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Unit outline_

ARHT3617: British Art and Empire

Semester 2, 2020 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

This unit critically analyses the role of the visual arts in mediating the experience of urbanism in 19th-century Britain and its function across a global Empire. We undertake an in-depth study of the rich holdings of this art at the Art Gallery of New South Wales.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit Art History
Credit points 6
Prerequisites
? 
12 credit points at 2000 level in Art History
Corequisites
? 
None
Prohibitions
? 
ARHT2617
Assumed knowledge
? 

None

Available to study abroad and exchange students

Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator Jos Hackforth-Jones, jos.hackforth-jones@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s) Jos Hackforth-Jones, jos.hackforth-jones@sydney.edu.au
Type Description Weight Due Length
Assignment Exhibition review
Written assessment
40% Week 07
Due date: 18 Oct 2020 at 23:59
1500 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO3 LO6 LO7 LO8
Assignment Essay
Written assessment
60% Week 11
Due date: 15 Nov 2020 at 23:59
3000 words
Outcomes assessed: LO2 LO4 LO5 LO7 LO8

Assessment summary

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

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.

For more information see guide to grades.

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.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the Learning Hub’s Canvas page.

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The AI in Education Canvas site contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

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.

WK Topic Learning activity Learning outcomes
Week 01 Imperial Formations Lecture (2 hr) LO8
Contexts for studying visual culture and the British Empire Tutorial (1 hr) LO2
Week 02 Cook: exploration, art and science in the service of Empire Lecture (2 hr) LO6
Representing Cook then and now Tutorial (1 hr) LO1 LO7
Week 03 Claiming the land Settlement and landscape Lecture (2 hr) LO2 LO8
Reading landscapes: From the edge to the interior Tutorial (1 hr) LO1 LO4
Week 04 The Imperial Body I Lecture (2 hr) LO8
Early views of indigenous peoples and animals Tutorial (1 hr) LO2 LO6 LO7
Week 05 The Dark heart of Empire Lecture (2 hr) LO1 LO5 LO8
Visualising slavery and punishment Tutorial (1 hr) LO2 LO7 LO8
Week 06 Exhibiting Empire Lecture (2 hr) LO1 LO3 LO4
Who speaks for whom? Indigenous agency and speaking voices Tutorial (1 hr) LO2 LO4 LO7
Week 07 New Visual Technologies Lecture (2 hr) LO3 LO4 LO8
Colonial Photography Tutorial (1 hr) LO2 LO3 LO7
Week 08 Imperial institutions Lecture (2 hr) LO4 LO5
Museums and Empire Tutorial (1 hr) LO4 LO7 LO8
Week 09 The Imperial Body II Lecture (2 hr) LO2 LO8
Portraiture, empire and cultural crossing Tutorial (1 hr) LO1 LO6 LO7
Week 10 Centre and periphery Lecture (2 hr) LO2 LO5 LO8
Imperial encounters and indigenous perspectives Tutorial (1 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO7
Week 11 Legacies of Empire Lecture (2 hr) LO2 LO3 LO8
Collecting, conserving, consuming and classifying empire Tutorial (1 hr) LO3 LO4 LO5 LO7
Week 12 The resonances of Empire now Lecture (2 hr) LO2 LO5 LO8
Contemporary Art and Empire. Black Lives Matter. Tutorial (1 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO5 LO7

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. If a unit of study has a participation mark, your attendance may influence this mark.
  • Lecture recordings: Most lectures (in recording-equipped venues) will be recorded and may be made available to students on Canvas. 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.

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.

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

  • LO1. exercise sophisticated skills of visual and spatial observation and analysis of works of art, architecture, and visual culture
  • LO2. demonstrate understanding of the depth and complexity of art and the relationships between art and specific historical, cultural, and social contexts in a diverse range of global examples
  • LO3. exhibit knowledge of the diversity and multiplicity of materials and techniques that comprise art as it is practiced worldwide, and recognise and distinguish between materials and techniques
  • LO4. engage with the physical presence and contexts in museums, sites, and other settings of artworks and spaces encountered first hand and in situ
  • LO5. use a variety of tools and methods to research artworks and sites, and critically evaluate sources of information about artworks
  • LO6. demonstrate specific and in-depth knowledge of particular periods, forms, genres, and areas within the larger field of art history
  • LO7. participate actively in communicating and presenting in oral, written, and digital forms
  • LO8. explore artworks in their relation to other cultural forms and modes of expression.

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
GQ1 GQ2 GQ3 GQ4 GQ5 GQ6 GQ7 GQ8 GQ9

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

This unit is being taught by a new lecturer this time.

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.