ASR207 - Tibetan Buddhism
Unit details
Year: | 2020 unit information |
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Important Update: | Classes and seminars in Trimester 2/Semester 2, 2020 will be online. Physical distancing for coronavirus (COVID-19) will affect delivery of other learning experiences in this unit. Please check your unit sites for announcements and updates one week prior to the start of your trimester or semester. Last updated: 2 June 2020 |
Enrolment modes: | Trimester 1: Burwood (Melbourne), Waurn Ponds (Geelong), Cloud (online) |
Credit point(s): | 1 |
EFTSL value: | 0.125 |
Unit Chair: | Trimester 1: Gillian Tan |
Prerequisite: | Nil |
Corequisite: | Nil |
Incompatible with: | Nil |
Typical study commitment: | Students will on average spend 150 hours over the teaching period undertaking the teaching, learning and assessment activities for this unit. |
Scheduled learning activities - campus: | 1 x 2-hour class per week |
Scheduled learning activities - cloud: | Online independent and collaborative learning activities including 1 (one) scheduled online seminar per week |
Content
The popularity of Tibetan Buddhism in the West, advocated by celebrities such as Richard Gere, raises interesting questions about the appeal of this particular “religion”. Concurrently, a rising trend in practices grounded in Tibetan Buddhism, such as meditation and mindfulness, are distinctly presented as “not-religious”. What is Tibetan Buddhism, and how can we begin to further understand the complexities of this conceptual and practical system, with its distinct history, culture, language and philosophy?
In this unit, Tibetan Buddhism is presented according to two broad approaches: the first, which sets a general introduction to the unit, is trans-disciplinary and includes an exploration of historical adaptations of Buddhism in Tibetan regions and philosophical underpinnings to the various traditions of Tibetan Buddhism, among others. The second focuses on the ethnography of Buddhism in Tibetan cultural areas and beyond. By examining rich and in-depth cultural and symbolic practices of Tibetan Buddhism and highlighting the complexities of this continually adapting system, we develop critical insights on the nature of “religion” in Tibetan cultural areas and compare these with adopted practices in supposedly secular societies.
These are the Learning Outcomes (ULO) for this unit At the completion of this unit, successful students can: | ||
ULO1 | Understand and appreciate the variety of traditions and practices of Tibetan Buddhism | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities |
ULO2 | Demonstrate knowledge of the culture and history of Tibetan Buddhism | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities GLO2: Communication |
ULO3 | Analyse ethnographic practices of Tibetan Buddhism | GLO4: Critical thinking |
ULO4 | Compare and contrast different interpretive traditions and practices of Tibetan Buddhism across a range of contexts | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities GLO2: CommunicationGLO4: Critical thinking GLO5: Problem solving GLO6: Self-management |
These Unit Learning Outcomes are applicable for all teaching periods throughout the year
Assessment
Trimester 1:Assessment Description | Student output | Grading and weighting (% total mark for unit) | Indicative due week |
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Assessment 1 (Individual) - Short Essay | 1000 words | 25% | Week 4 |
Assessment 2 (Individual) - Online/Seminar exercises | 1000 words equivalent | 25% | Ongoing |
Assessment 3 (Individual) - Major Essay | 2000 words | 50% | Week 11 |
The assessment due weeks provided may change. The Unit Chair will clarify the exact assessment requirements, including the due date, at the start of the teaching period.
Learning Resource
There is no prescribed text. Unit materials are provided via the unit site. This includes unit topic readings and references to further information.
Unit Fee Information
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