ASS233 - Myth and Ritual
Unit details
| Year | 2025 unit information |
|---|---|
| Enrolment modes: | Trimester 1: Burwood (Melbourne), Waurn Ponds (Geelong), Online, Community Based Delivery (CBD)* |
| Credit point(s): | 1 |
| EFTSL value: | 0.125 |
| Unit Chair: | Trimester 1: Tanya King |
| Prerequisite: | Nil |
| Corequisite: | Nil |
| Incompatible with: | Nil |
| Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - on-campus unit enrolment: | 1 x 1-hour on-campus lecture per week 1 x 1-hour on-campus seminar per week |
| Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - online unit enrolment: | 1 x 1-hour online lecture per week (recordings provided) 1 x 1-hour online seminar per week |
| Typical study commitment: | Students will on average spend 150-hours over the teaching period undertaking the teaching, learning and assessment activities for this unit. This will include educator guided online learning activities within the unit site. |
Note:*Community Based Delivery (CBD) is for National Indigenous Knowledges, Education, Research and Innovation NIKERI Institute students only. | |
Content
An introduction to the anthropology of religion. The unit examines the comparative study of cosmology, myth and ritual systems and their importance in the history of anthropological thought. The unit focuses predominantly on forms, recurrent themes and cross-cultural comparisons of myth. Through the analysis of creation myths, eternal return, and the concept of mythical archetypes such as trickster and hero, the unit critically evaluates different theoretical approaches centring on concepts of mythical thought and the human unconscious. Attention then shifts to the nature of ritual and to the relationship (or not) between ritual and myth. Themes explored include sacrifice, ritual time (and eternal return), life crisis, festival and performance, trance and ritual virtuality. Through the study of these phenomena, the unit concludes with some initial propositions concerning anthropology and religious experience.
Learning Outcomes
| ULO | These are the Unit Learning Outcomes (ULOs) for this unit. At the completion of this unit, successful students can: | Alignment to Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes (GLOs) |
|---|---|---|
| ULO1 | Analyse specific instances of myth and ritual from an anthropological perspective | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities GLO4: Critical thinking |
| ULO2 | Judge the merits of different theoretical approaches to myth and ritual | GLO4: Critical thinking |
| ULO3 | Recognise the centrality of myth and ritual in human thought and practice | GLO4: Critical thinking |
| ULO4 | Evaluate anthropology's contribution to the humanities & social sciences in respect to religion | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities GLO4: Critical thinking |
Assessment
| Assessment Description | Student output | Grading and weighting (% total mark for unit) | Indicative due week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment 1: Seminar/ Online exercises | 800 words or equivalent | 20% | Ongoing |
| Assessment 2: Essay | 2000 words or equivalent | 50% | Week 6 |
| Assessment 3: Journal | 1200 words or equivalent | 30% | Week 11 |
The assessment due weeks provided may change. The Unit Chair will clarify the exact assessment requirements, including the due date, at the start of the teaching period.
Learning resource
The texts and reading list for ASS233 can be found via the University Library.
Note: Select the relevant trimester reading list. Please note that a future teaching period's reading list may not be available until a month prior to the start of that teaching period so you may wish to use the relevant trimester's prior year reading list as a guide only.
Unit Fee Information
Fees and charges vary depending on the type of fee place you hold, your course, your commencement year, the units you choose to study and their study discipline, and your study load.
Tuition fees increase at the beginning of each calendar year and all fees quoted are in Australian dollars ($AUD). Tuition fees do not include textbooks, computer equipment or software, other equipment or costs such as mandatory checks, travel and stationery.
For further information regarding tuition fees, other fees and charges, invoice due dates, withdrawal dates, payment methods visit our Current Students website.