Outline

Overview

How do different community groups create a sense of belonging and attachment to the historical and archaeological sites, memorials, protected areas, and landscapes they live in and around? How do communities create meaning and maintain identities through heritage places? What research methods and approaches are used in heritage studies to investigate these connections? In this unit of study students will be introduced to the research methods used to identify, document and assess social significance, intangible heritage, attachment and belonging.

Unit details and rules

Unit code	MHST6915
Academic unit	Archaeology
Credit points	6
Prohibitions ?	None
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	No

Teaching staff

Coordinator	James Flexner, james.flexner@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Tristen Jones, tristen.jones@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Assignment	Photo essay Photo essay	35%	Week 06 Due date: 30 Mar 2022 at 23:59	2500 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Presentation Pre-recorded presentation - upload powerpoint to Canvas dropbox	10%	Week 10 Due date: 04 May 2022 at 23:59	7 minutes/500 wds
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Essay Essay	45%	Week 12 Due date: 18 May 2022 at 23:59	3000 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Participation Self-reflection based on group discussion of presentations in Week 12.	10%	Week 13 Due date: 25 May 2022 at 23:59	500 words
Outcomes assessed:

Assessment summary

Presentation: Prepare a seven-minute talk on a community you belong to based on your photo essay. Maximum 5 slides.Presentations will be submitted online by Week 10.
Particpation: Class participation will be assessed by 1 blog post of no more than 500 words. For your post you need to find, read and discuss news items about heritage and community sourced from newspapers, websites, or television programs. You must cite the source and include at least one image. If you choose, use screen grabs and/or links to other internet sources.
Photo essay: A picture is worth a thousand words … however, for this photo essay each photograph will be accompanied by 100 words! Your task in this assessment is to take a series or sequence of 10 photographs that illustrate for you some aspect of community and heritage. It might be the street you live in, a festival, your house, a family gathering, a garden, a shared meal, an open day at a house museum: something that is relevant to your own sense of heritage. You get to choose a place or event. Get creative, get thinking!
Essay: Write a essay on one of the following topics posted on Canvas.

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	Work whose quality exceeds normal expectations for outstanding work at the student’s present level of enrolment. Written work more than meets the criteria for a High Distinction, displaying a marked degree of originality and/or scholarly professionalism. Depending on the task assigned, the exceptional qualities might include suggestion of a new perspective from which to view a problem, identification of a problem not adequately recognised in the standard literature,
Distinction	75 - 84	Work of a superior standard. Written work demonstrates initiative in research and reading, complex understanding and original analysis of subject matter and its context, both empirical and theoretical; makes a good attempt to ‘get behind’ the evidence and engage with its underlying assumptions, takes a critical, interrogative stance in relation to historical argument and interpretation, shows critical understanding of the principles and values underlying the unit. Properly documented; writing characterised by style, clarity, and some creativity.
Credit	65 - 74	Competent work, although further development is needed. Written work contains evidence of comprehensive reading, offers synthesis and critical evaluation of material on its own terms, takes a position in relation to various interpretations. In addition, it shows some extra spark of insight or analysis. Demonstrates good selection of evidence, coherent and sustainable argument, some evidence of independent thought, grasp of relevant museology or studies in cultural heritage.
Pass	50 - 64	Work of an acceptable standard. Written work meets basic requirements in terms of reading and research, and demonstrates a reasonable understanding of subject matter. Offers descriptive summary of material relevant to the question, but may have a tendency to paraphrase; makes a reasonable attempt to organise material logically and comprehensibly and to provide scholarly documentation. There may be gaps in any or all of these areas.
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades

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.

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:

Work not submitted on or before the due date is subject to a penalty of 5% per calendar day late. If work is submitted more than 10 days after the due date, or is submitted after the return date, the mark will be 0.

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.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

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.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Introduction to the unit: Defining communities – terminology, concepts and issues	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 02	Heritage and social values: why communities care	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 03	Attachment, Belonging, Conviviality: The basis for community heritage	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 04	Intangible heritage, memory and emotion	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 05	Understanding local community led heritage initiatives	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 06	Fieldtrip: Addison Road Community Centre, Marrickville	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 07	National heritage: identities, politics and heritage ‘nationalism’	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 08	World heritage and global communities	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 09	Exploring issues of ‘authenticity’ and continuing community cultural practices	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 10	Archaeology of communities and communities of archaeology	Field trip (2 hr)
Week 11	Articulating community belonging in a globalised world: Australian South Sea Islander Perspectives	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 12	Community led research and ethical practice in heritage; Small group discussion of student presentations	Seminar (2 hr)
Week 13	Self-reflection and Course Wrap-up	Seminar (2 hr)

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

See reading list in Canvas.

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. familiarize with the literature and current debates surrounding the role of community groups in heritage conservation and management
LO2. understand the concepts of belonging and attachment as used in heritage studies
LO3. appreciate and understand the contested and cross-cultural nature of heritage places
LO4. familiarize with and evaluate the methodologies used in heritage studies to identify community connections and meaning making
LO5. understand how identity, memory and intangible heritage are recognised and analysed in heritage studies.

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.

We have updated the topic list and made minor changes to assessment to make it more engaging (less watching student presentations in class time) and enhance student reflections on unit of study.

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

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

MHST6915: Heritage Studies and Communities

Semester 1, 2022 [Normal day] - Remote

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect