"INTERROGATING PEDAGOGIES: ARCHAEOLOGY IN HIGHER EDUCATION"
A workshop
University of Wales Lampeter
5-7 September 2000
***CALL FOR PAPERS***
Higher Education in Britain and elsewhere is in deep crisis and in a state
of flux. As a reaction to this, governments and universities propose,
enforce or adopt a series of measures and initiatives which they see as
potential solutions; these include benchmarking, learning outcomes,
teaching quality audits and the development of syllabuses that promote
generic transferable skills. It seems however that these measures have not
been debated, either amongst academics or more widely, and their
implications have not been explored. Moreover, any discussion of their
merits and problems often fails to go beyond technicalities, to address
their pedagogic, epistemological, and political foundations and
consequences.
Archaeology is a prime example of this. Many professional organisations in
British Archaeology have recently taken a serious interest in the teaching
of the subject and have initiated a process of major review with the main
emphasis on "training". While these initiatives are worthwhile and express
a legitimate concern, archaeological education is much broader in scope and
cannot be simply described as training. Academic archaeologists (despite
some recent moves) seem to be have been particularly slow in taking up the
challenge and in responding to these initiatives. This workshop will
provide a forum to critically examine these issues. More specifically, its
aims are:
1) To interrogate critically the present state of archaeology in higher
education in Britain and beyond (aims and purpose, structures, curriculum,
links with archaeological practice and with broader social concerns and
needs).
2) To investigate the factors which have shaped the development of the
curriculum (tradition and history of the discipline, market and
commodification of the past, imperialist, colonialist and neo-colonialist
archaeology, national and nationalist agendas etc.).
3) To re-consider the aims, purpose and structure of the teaching of
archaeology in Higher Education and re-think its links with broader social
(rather than simply "market") concerns.
4) To explore ways and measures for reforms and where appropriate, aiming
at a multivocal and democratic archaeological theory and practice.
5) To bring together academics and other professionals with an interest
inhow archaeology is taught.
This conference is funded by the UK Council for Graduate Education and the
University of Wales Lampeter. There are still a few funded places
(accommodation, board, contribution towards travelling) available. If you
would like to present a paper, send a 300-word abstract to Yannis Hamilakis
([log in to unmask]) or Paul Rainbird ([log in to unmask]) at the
Department of Archaeology, University of Wales Lampeter, Lampeter SA48 7ED,
WALES.
DEADLINE: END OF MAY 2000.
Apologies for cross-posting.
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Dr. Yannis Hamilakis
Lecturer in Archaeology
Director, Centre for the Study of South Eastern Europe
(http://www.swan.ac.uk/cssee/cssee.htm)
Department of Archaeology Tel.: 01570-422351(x396)
University of Wales Lampeter Fax: 01570-423669
Lampeter,Ceredigion, SA48 7ED E-mail: [log in to unmask]
WALES,UK.
http://archaeology.lamp.ac.uk/hamilakis/yhamilakis.html
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