Coordinator(s)	Dr Karen Kartomi Thomas

Synopsis

This unit provides an opportunity for in-depth study of a specific non-Western performative culture or group of practices, or a tradition outside the scope of mainstream theatre. The practice(s) will be analysed in their social and cultural context, with consideration, where appropriate, of historical, spiritual, functional, aesthetic and performative roles and qualities. Methodologies and concepts of Performance Studies will be given practical application.

Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course students will:

have performed an in-depth study of a specific performance tradition or group of practices from a non-Western culture or a tradition outside the theatre mainstream;
display applied understandings of the main concepts of Performance Studies;
demonstrate an understanding of the possible varieties of relationships between cultures and their performances;
develop a sense of the cultural relativity of their own and others' everyday practices, becoming more open-minded and understanding of the diversity of cultural practice;
have demonstrated an ability to understand and/or employ techniques of ethnographic writing.

Assessment

Class presentation (equiv. 900 words): 20%
Ethnographic/research writing task (900 words): 20%
Essay (2250 words): 50%
Participation (equiv. 450 words): 10%

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Karen Kartomi Thomas

Workload requirements

One 2-hour seminar per week

This unit applies to the following area(s) of study

Anthropology
Theatre

Prerequisites

Two gateway units in Theatre