Courses :: Module, AREA STUDIES II

	Overview
	This module visits the diverse and dynamic cultures of the Pacific Islands, exploring seemingly exotic systems of exchange, patterns of ritual, cosmological constructs, notions of gender, styles of sexual practice, and more. We review both long-term trends in Pacific history (e.g., how people populated the Pacific islands over several thousand years, patterns of agricultural intensification) and those more recent (e.g., the social dynamics of Christian conversion, post-colonial government, and natural resource extraction). The module pairs the innovative and inventive forms of sociality exhibited across the Pacific with the innovations the ethnography of the Pacific has yielded for both anthropology and social theory as a whole, focusing especially on theories of economy and value, personhood and gender, and culture and history.

Overview

This module visits the diverse and dynamic cultures of the Pacific Islands, exploring seemingly exotic systems of exchange, patterns of ritual, cosmological constructs, notions of gender, styles of sexual practice, and more. We review both long-term trends in Pacific history (e.g., how people populated the Pacific islands over several thousand years, patterns of agricultural intensification) and those more recent (e.g., the social dynamics of Christian conversion, post-colonial government, and natural resource extraction). The module pairs the innovative and inventive forms of sociality exhibited across the Pacific with the innovations the ethnography of the Pacific has yielded for both anthropology and social theory as a whole, focusing especially on theories of economy and value, personhood and gender, and culture and history.

	Learning Outcomes
	On successful completion of the module, students should be able to: As a result of this module, assuming that the student (1) attends all lectures, diligently taking notes, and (2) completes all assigned readings, studying the concepts in those readings, and (3) completes all assigned work, giving full effort to that work, then it is reasonable to assume that by the end of this module, the student will: become familiar with the history of Pacific Islands peoples; become familiar with the contemporary diversity of Pacific Islands cultures, with a focus on Melanesia; relate ethnographic work in Melanesia and the Pacific more broadly to questions in anthropology and social theory.

Learning Outcomes

	Autumn Supplementals/Resits
	Repeat students must sit the repeat exam in Autumn and submit their continuous assessment by a date before the Autumn examination, which will be specified by the department. Students are responsible for familiarising themselves with this deadline. If students do not submit by the deadline, the existing continuous assessment mark will be carried forward to the Autumn. No continuous assessment work will be accepted after this date. The maximum mark awarded to a piece of continuous assessment submitted for the Autumn repeat examinations is 50%. This will apply except upon presentation of a medical certificate covering the relevant period or in other extremely extenuating circumstances, which must be communicated to, and accepted by, the lecturer prior to, or immediately after, the relevant deadline.

Autumn Supplementals/Resits

	Pre-Requisites
	AN111, except for occasional students.

Pre-Requisites

	Timetable
	This timetable is not currently available, please contact the Anthropology Department.

Timetable

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AREA STUDIES II