ASS233 - Myth and Ritual

Unit details

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Year2018 unit information
Enrolment modes:Trimester 1: Burwood (Melbourne), Waurn Ponds (Geelong), Online
Credit point(s):1
EFTSL value:0.125
Unit chair:

Rohan Bastin

Prerequisite:

Nil

Corequisite:

Nil

Incompatible with:

Nil

Contact hours:

Campus: 1 x 1 hour Class per week, 1 x 1 hour Seminar per week

Cloud (online): Learning experiences are via CloudDeakin

Content

An introduction to the anthropology of religion. The unit examines the comparative study of cosmology, myth and ritual systems and their importance in the history of anthropological thought. The unit focuses predominantly on forms, recurrent themes and cross-cultural comparisons of myth. Through the analysis of creation myths, eternal return, and the concept of mythical archetypes such as trickster and hero, the unit critically evaluates different theoretical approaches centring on concepts of mythical thought and the human unconscious. Attention then shifts to the nature of ritual and to the relationship (or not) between ritual and myth. Themes explored include sacrifice, ritual time (and eternal return), life crisis, festival and performance, trance and ritual virtuality. Through the study of these phenomena the unit concludes with some initial propositions concerning anthropology and religious experience.

Assessment

Campus:

Class and 0nline exercises 20%

Online quizzes 20%

Essay 35%

Journal 25%

 

Cloud (online):

Online exercises 20%

Online quizzes 20%

Essay 35%

Journal 25%

Unit Fee Information

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