ATS2020 - Colonialism in comparison: Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific - 2017

The unit will examine the lives of indigenous people in the Pacific region and their experiences of colonisation. Students will gain an appreciation of the diversity of indigenous cultures in the Pacific region and the different forms of colonisation that were pursued in a various Pacific places, and by different types of imperial or colonial agents. It will examine the different responses of indigenous peoples to imperial and colonial encounters, and strategies of engagement and resistance pursued by indigenous populations in light of their own cultural, social and political structures. In addition, students will consider the role of the Pacific in the construction of academic knowledge in variety of disciplines, including history, anthropology, and racial thought.

The aim of the unit is to explore the diverse indigenous cultures of the Pacific, and the varied forms of colonisation which have been pursued in different Pacific sites. Subject matter to be discussed will be drawn from a variety of Pacific sites, including Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Samoa, Vanuatu, Hawaii, and Tonga. On successful completion of the unit students will be able to:

1. understand the diversity of Pacific peoples' lives;
2. acknowledge and critically examine the different forms of imperial and colonial intervention in the Pacific region;
3. describe and critically compare the nature of engagement and resistance as pursued by different indigenous peoples in the Pacific region;
4. critically examine the representation of Pacific encounters in the development of academic knowledge regarding human difference;
5. demonstrate the various study skills and techniques necessary to successfully complete this unit and other Indigenous Studies units.

Within semester assessment: 100%

Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. A unit requires on average three/four hours of scheduled activities per week. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.

See also Unit timetable information

Dr Rachel Standfield

Global cultural literacies

Indigenous cultures and histories

Twelve credit points of first-year Arts units.

ATS3020