Studying online (if an online offering is shown below)
There are now 2 possible online modes for units:
Units with modes Online timetabled and Online flexible are available for any student to self-enrol and study online.
Click on an offering mode for more details.
Unit Overview
- Description
Ethnographic data and interpretations of it form the core of anthropology, and are increasingly important in criminology, and other qualitative social sciences. This unit considers how this data is produced. In a workshop setting, students read and analyse productions of the ethnographic imagination. By immersing themselves in the first-hand experiences of anthropologists, criminologists and social scientists and their fieldwork settings, students familiarise themselves with the process of 'doing' ethnography. The unit may address the following issues: (1) the connection of explanatory theories to methods of research; (2) methods of studying and interpreting everyday life—participant observation (everyday life as field research), questioning, recording, note-taking; (3) eliciting and interpreting accounts of social life—semi-structured interviews, questionnaires, genealogies, family histories, participatory social research; (4) observing and interpreting categories and symbols; (5) using information technology resources to source methods and explanations; (6) engaging with innovative and interdisciplinary research methodologies and issues; and (7) how to use ethnography to engage in inter-cultural analysis. The unit is focused upon jobs-ready skills. By the end, students will have developed the knowledge and experience necessary to immediately begin using ethnography, whether in the heritage sector, or in criminal justice, or in social policy and analysis. This unit is associated with UWA's new ‘Ethnography Lab'. The unit benefits enormously from its association with this world-class, and cutting-edge, research facility.
- Credit
- 6 points
- Offering
(see Timetable) Availability Location Mode Semester 1 UWA (Perth) Face to face Semester 1 Albany Face to face - Details for undergraduate courses
- Level 3 core unit in the Anthropology major sequence
- Level 3 option in the Criminology and Criminal Justice major sequence
- Level 3 elective
- Outcomes
Students are able to (1) demonstrate an understanding of key concepts in the history of ethnography in anthropology, criminology, and other social sciences; (2) develop a critical awareness of the politics and poetics of doing ethnography in different social and cultural contexts; understand the practical and ethical implications of ethnographic research; (3) develop the skills necessary to use ethnographic methods in professional settings, from heritage, to criminal justice, to community or international development; and (4) understand and evaluate the possibilities of multi-modal ethnography for future inter-cultural knowledge production.
- Assessment
Indicative assessments in this unit are as follows: (1) ethnographic essay; (2) fieldnotes assignment; and (3) ethnographic project. Further information is available in the unit outline.
Student may be offered supplementary assessment in this unit if they meet the eligibility criteria.
- Unit Coordinator(s)
- Professor Richard Vokes
- Unit rules
- Prerequisites
- Successful completion oflevel 2 24 points Unit(s)
- Contact hours
- up to 3 hours per teaching week
- The availability of units in Semester 1, 2, etc. was correct at the time of publication but may be subject to change.
- All students are responsible for identifying when they need assistance to improve their academic learning, research, English language and numeracy skills; seeking out the services and resources available to help them; and applying what they learn. Students are encouraged to register for free online support through GETSmart; to help themselves to the extensive range of resources on UWA's STUDYSmarter website; and to participate in WRITESmart and (ma+hs)Smart drop-ins and workshops.
- Visit the Essential Textbooks website to see if any textbooks are required for this Unit. The website is updated regularly so content may change. Students are recommended to purchase Essential Textbooks, but a limited number of copies of all Essential Textbooks are held in the Library in print, and as an ebook where possible. Recommended readings for the unit can be accessed in Unit Readings directly through the Learning Management System (LMS).
- Contact hours provide an indication of the type and extent of in-class activities this unit may contain. The total amount of student work (including contact hours, assessment time, and self-study) will approximate 150 hours per 6 credit points.
Face to face
Predominantly face-to-face. On campus attendance required to complete this unit. May have accompanying resources online.
Online flexible
100% Online Unit. NO campus face-to-face attendance is required to complete this unit. All study requirements are online only. Unit is asynchronous delivery, with NO requirement for students to participate online at specific times.
Online timetabled
100% Online Unit. NO campus face-to-face attendance is required to complete this unit. All study requirements are online only. Unit includes some synchronous components, with a requirement for students to participate online at specific times.
Online Restricted
Not available for self-enrolment. Students access this mode by contacting their student office through AskUWA. 100% Online Unit.
NO campus face-to-face attendance. All study and assessment requirements are online only. Unit includes some timetabled activities, with a requirement for students to participate online at specific times. In exceptional cases (noted in the Handbook) students may be required to participate in face-to-face laboratory classes when a return to UWA’s Crawley campus becomes possible in order to be awarded a final grade.
External
No attendance or regular contact is required, and all study requirements are completed either via correspondence and/or online submission.
Off-campus
Regular attendance is not required, but student attends the institution face to face on an agreed schedule for purposes of supervision and/or instruction.
Multi-mode
Multiple modes of delivery. Unit includes a mix of online and on-campus study requirements. On campus attendance for some activities is required to complete this unit.