ANTH 2054 - The Sexual Body

North Terrace Campus - Semester 2 - 2016

This course explores how sexuality is understood and experienced cross-culturally. Utilising a variety of historical and cross-cultural frameworks and examples, it will investigate some central theories of sexuality in order to locate particular ideological, political, economic, religious, global and other influences on conceptualisations of human sexuality. In particular, it will examine ethnographic research that questions the 'natural' or given qualities of sexual bodies, identities, ideas and practices. In order to do this, the course will also examine what are often characterised as sexual abnormalities or aberrations in our own and other cultures, such as third genders and homosexual practices. The course will focus on taken for granted aspects of sexuality, especially those assumptions about gendered roles in sexual practices and ideas, the ways in which these may become naturalised, and how anthropology may provide useful ways to critically explore the corporeal and cultural bases of ideas and practices of sexuality. Finally, the course will explore the various ethical and practical problems that anthropologists of sexuality have encountered in specific ethnographic research, and the ways in which they have been able to shed light on more general problems in ethnographic research pertaining to power, reflexivity, and anthropological methodologies and theories.

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Course Details

Course Code	ANTH 2054
Course	The Sexual Body
Coordinating Unit	Anthropology and Development Studies
Term	Semester 2
Level	Undergraduate
Location/s	North Terrace Campus
Units	3
Contact	Up to 3 hours per week
Available for Study Abroad and Exchange	Y
Prerequisites	At least 12 units of level 1 Arts courses
Incompatible	ANTH 2016, ANTH 3016
Assessment	1200 word journal (30%), 1500 word major essay (40%), Oral team seminar presentation (20%), participation (10%)

Course Staff

Course Coordinator: Dr Alison Dundon

Course Timetable

The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

Course Learning Outcomes

1. To provide an understanding of the broad nature and theories of the anthropological analysis of cross-cultural sexualities.

2. To develop knowledge of and insight into key issues concerning the cross-cultural study of sexual cultures in anthropology.

3. To foster the ability to understand and apply key theoretical approaches to ethnographic representations of contemporary sexual practices, ideals and identities.

4. To develop the ability to critically evaluate central themes, propositions and concepts in the anthropology of sexuality.

5. To promote an interest and insight into the diversity of human sexual practices, relationships and beliefs.

6. To develop the skills to work collaboratively in teams as well as individually in a learning and research environment.

7. To foster an interest in and commitment to continuous learning and social scientific research in particular.

University Graduate Attributes

This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

University Graduate Attribute	Course Learning Outcome(s)
Deep discipline knowledge informed and infused by cutting edge research, scaffolded throughout their program of studies acquired from personal interaction with research active educators, from year 1 accredited or validated against national or international standards (for relevant programs)	1, 2, 5
Critical thinking and problem solving steeped in research methods and rigor based on empirical evidence and the scientific approach to knowledge development demonstrated through appropriate and relevant assessment	3, 4
Teamwork and communication skills developed from, with, and via the SGDE honed through assessment and practice throughout the program of studies encouraged and valued in all aspects of learning	6
Career and leadership readiness technology savvy professional and, where relevant, fully accredited forward thinking and well informed tested and validated by work based experiences	7
Intercultural and ethical competency adept at operating in other cultures comfortable with different nationalities and social contexts able to determine and contribute to desirable social outcomes demonstrated by study abroad or with an understanding of indigenous knowledges	1, 2, 5
Self-awareness and emotional intelligence a capacity for self-reflection and a willingness to engage in self-appraisal open to objective and constructive feedback from supervisors and peers able to negotiate difficult social situations, defuse conflict and engage positively in purposeful debate	1, 2, 6

Learning Resources

Required Resources

There is a Book of Readings available for this course from the Image and Copy Centre, Level 1, Hughes Building. The Book of Readings consists of a copy of the Course Profile and the Essential Readings for each SEMINAR as listed in the course structure.

Recommended Resources

For those who wish to read beyond the essential readings for each week or for use in developing and researching assessments, supplementary readings have also been suggested for each week and will be available on MyUni or in Reserve or on databases at the Library. Please see Helen Attar, Research Librarian for Anthropology, for further enquiries about anthropological sources online and in the library. Contact details: Tel: 8313 5345; Email: helen.attar@adelaide.edu.au.

Online Learning

Lectures will be recorded each week and made available on MyUni. Course lecture PowerPoints and additional notes or references will also be made available on MyUni after the relevant lecture. The PowerPoints only refer to the main points or issues raised in the lectures and are not a substitute for attending and/or listening to recorded lectures. Essay questions will also made available on MyUni as will any adjustments made to lecture and tutorial times or locations (or cancellations),and other announcements.
Learning & Teaching Activities

Learning & Teaching Modes

Course work is made up of three components: lectures, seminars and assignments. Attendance at and participation in lectures and tutorials is essential as is completion of all assessment requirements. All are essential for your learning and development in this course.

Workload

The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

Lectures:

There is one hour of lecture each week in this course, which is essential to your successful completion of the course. These lectures introduce and examine the central themes of the week’s topic and the information that you receive is vital for your participation in seminars as well as the successful completion of assessment requirements. The lectures involve practical discussions and activities as well as making use of Youtube and other sources of information. There will be a mix of face-to-face and online lectures.

Seminars:

Students are required to attend one two-hour seminar per week. Attendance at and participation in these is a primary requirement of this course. There are two/three ‘Essential’ readings set for each seminar available in a book of readings available from Image & Copy Centre. These readings are designed to complement the material presented in the lectures and are essential for participation in the seminars.

Learning Activities Summary

Week One: Sexual Lives
Week Two: Sexual Selves
Week Three: Sexual Cultures
Week Four: Journal Activity
Week Five: Gendered Sexualities
Week Six: Sexual Bodies
Week Seven: Sexual Subjectivities
Week Eight: Sexual Intimacies
Week Nine: Sexual Selves Online
Week Ten: Sexuality and Spirituality
Week Eleven: Research Activity

Specific Course Requirements

The assignments set for this course are an essay; one student-led team seminar; seminar participation, and a course journal. Students are required to attend one two-hour seminar per week. Attendance at and participation in these on a weekly basis is a primary requirement of this course.

Small Group Discovery Experience

Small Group Discovery Experience is evident in each of the weekly lectures and seminars, but is a focus in particular in the following:

Week 4 Abstract and Essay Activity
Weeks 5 -11 inclusive especially Week 8 Online activity and Week 11 Research Activity

The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
Assessment must maintain academic standards.

Assessment Summary

There are four (4) components of assessment for this course: these include a research essay; a student-led seminar team; seminar participation, and a course journal.

Assessment Related Requirements

Assessment Detail

Seminar Participation
Students are expected to come and participate at weekly seminars and complete the minimum number of readings set as essential reading for the week. Students are also required to participate in the weekly activities and discussions organised for the week.

Student-led Seminar
These student-led seminars will take place between Weeks 5-10. There will three components to the student-led sminars, which can be run in any sequence by seminar team leaders:
1. A slideshow or pre-recorded video clip of between 5-10 minutes, poster or other form of visual/aural media that presents a series of slides or presentations or images etc that point to the central issues raised in the readings for the week as well as an introduction to the primary issues of the topic. There will be no formal presentation but rather this creative visual/aural representation of the key issues raised by the week’s case study. 2. An activity that is based on interaction with the whole class that is organised and run by the team of workshop leaders. This could take the form of a role play, or a debate or a game that is based on the case study, or the construction of a project or policy document by members of the class. 3. Discussion questions for the class, designed to engage all members of the workshop group and encourage their participation in the discussion.

Essay
Each student must submit an essay of 2000 words at the end of the course. Detailed requirements and instructions for the essay will be made available on MyUni and handed out and discussed in depth in classes.

Course Journal
The course journal of 1200 words. The journal will be based on the topics and issues raised in the first three weeks of the course. it will consist of three (3) entries based on the topics Sexual Lives, Sexual Selves & Sexual Cultures of 400 words each. These journal entries will demonstrate your level of participation in the course in the seminars and lectures, and will allow you to reflect on central anthropological practices and ideas about sexuality in a less formal form of assessment than the essay. The journal entries can be submitted individually or together.

Submission

Essays are to be submitted online via the MyUni site. For guidance on how to submit your assignment electronically via MyUni, please go to http://www.adelaide.edu.au/myuni/tutorials/ and click on the ‘Submit an Assignment’ tutorial.

Assignments submitted MORE THAN TWO WEEKS AFTER THE DUE DATE without an approved extended submission date will not be accepted or assessed. Please see the Course Coordinator or Tutor as early as possible if you think that you may not be able to complete your essay by the due date. Extensions for essays will be assessed in terms of demonstrable physical or emotional hardship and should be accompanied by adequate documentation (medical or counsellor’s certificate for example). In the interest of justice for all students in the course, PENALTIES OF 5% PER WORKING DAY will be deducted from essays handed in without an approved extension. Word lengths of assignments should be adhered to but unless the assignment is more than 20% over or under the stated word limit, there will be no penalty recorded on the marking schema. In general, keeping the assignment within 10% (under or over) of the word limit is ideal.

Course Grading

Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
Grade	Mark	Description
FNS		Fail No Submission
F	1-49	Fail
P	50-64	Pass
C	65-74	Credit
D	75-84	Distinction
HD	85-100	High Distinction
CN		Continuing
NFE		No Formal Examination
RP		Result Pending

Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

Student Feedback

The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.
Student Support
Policies & Guidelines
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
Fraud Awareness

Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student’s disciplinary procedures.

The University of Adelaide is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The University of Adelaide therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.

Authorised by:	Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Academic)
Maintained by:	Course Outlines Administrator