Psychological Anthropology
UndergraduateMAQ-ANTX30082025
Course information for 2025 intake View information for 2024 course intake
Examine how an individual's psychological development is shaped by social ideologies and structures. Ask how notions of 'self' differ between cultures. Address childhood, faith and emotions. Utilise anthropological research and investigation methods.
Enrolments for this course are closed, but you may have other options to start studying now. Book a consultation to learn more.
- Study method
- 100% online
- Assessments
- 100% online
- Entry requirements
- Prior study needed
- Duration
- 13 weeks
- Loan available
- HECS-HELP and FEE-HELP available
Psychological Anthropology
About this subject
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- Demonstrate mastery of psychological anthropology, analysing and discussing the literature and central theories related to psychological anthropology and the broader study of cultural practices in their social and cultural contexts.
- Discover the variety of humanity, including the peculiarity of Western traits, ways we understand ourselves, and social roles.
- Interrogate ‘human nature’ to better understand the relationship between universal traits and variability.
- Explore the role of social setting and norms in shaping human development.
- Actively participate in collegial discussion of anthropological theory.
- Show greater understanding of techniques for investigating experience, including ethnography, field research, and comparative approaches.
- A week-by-week guide to the topics you will explore in this subject will be provided in your study materials.
Around the world and across time, human cultural variation has extended into the depths of the human psyche, shaping different ways of being human. Are we all the same or do the ways we treat emotion, conflict, social interaction, cognition, and other dimensions of life result in differences among people? Psychological anthropology has traditionally focused on such themes, investigating the cultural dimensions of self, personality, cognition, emotion, normalcy and deviance, seeking to understand both the variant and universal features of human emotional, cognitive, and social life. Students will have the opportunity to explore an area of personal interest in psychological anthropology.
- Final examination (20%)
- Discussion questions (15%)
- Online Weekly Quiz (20%)
- Research Essay (25%)
- Take home midterm exam (20%)
For textbook details check your university's handbook, website or learning management system (LMS).
This research-intensive university in north-western Sydney offers a range of undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. With over 44,000 current students, Macquarie has a strong reputation for welcoming international students and embracing flexible and convenient study options, including its partnership with Open Universities Australia.
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- 10
Entry requirements
Prior study
You must have successfully completed the following subject(s) before starting this subject:
Equivalent subjects
You should not enrol in this subject if you have successfully completed any of the following subject(s) because they are considered academically equivalent:
MAQ-ANTX2007 (Not currently available)
Others
130cp at 1000 level or above
Additional requirements
- Other requirements -
Students who have an Academic Standing of Suspension or Exclusion under Macquarie University's Academic Progression Policy are not permitted to enrol in OUA units offered by Macquarie University. Students with an Academic Standing of Suspension or Exclusion who have enrolled in units through OUA will be withdrawn.
Study load
- 0.125 EFTSL
- This is in the range of 10 to 12 hours of study each week.
Equivalent full time study load (EFTSL) is one way to calculate your study load. One (1.0) EFTSL is equivalent to a full-time study load for one year.
Find out more information on Commonwealth Loans to understand what this means to your eligibility for financial support.
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