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Overview

Being human, and humane, in a world where worlds collide. An introduction to cultural studies of globalisation, multiculturalism, tourism, media.

This paper introduces students to the study of human life from the global and local perspectives of socio-cultural anthropology. Using New Zealand and international studies, we explore together the distinctive characteristics of our field with its focus on tolerance, its celebration of human difference, its attention to the necessity for decolonisation and defamiliarisation of our taken for granted worlds, and our use of empirical fieldwork to create contemporary theories of power, values, identities, societies and cultures. We explore a human and humane response to the following questions:

  • How do/how should we live with globalisation?
  • What would a fully globalised world look like?
  • How does one account for enduring cultural diversities?
  • What are the relationships between, on the one hand, the mental/spiritual/cultural and, on the other, the physical/material/fiscal components of human realities?

About this paper

Paper title Global and Local Cultures
Subject Anthropology
EFTS 0.15
Points 18 points
Teaching period Semester 2 (On campus)
Domestic Tuition Fees ( NZD ) $1,103.10
International Tuition Fees Tuition Fees for international students are elsewhere on this website.
Schedule C
Arts and Music
Contact

Professor Ruth Fitzgerald

Teaching staff

Co-ordinator: Professor Ruth Fitzgerald

Contributing Lecturer: Dr Susan Wardell

Paper Structure

Our lectures are active learning environments, and so we request all of our students to arrive in class having read their allotted required reading prior to the lecture.

Teaching Arrangements

Two 1-hour lectures per week, plus one tutorial per week.

In this course we value your engagement, your ideas and your collegiality.

Textbooks

There is no textbook for the paper. Students will access their required readings prior to classes through the eReserve system on Blackboard.

Your readings are carefully selected, contemporary, peer-reviewed articles from popular social anthropology journals.

All key materials are available via library e-reserve and/or Blackboard.

Lecture outlines/notes are provided in advance of class and lectures are recorded and available via Blackboard.

Course outline

Copies are available through Blackboard via the course outline tab. Before the semester starts if you would like to see the previous year’s course outline to assess the course, you are welcome to email anthropology@otago.ac.nz to ask for a copy.

Graduate Attributes Emphasised
Global perspective, Interdisciplinary perspective, Lifelong learning, Scholarship, Communication, Critical thinking, Cultural understanding, Ethics, Research, Self-motivation.
View more information about Otago's graduate attributes.
Learning Outcomes

Students who successfully complete this paper will gain:

  • An understanding of how cultural diversity and homogeneity, respectively, are being produced in our 'global' world
  • An understanding of how human beings impact this new diversity and homogeneity and are, in turn, impacted by it
  • Exposure to some of the key theoretical, ethical and philosophical debates in the human sciences in order to prepare students for higher-level specialist anthropology papers, methods papers and as a useful adjunct paper to all degrees across the Divisions (anthropology being the most scientific of the arts and the most humanistic of the sciences)
  • An appreciation for the importance of self-reflection in social scientific and humanistic inquiry
Assessment details

This course is 100% internally assessed. The assessments are one in-class test, one research essay, an interactive weekly key lecture point quiz question, tutorial participation evaluation mark and a one page assessment of an interesting course reading.

Overview

Being human, and humane, in a world where worlds collide. An introduction to cultural studies of globalisation, multiculturalism, tourism, media.

This paper introduces students to the study of human life from the global and local perspectives of socio-cultural anthropology. Using New Zealand and international studies, we explore together the distinctive characteristics of our field with its focus on tolerance, its celebration of human difference, its attention to the necessity for decolonisation and defamiliarisation of our taken for granted worlds, and our use of empirical fieldwork to create contemporary theories of power, values, identities, societies and cultures. We explore a human and humane response to the following questions:

  • How do/how should we live with globalisation?
  • What would a fully globalised world look like?
  • How does one account for enduring cultural diversities?
  • What are the relationships between, on the one hand, the mental/spiritual/cultural and, on the other, the physical/material/fiscal components of human realities?

About this paper

Paper title Global and Local Cultures
Subject Anthropology
EFTS 0.15
Points 18 points
Teaching period Semester 2 (On campus)
Domestic Tuition Fees Tuition Fees for 2027 have not yet been set
International Tuition Fees Tuition Fees for international students are elsewhere on this website.
Schedule C
Arts and Music
Contact

Professor Ruth Fitzgerald

Teaching staff

Co-ordinator: Professor Ruth Fitzgerald

Lecturers:

  • Dr Susan Wardell
  • Dr Molly George
  • Tautemaria Silva
  • Paper Structure

    Our lectures are active learning environments, and so we request all of our students to arrive in class having read their allotted required reading prior to the lecture.

    Teaching Arrangements

    Two 1-hour lectures per week, plus one tutorial per week.

    In this course we value your engagement, your ideas and your collegiality.

    Textbooks

    There is no textbook for the paper. Students will access their required readings prior to classes through the eReserve system on Aoroa.

    Your readings are carefully selected, contemporary, peer-reviewed articles from popular social anthropology journals.

    All key materials are available via library e-reserve and/or Aoroa.

    Lecture outlines/notes are provided in advance of class and lectures are recorded and available via Aoroa.

    Course outline

    Copies are available through Aoroa via the course outline tab.

    Before the semester starts, if you would like to see the previous year’s course outline to assess the course, you are welcome to email anthropology@otago.ac.nz to ask for a copy.

    Graduate Attributes Emphasised
    Global perspective, Interdisciplinary perspective, Lifelong learning, Scholarship, Communication, Critical thinking, Cultural understanding, Ethics, Research, Self-motivation.
    View more information about Otago's graduate attributes.
    Learning Outcomes

    Students who successfully complete this paper will gain:

    • An understanding of how cultural diversity and homogeneity, respectively, are being produced in our "global" world.
    • An understanding of how human beings impact this new diversity and homogeneity and are, in turn, impacted by it.
    • Exposure to some of the key theoretical, ethical and philosophical debates in the human sciences to prepare for higher-level specialist anthropology papers, methods papers and as a useful adjunct paper to all degrees across the Divisions (anthropology being the most scientific of the arts and the most humanistic of the sciences).
    • An appreciation for the importance of self-reflection in social scientific and humanistic inquiry.
    Assessment details

    This course is 100% internally assessed:

    • Critical reading report (15%)
    • Tutorial participation: general (10%) and focussed (10%)
    • In-class test (30%)
    • Essay (35%)
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