ASS205 - Anthropology of Poverty and Development
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: | Trimester 1: Burwood (Melbourne), Waurn Ponds (Geelong), Cloud (online), CBD* |
| Credit point(s): | 1 |
| EFTSL value: | 0.125 |
| Unit Chair: | Trimester 1: Tanya King |
| Prerequisite: | Nil |
| Corequisite: | Nil |
| Incompatible with: | ASS305, ASS331 |
| 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
According to the World Health Organisation, poverty is the most powerful and dangerous disease in the world today. Its presence cannot be dissociated from global epidemics such as HIV/AIDS or from violence including ethnic and racial as well as gender violence. The alleviation of poverty remains the key problem for global action and human development. In this unit, students learn about how anthropologists analyse poverty and apply their knowledge to remedial action in the global environment.
Topics include the culture of poverty, the history of the concept of poverty, the causes of poverty and also its effects. Students learn how anthropologists engage with global organisations such as the WHO, the UN and other non-government organisations committed to development and the eradication of poverty. The global development industry is examined critically as an aspect of contemporary capitalism and world trade that has generated certain discourses such as relative deprivation, sustainable development and the Human Development Index in its attempts to understand poverty as a global phenomenon consisting of local and varied instances.
| These are the Learning Outcomes (ULO) for this unit At the completion of this unit, successful students can: | ||
| ULO1 | Evaluate and critically analyse an ethnography | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities GLO2: CommunicationGLO4: Critical thinking GLO5: Problem solving GLO8: Global citizenship |
| ULO2 | Compose, develop and critically assess a development industry document | GLO4: Critical thinking GLO5: Problem solving GLO8: Global citizenship |
| ULO3 | Debate, interpret and synthesize issues in the anthropology of poverty | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities GLO2: CommunicationGLO5: Problem solving GLO8: Global citizenship |
| ULO4 | Argue compose and construct a critique of development | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities GLO2: CommunicationGLO4: Critical thinking GLO5: Problem solving |
| ULO5 | Create, design, defend and propose a plan for development and the assistance in the alleviation of poverty to peers and industry experts | GLO7: Teamwork |
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 - Class and Online exercises | 20% | Information not yet available | |
| Assessment 2 - Online quizzes | 20% | Information not yet available | |
| Assessment 3 - Essay | 35% | Information not yet available | |
| Assessment 4 - Group project | 25% | Information not yet available |
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: ASS205 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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