Anthropology

Anthropology is the comparative study of different ways of life it seeks an 'insider' perspective on alternative ways of being in the world. To interpret human behaviour, anthropologists ask questions not just about what people do, but about why they do it, what they mean by it, what motivates them to do it and what people value in diverse societies and cultures.

In the past, anthropologists were invariably westerners making observations of societies that visibly differed from their own. This image is no longer an adequate one for describing anthropology. It is true that contemporary anthropologists are still interested in studying difference, but they are playing an increasingly complex and important role in the modern world: wherever human diversity is an issue, anthropologists are called upon to provide their expertise. In fields as diverse as journalism, climate change, mining, dispute-resolution and peace-building, social policy, Indigenous issues and development aid, anthropologists are called upon to contribute their specialised knowledge and understanding. Furthermore, anthropologists work alongside colleagues holding to different epistemological and academic frameworks.

Students will explore anthropological issues across a range of areas and societies including Australian, Asian, African, Pacific, European, Middle Eastern and American examples, challenging students to reflect on their own cultural world from perspectives that may differ radically from their own. Students will explore points of contestation among societies, and how they have shaped the position of Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in contemporary society. Students will have the opportunity to develop an understanding of the key concepts and debates in anthropology of power and empowerment. Students will be introduced to key concepts of ethnography and anthropology via case studies on topics such as gender and sexuality, responses to climate change, human mobility, violence, technology and the digital world.

Availability

Anthropology is listed in A2000 Bachelor of Arts and 0202 Bachelor of Letters at Clayton as a major or minor, and A0502 Diploma of Liberal Arts at Clayton as a major.

Outcomes

In addition to achieving the broad outcomes of their course, students successfully completing this major will be able to:

• approach problem-solving with an awareness of the importance of human difference in achieving good outcomes
• read international issues through the eyes and interests of specific communities and actors, and not just through the singular lens of universalism
• qualify for employment in one of anthropology's graduate specialisations
• formulate high quality research tools and methods for problem-solving.