Education and Society: Ideals and Realities

This course considers the connections and tensions between ideals and realities in education and society. Drawing on work in the sociology of education, the philosophy of education, and educational policy studies, as well as on educational practices, the course addresses questions such as these: How should society be structured? What do we hope to achieve through education? Why do some students ‘fail’ and others ‘succeed’? What role can education play in social change? This course encourages participants to deepen their understanding of education, social life, and human fulfillment.

15 points

30 points in EDUC or YACL, or 45 points of ANTH, CULT, HIST, POLS, SOCI, SPCO, or permission of the Head of School

EDUC220

Environment, Development and Sustainability: Anthropological Perspectives

This course is concerned with the social and ecological impacts of human activity in the context of a global fossil fuel civilization. Investigating problems of climate change, declining biodiversity, and environmental degradation, it provides an anthropologically informed perspective on crucial issues at the intersection of ecology, sustainable development, and social activism.

15 points

Any 15 points at 100 level from ANTH, GEOG, or SOCI, or 60 points at 100 level from the Schedule V of the BA.

ANTH313

Places for Wellbeing and Flourishing

An examination of how places shape human wellbeing and flourishing, in both positive and less than positive ways. With a focus on settler colonial nations, we will examine the significant variations that exist between places in terms of the housing, work, education and support opportunities available within them. We consider the impact of these variations for local wellbeing and flourishing, noting the uneven experiences of particular social groups. We also examine place-based interventions that may support local wellbeing and flourishing, and selection of methods to evaluate these interventions. The course draws on the insights of human geography and engages with the contemporary lived experience of places in Aotearoa New Zealand and beyond.

15 points

Any 30 points at 100 level from any subject, normally including GEOG110 or GEOG106.

Ethnicity, Racism and Genocide

This course provides a critical introduction to the historical and anthropological study of ethnicity, racism, genocide and migration.

15 points

Any 15 points at 100 level from ANTH, HIST, MAOR, or SOCI, or 60 points at 100 level from the Schedule V of the BA.

HIST283, MAOR230, PACS204, SOCI223

An Environmental History of Ancient to Modern India: Elephants and Empires

This course considers the way humans have historically interacted with the land, water, plant and animal life in the Indian sub-continent and how these interactions shaped and were shaped by human kingdoms and empires from ancient to modern times.

15 points

Any 15 points at 100 level in HIST or CLAS120, or any 60 points at 100 level from the Schedule V of the BA.

HIST398