Indigenous Approaches of Designing for Cultural Wellness
Unit code: HDIK671
| Credit points | 12.5 Credit Points |
| Duration | One semester. |
| Contact hours | 36 hours per semester |
| Campus | Online, Prahran |
Related course(s)
A unit of study offered onsite and online within the Masters of Design (Design Anthropology) program and Graduate Diploma of Design (Design Anthropology) program.
NOTE: This unit will be offered subject to student enrolment numbers.
Aims and objectives
This unit will engage students in the construction of a cultural learning space that presents oral, visual and kinetic interactions as a basis for knowledge management and co-design. Students will enact principle-based approaches to group inquiry and negotiated synthesis in design and the visual, oral and kinetic communication of shared understandings.
On completion of this course, students will have:
· Engaged with the ontological features of Indigenous cultures and the relevance of these to design and society, history, culture, identity and the environment.
· Developed an understanding of the ways in which Indigenous design structures cultural innovation.
· Gained experience of cultural innovation practices in design.
· Engaged in practices that explicate and model visual oral and kinetic co-design and meta-design approaches.
· Developed skills in co-design and meta-design and narrative analysis evaluations of these processes.
· Developed a conception of the well being basis for co design and cultural innovation.
On completion of this course, students will have:
· Engaged with the ontological features of Indigenous cultures and the relevance of these to design and society, history, culture, identity and the environment.
· Developed an understanding of the ways in which Indigenous design structures cultural innovation.
· Gained experience of cultural innovation practices in design.
· Engaged in practices that explicate and model visual oral and kinetic co-design and meta-design approaches.
· Developed skills in co-design and meta-design and narrative analysis evaluations of these processes.
· Developed a conception of the well being basis for co design and cultural innovation.
Teaching methods
Teaching is conducted in a student-group oriented environment and online through lectures, dialogue sessions, group co-design demonstrations and critiques. Students present group and individual projects for review at the end of the course.Generic skills outcomes
Given the importance of group negotiations across social and cultural movements, HDIK671 Indigenous Approaches to Knowledge; Design and Cultural Well Being emphasizes relational understandings that contribute to managing change and difference in group settings that contributes to innovation and development within the social and cultural contexts of businesses, workplaces, and communities. Thus, the unit produces students with the following Graduate Attributes:
· Adaptable and able to manage change
· Aware of local and international environments in which they will be contributing (e.g. socio-cultural, economic, natural)
· Entrepreneurial in contributing to innovation and development within their business, workplace or community.
In addition to the ability to work and negotiate well in groups, HDIK671 Indigenous Approaches to Knowledge; Design and Cultural Well Being provides students with the following Key Generic Skills:
· Analysis skills
· Problem solving skills
· Ability to tackle unfamiliar problems
· Ability to work independently
· Adaptable and able to manage change
· Aware of local and international environments in which they will be contributing (e.g. socio-cultural, economic, natural)
· Entrepreneurial in contributing to innovation and development within their business, workplace or community.
In addition to the ability to work and negotiate well in groups, HDIK671 Indigenous Approaches to Knowledge; Design and Cultural Well Being provides students with the following Key Generic Skills:
· Analysis skills
· Problem solving skills
· Ability to tackle unfamiliar problems
· Ability to work independently
Reading materials
Bachelard, G. (1969) The Poetics of Space. Beacon Press, Boston.Bohm, D., Factor, D. & Garrett, P. (1991) Dialogue - a proposal. Available online at: http://www.muc.del~heuvel/dialogue_proposal.html
Gardner, H. (1994) The Creator’s Pattens. Chapter 6 in Boden, M.A. Dimensions of Creativity. MIT Press, Cambridge MA pp. 143-158.
Goel, V. (1995) Sketches of Thought. MIT Press, Cambridge MA.
Krippendorff, K. (1995) On the Essential Contexts of Artefacts or on the Proposition that “Design Is Making Sense (of Things)” in Margolin & Buchanan The MIT Press, Cambridge, MA.
McNiff, S (1998) Art Based Research. Jessica Kingsley Publishers, New York.
Peat, F. D. (1987) Synchronicity. The Bridge Between Matter and Mind. Bantam Books, New York.
Spencer, N. (2001) On the significance of distinguishing ontology and epistemology. Available online at: http://www.werple.net.au/~andy/seminars/neville.htm
Rose, D.B. (1992) Dingo Makes Us Human. Life and land in an Aboriginal Australian culture. Cambridge University Press, Sydney.
Text Book
Sheehan, N. W. Indigenous Knowledge, Design, Education and Research. (In Press).
