ASS203 - Being Human (With the Nonhuman)
Unit details
| Year: | 2020 unit information |
|---|---|
| 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: | 2020 - Trimester 1: Burwood (Melbourne), Waurn Ponds (Geelong), Cloud (online), CBD* 2021 - Trimester 2: Burwood (Melbourne), Waurn Ponds (Geelong), Cloud (online), CBD* |
| 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 1-hour class per week, 1 x 1-hour seminar per week |
| Scheduled learning activities - cloud: | 1 x 1-hour class per week (recordings provided), 1 x 1-hour online seminar per week |
Note:*CBD refers to the National Indigenous Knowledges, Education, Research and Innovation (NIKERI) Institute; Community Based Delivery | |
Content
This unit introduces students to the various ways that “being human” is understood and experienced among different groups of people, particularly in their classifications of, and relationships with, nonhumans, such as animals and deities. A framework of what it means to be human often presupposes a certain definition of consciousness. For the most part, this is predicated on the subjective “I” and a corollary understanding of the individual. But is this framework universal? How do people in non-modern societies, for example, convey what it means to be human? This unit explores the multiple ways of “being human” and suggests that one articulation reveals itself through relationships with nonhumans. By examining how nonhumans are included into society – through kinship structures, for example – and the implications on notions of personhood and consciousness, this unit opens up the possibilities of what it means to be human while simultaneously clarifying its scope.
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| These are the Learning Outcomes (ULO) for this unit At the completion of this unit, successful students can: | |
| ULO1 | Define and assess broad approaches within human-nonhuman relations, with a critical awareness of dualism and its implications | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities GLO4: Critical thinking |
| ULO2 | Analyse (articulate, synthesize and compare) how personhood is understood among various groups of peoples from non-modern societies | GLO4: Critical thinking |
| ULO3 | Conduct ethnographic observations of everyday classificatory categories in student pairs to demonstrate how categories are constructed | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities GLO7: Teamwork |
| ULO4 | Compare and contrast human-nonhuman relations across the globe, and reflect on the observations with awareness of one's own assumptions and practices | GLO8: Global citizenship |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment 1 - Seminar exercises | 25% | Week 6 | |
| Assessment 2 - Journal | 35% | Week 9 | |
| Assessment 3 - Essay | 40% | 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
The texts and reading list for the unit can be found on the University Library via the link below: ASS203 Note: Select the relevant trimester reading list. Please note that a future teaching period's reading list may not be available until a month prior to the start of that teaching period so you may wish to use the relevant trimester's prior year reading list as a guide only.
Unit Fee Information
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