HIST6051

Issues in Australian Heritage

10 Units 6000 Level Course

Not available in 2014

Introduces the field of heritage to postgraduate students in Australian Studies. Using paper-based, email supported distance teaching mode, this course will encourage students to engage with the heritage industry in a critical fashion. Heritage is the most popular form of history, but it is also a field which creates intense conflict between government authorities, property owners, community members and would-be developers. We will consider whose past is represented by heritage, and its costs and benefits. Drawing on the ideas of advocates and critics of heritage, students will mount their own case studies of Australian heritage and develop insights into the workings of the industry and its impact on Australian society.

Objectives This course will prepare students to engage critically with heritage as it is produced in contemporary Australia.

After completing this course, the student will be able to:
1. Apply critical analytical tools to representations of the past in heritage sites and other heritage products
2. Identify the legislative and institutional framework within which the Australian heritage industry operates
3. Actively contribute to the process of identification and management of Australia's heritage
Content This course will investigate:
1. The parameters of heritage: Natural, Indigenous, European
2. The international origins of the heritage movement
3. Attitudes to the past in Australia
4. The growth of local history, antiquarian and architectural associations
5. Residents Action Groups and Green Bans
6. Government intervention and cooption of heritage
7. The institutionalisation of heritage
8. Indigenous Peoples and the concept and operation of heritage
9. Case studies of specific Australian heritage sites
Replacing Course(s) HUMA6051
Transition Students who have completed HUMA6051 can not enrol in HIST6051.
Industrial Experience 0
Assumed Knowledge undergraduate program, preferably in the Humanities
Modes of Delivery Distance Learning : Paper Based
Teaching Methods Email Discussion Group
Self Directed Learning
Assessment Items
Essays / Written Assignments Heritage site review, 15% of total course assessment, 1000 words, due in approximately week 4 of the course.
Essays / Written Assignments Theoretical essay, 25% of total course assessment, 2000 words, due in approximately week 8 of the course.
Essays / Written Assignments Case study, 40% of total course assessment, 5000 words, due in approximately week 12 of the course.
Group/tutorial participation and contribution Participation in on-line forums, email discussions and weekly tasks, 20% of total course assessment, on going
Contact Hours Self Directed Learning: for 2 hour(s) per Week for Full Term