Outline

Overview

This unit of study examines contemporary global issues from anthropological perspectives. Global crises affect all forms of life - both human and 'more-than-human' - in different and unequal ways. There are no one-size-fits-all solutions to humanity’s planetary future. The first step towards healing is to stay with the trouble, by listening to each other. Anthropologists are trained to listen so that they can disrupt takenfor-granted norms and imagine the future otherwise. Students will think with anthropological works that explore topics such as climate change, financial crisis, pandemic, and war. By doing so, we aim to explore how we can create a more just and kinder world together.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Anthropology
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	ANTH1004
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Ryan Schram, ryan.schram@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Luis Angosto Ferrandez, luis.angosto-ferrandez@sydney.edu.au
	Ryan Schram, ryan.schram@sydney.edu.au
	Shiori Shakuto, shiori.shakuto@sydney.edu.au

Assessment

The census date for this unit availability is 1 September 2025

Details
Criteria

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length	Use of AI
Written work	Second essay Argue for an answer to an open, debatable question.	25%	Formal exam period Due date: 17 Nov 2025 at 17:00 Closing date: 01 Dec 2025	1000 words	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Out-of-class quiz	Concept and class policies quiz Answer 10 multiple choice questions as a self-check. #earlyfeedbacktask	10%	Week 03 Due date: 22 Aug 2025 at 17:00 Closing date: 05 Sep 2025	500 words equiv.	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Written work	Creative task and commentary Apply knowledge on a choice of exercises	25%	Week 08 Due date: 22 Sep 2025 at 17:00 Closing date: 06 Oct 2025	1000 words	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Written work	First essay Apply a key concept to analyze a selected case.	25%	Week 11 Due date: 20 Oct 2025 at 17:00 Closing date: 03 Nov 2025	1000 words	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Portfolio or journal	Weekly writing assignments Reflect on how your thinking is changing week to week.	15%	Weekly	10 x 100 ea.	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
= hurdle task ? = early feedback task ?

Early feedback task

This unit includes an early feedback task, designed to give you feedback prior to the census date for this unit. Details are provided in the Canvas site and your result will be recorded in your Marks page. It is important that you actively engage with this task so that the University can support you to be successful in this unit.

Assessment summary

See the class Canvas site for the full details of and guidance on each of the assignments.

Assessment criteria

Both essays must be submitted in order to avoid a grade of "absent fail."

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a High distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a Distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100
Distinction	75 - 84
Credit	65 - 74
Pass	50 - 64
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grade

For more information see guide to grades.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

You can use generative AI tools for open assessments. Restrictions on AI use apply to secure, supervised assessments used to confirm if students have met specific learning outcomes.

Refer to the assessment table above to see if AI is allowed, for assessments in this unit and check Canvas for full instructions on assessment tasks and AI use.

If you use AI, you must always acknowledge it. Misusing AI may lead to a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy.

Visit the Current Students website for more information on AI in assessments, including details on how to acknowledge its use.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

Stay in touch with your tutor and the unit instructors throughout the semester, especially if you get behind. You can always catch up and we want give students an opportunity to do their best work. Late penalties are per FASS policy, and discretion can be applied.

Academic integrity

The University expects students to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

Our website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. This includes advice on how to avoid common breaches of academic integrity. Ensure that you have completed the Academic Honesty Education Module (AHEM) which is mandatory for all commencing coursework students

Penalties for serious breaches can significantly impact your studies and your career after graduation. It is important that you speak with your unit coordinator if you need help with completing assessments.

Visit the Current Students website for more information on AI in assessments, including details on how to acknowledge its use.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Support for students

The Support for Students Policy reflects the University’s commitment to supporting students in their academic journey and making the University safe for students. It is important that you read and understand this policy so that you are familiar with the range of support services available to you and understand how to engage with them.

The University uses email as its primary source of communication with students who need support under the Support for Students Policy. Make sure you check your University email regularly and respond to any communications received from the University.

Learning resources and detailed information about weekly assessment and learning activities can be accessed via Canvas. It is essential that you visit your unit of study Canvas site to ensure you are up to date with all of your tasks.

If you are having difficulties completing your studies, or are feeling unsure about your progress, we are here to help. You can access the support services offered by the University at any time:

Support and Services (including health and wellbeing services, financial support and learning support)
Course planning and administration
Meet with an Academic Adviser

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	What is anthropology and why should anyone care? (Economic rationality and the reality of society)	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 02	Gifts, commodities, and spheres of exchange / West (2012) / Eriksen (2015); Lyon (2020)	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 03	Spheres of exchange, in comparative and historical perspective / Swanson (2014a) / Swanson (2014b); Deomampo (2019)	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 04	Transnational families and global gifts / Leinaweaver (2010); Wright (2020)	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 05	Taking kitchens seriously / Marçal (2015), prologue and chap. 1; Appadurai (1988)	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 06	Ethical and sustainable consumption practices revisited / Chin (1999) / Shakuto and Yeoh (n.d.)	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 07	From home to global / Besky (2014), intro.; Gewertz and Errington (2010), intro.	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 08	The right to housing and the moral economy / Sabaté (2016) / Gilliland (2020); Eriksen (2015)	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 09	The right to housing (ii): Family welfare? / Palomera (2020)	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 10	The right to a home(land)?: Dignity as a mobilizer / Franquesa (2019)	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 11	New research: Special topic to be announced	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 12	New research: Special topic to be announced	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 13	A home at the end of the world: Anthropology and human futures	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance: According to Faculty Board Resolutions, students in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences are expected to attend 90% of their classes. If you attend less than 50% of classes, regardless of the reasons, you may be referred to the Examiner’s Board. The Examiner’s Board will decide whether you should pass or fail the unit of study if your attendance falls below this threshold.
Lecture recording: Most lectures (in recording-equipped venues) will be recorded and may be made available to students on the LMS. However, you should not rely on lecture recording to substitute your classroom learning experience.
Preparation: Students should commit to spend approximately three hours’ preparation time (reading, studying, homework, essays, etc.) for every hour of scheduled instruction.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

Recommended and required readings as well as other supplementary resources are available through the Library. They can be found in the Library catalogue and through the Leganto interface (“Reading List”) to the catalogue on the class Canvas site. See each week’s notes page for details on the topics and readings we cover in class.

References

Appadurai, Arjun. 1988. “How to Make a National Cuisine: Cookbooks in Contemporary India.” Comparative Studies in Society and History 30 (1): 3–24. https://www.jstor.org/stable/179020.

Besky, Sarah. 2014. The Darjeeling Distinction: Labor and Justice on Fair-Trade Tea Plantations in India. Berkeley: University of California Press. https://hdl.handle.net/2027/heb33049.0001.001.

Chin, Elizabeth. 1999. “Ethnically Correct Dolls: Toying with the Race Industry.” American Anthropologist 101 (2): 305–21. https://doi.org/10.1525/aa.1999.101.2.305.

Deomampo, Daisy. 2019. “Racialized Commodities: Race and Value in Human Egg Donation.” Medical Anthropology 38 (7): 620–33. https://doi.org/10.1080/01459740.2019.1570188.

Eriksen, Thomas Hylland. 2015. “Exchange and Consumption.” In Small Places, Large Issues: An Introduction to Social and Cultural Anthropology, 4th ed., 217–40. London: Pluto Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt183p184.16.

Franquesa, Jaume. 2019. “The Vanishing Exception: Republican and Reactionary Specters of Populism in Rural Spain.” The Journal of Peasant Studies 46 (3): 537–60. https://doi.org/10.1080/03066150.2019.1578751.

Gewertz, Deborah, and Frederick Errington. 2010. Cheap Meat: Flap Food Nations in the Pacific Islands. Berkeley: University of California Press. https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520260931/cheap-meat.

Gilliland, Mary Kay. 2020. “Family and Marriage.” In Perspectives: An Open Invitation to Cultural Anthropology, edited by Thomas McIlwraith, Nina Brown, and Laura T. de González, 182–203. Arlington, Va.: The American Anthropological Association. https://pressbooks.pub/perspectives/chapter/family-and-marriage/.

Leinaweaver, Jessaca B. 2010. “Outsourcing Care: How Peruvian Migrants Meet Transnational Family Obligations.” Latin American Perspectives 37 (5): 67–87. https://doi.org/10.1177/0094582X10380222.

Lyon, Sarah. 2020. “Economics.” In Perspectives: An Open Invitation to Cultural Anthropology, edited by Nina Brown, Thomas McIlwraith, and Laura Tubelle de González. Arlington, Va.: The American Anthropological Association. https://pressbooks.pub/perspectives/chapter/economics/.

Marçal, Katrine. 2015. Who Cooked Adam Smith’s Dinner?: A Story about Women and Economics. Translated by Saskia Vogel. 1st ed. Brunswick, Victoria: Scribe Publications.

Palomera, Jaime. 2020. “Family, Housing as an Asset, and the Production of Welfare.” In Grassroots Economies: Living with Austerity in Southern Europe, edited by Susana Narotzky. London: Pluto Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv17ppccg.

Sabaté, Irene. 2016. “The Spanish Mortgage Crisis and the Re-Emergence of Moral Economies in Uncertain Times.” History and Anthropology 27 (1): 107–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/02757206.2015.1111882.

Shakuto, Shiori, and Brenda S. A. Yeoh. n.d. “Wrapped in Care: Plastics, Gender and Precarity in Japan.” Manuscript under review (Available on Canvas).

Swanson, Kara W. 2014a. “Feminine Banks and the Milk of Human Kindness.” In Banking on the Body: The Market in Blood, Milk, and Sperm in Modern America, 159–97. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press. https://doi.org/10.4159/harvard.9780674369481.

———. 2014b. “Introduction: Banking for Love and for Money.” In Banking on the Body: The Market in Blood, Milk, and Sperm in Modern America, 1–14. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press. https://doi.org/10.4159/harvard.9780674369481.

West, Paige. 2012. “Village Coffee.” In From Modern Production to Imagined Primitive: The Social World of Coffee from Papua New Guinea, 101–29. Durham, N.C.: Duke University Press.

Wright, Andrea. 2020. “Making Kin from Gold: Dowry, Gender, and Indian Labor Migration to the Gulf.” Cultural Anthropology 35 (3): 435–61. https://doi.org/10.14506/ca35.3.04

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. gain an introductory level of knowledge about key concepts in anthropology
LO2. gain familiarity with ethnographic writing and argumentation
LO3. acquire skills in cross-cultural comparison
LO4. develop written communication skills
LO5. apply key anthropological and ethnographic insights in reflexive analysis
LO6. develop critical thinking

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

This class has been redesigned on the basis of feedback and experience in first-year teaching to offer a wider range of topics and perspectives.

Additional information

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Early feedback task

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

ANTH1002: Anthropology for a Better World

Semester 2, 2025 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Early feedback task

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links