This is an archived handbook for a previous year. The current undergraduate and postgraduate handbooks can be viewed using the links above.
Postgraduate Handbook 2009-2010 (archived)
Module ANTH41130: PRIMATE AND HUMAN BEHAVIOUR
Department: Anthropology
ANTH41130: PRIMATE AND HUMAN BEHAVIOUR
| Type | Level | Credits | Availability | Module Cap | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tied | 4 | 30 | Available in 2009/2010 | None. | Durham |
Tied To
- L9K609: (programme not found)
Pre-requisites
- None
Corequisites
- None
Excluded Combinations
- None
Aims
- To introduce students to advanced topics in evolutionary theory is it relates to social behaviour, focussing on primate (including human) examples.
- The primary emphasis is on theoretical models and the critical tests that have been made of them by ethnologists, particularly those working on primates.
- Special regard is paid to the utility and limitations of these models when applied to humans.
Content
- Principles of social evolution:
- Behavioural evolution, the unit of selection and studying adaptation.
- Evolution of mating strategies:
- Evolution of rearing strategies:
- Socioecology:
- Socio-biology:
- Kin selection.
- Evolutionary approaches to human behaviour.
Learning Outcomes
Subject-specific Knowledge
- A firm grasp of contemporary evolutionary theory and the way in which it has been extended to understand reproductive and social behaviour.
- Familiarity with the arguments surrounding the application of evolutionary models to human behaviour.
Subject-specific Skills
- An ability to examine critically and independently attempts to test theoretical models, based on an awareness of limitations on the quality of data and the way it is handled, as well as weaknesses in the models themselves.
Key Skills
- Preparation and distribution of written summaries of key points in set topics.
- Essay writing based on independent reading used to address novel issues at an advanced level.
- Students should be able to express themselves clearly and concisely on technical topics, and explain why particular issues are important and/or controversial
Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module
- Seminars. Seminars allow students to interrogate the assumptions of the key positions and arguments of important authors.
- Final written examinations test assimilated knowledge and understanding and the ability to write succinctly and analytically at short notice.
- Formative assessment is given for two essays.
- Formative feedback is given for seminar presentations.
Teaching Methods and Learning Hours
| Activity | Number | Frequency | Duration | Total Hours | Attendance Monitored |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seminars | 22 | Weekly | 1 hr | 22 | Yes |
| Preparation and reading time | 278 | ||||
| Total | 300 |
Summative Assessment
| Component | Component Weighting | Element | Length/Duration | Element Weighting | Resit Opportunity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exam | 80% | Exam | 2.5 hours | 100% | |
| Essay 2,500 words | 20% | Essay | 2,500 words | 100% |
Formative Assessment
Formative assessment is given for one essays. Formative feedback is given for seminar presentations
Students who do not attend monitored activities shown under Teaching Methods
and Learning Hours, or who fail to complete the summative or formative
assessment(s) specified above, may be subject to the Academic Progress
procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be
required to leave the University.