indigenous-cultures-and-histories/ug-arts-indigenous-cultures-and-histories

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Students who commenced study in 2016 should refer to this area of study entry for direction on the requirments; to check which units are currently available for enrolment, refer to the unit indexes in the the current edition of the Handbook. If you have any queries contact the managing faculty for your area of study.

Monash University

Undergraduate

Commencement year

This area of study entry applies to students commencing this course in 2016 and should be read in conjunction with the relevant course entry in the Handbook.

Any units listed for this area of study relate only to the 'Requirements' outlined in the Faculty of Arts component of any bachelors double degrees.

Unit codes that are not linked to their entry in the Handbook are not available for study in the current year.

Managing faculty

Faculty of Arts

Offered by

Monash Indigenous Centre

Coordinator

Dr Rachel Standfield

Websites

Faculty of Arts

Monash Indigenous Centre

Location

Clayton

This area of study enables students to understand the past and contemporary experiences of Indigenous peoples in Australia and internationally. Students will acquire a general knowledge of different aspects of Indigenous cultures and how these have undergone change and adaptation, constructing critical arguments and analysing topics studied in their historical and contemporary contexts.

Indigenous cultures and histories units develop a sound knowledge of key issues in Indigenous societies, including the ongoing relationship between Indigenous and settler Australians, points of contestation and how this has shaped the position of Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians in contemporary society, and understanding Indigenous relationships to each other and to the land. Studies in anthropology, Indigenous archaeology, art history and theory, geography, history, politics, linguistics, environmental science, sociology, and women's and gender studies complement studies in Indigenous cultures and histories. Students undertaking courses from other faculties, such as Law, Education, Science or Engineering will also benefit from including Indigenous cultures and histories in their studies.

Honours can be undertaken in Indigenous cultures and histories, and combined honours may also be taken with other disciplines provided that all honours requirements have been met in both disciplines and subject to the approval of the honours coordinators or heads of the relevant Schools.

As a graduate, you can look forward to many exciting career opportunities including in:

  • policy (eg, public service and government agencies)
  • the not-for-profit sector (eg, AusAID or similar organisations)
  • teaching, research and academia (with additional qualifications)
  • the private sector (eg, advisory role to tourism or mining industries)
  • Aboriginal-controlled organisations (e.g. land councils and native title organisations).

Availability

Indigenous cultures and histories 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 your course, students successfully completing this major will be able to:

  • understand the diversity of Aboriginal Australia, colonialism, decolonialisation and social justice and critically examine constructions of Indigeneity and discourses of 'Aboriginalism' using sound theoretical concepts
  • recognise and critically assess current intellectual traditions in Indigenous studies in national and international contexts and apply these traditions to real-world problems

Units

Major requirements (48 points)

No more than 12 points at level 1 may be credited to the majormajor (http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/2016handbooks/undergrad/arts-07.html) and at least 18 points must be at level 3.

Students complete:

(a.) Two level 1 gateway unitsgateway units (http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/2016handbooks/undergrad/arts-08.html) (12 points):

  • ATS1254 Culture, power and difference: Indigeneity and Australian identity
  • ATS1250 Social justice and Indigenous Australians or ATS1255 Encountering cultures: Introduction to anthropology 1

*ATS1255 is also a gateway unit for Anthropology. Students doing majors/minors in both Indigenous cultures and histories and in Anthropology need to complete different gateway units for each and should seek the advice of the convenor for appropriate units.

(b.) One level 2 cornerstone unitcornerstone unit (http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/2016handbooks/undergrad/arts-08.html) (6 points) chosen from:

  • ATS2355 Race and power: Imagining Indigenous Australia
  • ATS2358 Contesting laws: Heritage, culture and land

(c.) One level 3 capstone unitcapstone unit (http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/2016handbooks/undergrad/arts-08.html) (6 points) chosen from:

  • ATS3543 Australia's ancient Indigenous past: A 50,000 year archaeological odyssey
  • ATS3958 Practice and praxis: Research in contemporary Indigenous studies

(d.) Four units (24 points) from the remaining cornerstone or capstone units or the elective list below with at least two units at level 3.

Minor requirements (24 points)

No more than 12 points at level 1 may be credited towards the minorminor (http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/2016handbooks/undergrad/arts-07.html).

Students complete:

(a.) Two level 1 gateway unitsgateway units (http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/2016handbooks/undergrad/arts-08.html) (12 points):

  • ATS1254 Culture, power and difference: Indigeneity and Australian identity
  • ATS1250 Social justice and Indigenous Australians or ATS1255 Encountering cultures: Introduction to anthropology 1

*ATS1255 is also a gateway unit for Anthropology. Students doing majors/minors in both Indigenous cultures and histories and in Anthropology need to complete different gateway units for each and should seek the advice of the convenor for appropriate units.

(b.) Two level 2 or 3 units (12 points) as listed within the major. It is a highly recommended that students complete a level 2 unit before enrolling in level 3 unit.

Elective list

Units are 6 points unless otherwise stated.

  • ATS2019 Perspectives on Indigenous art: Production, meaning and symbolism
  • ATS2020/ATS3020 Colonialism in comparison: Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific
  • ATS2104 The ethnographic endeavour: Capturing the Indigenous past to understand the Indigenous present
  • ATS2138 The archaeology of world rock art
  • ATS2354/ATS3354 Interrogating racism: Indigenous Australians and the state
  • ATS2359/ATS3359 Hearing the country: Studies in Indigenous Australian ethnoecology
  • ATS2373/ATS3373 Visualising cultures: Film and ethnography
  • ATS3129 Arts internship
  • ATS3277 Making sense of Archaeological sites through their cultural objects
  • ATS3372 Great debates in anthropology
  • ATS3544 On a dig: Practical archaeology in the field
  • ATS3634 Indigenous peoples globally
  • ATS3677 Aboriginal languages of Australia
  • ATS3852 Contemporary issues in social science research

Relevant courses

Diplomas

  • A0502 Diploma of Liberal Arts

Bachelors

Single degrees

Successful completion of the minor or major can be counted towards meeting the requirements for the following single degrees:*

  • A2000 Bachelor of Arts
  • 0202 Bachelor of Letters

Students in other single bachelor's degrees may be eligible to complete the minor or major by using 24 or 48 points of their free electives.

Double degrees

Successful completion of the minor or major can be counted towards meeting the requirements for the Bachelor of Arts component in the following double degrees:*

  • A2005 Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Fine Art
  • A2004 Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Music
  • B2019 Bachelor of Business and Bachelor of Arts
  • B2012 Bachelor of Business Specialist and Bachelor of Arts
  • B2020 Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Arts
  • B2024 Bachelor of Commerce Specialist and Bachelor of Arts
  • D3002 Bachelor of Education (Honours) and Bachelor of Arts
  • E3002 Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) and Bachelor of Arts
  • C2002 Bachelor of Information Technology and Bachelor of Arts
  • L3003 Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and Bachelor of Arts
  • S2006 Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts

* Students cannot complete both the minor and major in the same area of study.