Admission requirements
Admission to RMA programme.
Description
This seminar is situated in the heart of on-going research in the specialisation-area Mesoamerica. Concentrating on yearly varying subjects, it involves the analysis and discussion of visual art, archaeological data, historical sources, and anthropological theories, connected to on-going research (under the direction of Prof. Dr. Maarten Jansen). RMA students as well as PhD candidates discuss the planning and progress of their thesis research, identify and evaluate the most important publications (especially relevant articles in recent issues of leading journals). The focus is on understanding cultural interaction, decolonizing memory and reintegrating identity. Both the interaction between cultures and the symbolic interaction within one specific cultural tradition will be considered, with the aim of elaborating new interpretations, but also the intercultural dimension of archaeological and anthropological studies themselves, as interpreting the ancient and contemporary heritage of indigenous peoples in the Americas implies a critical engagement with the colonization process and its heritage. A set of lectures on Nahuatl language, literature and worldview (by Dr. S. Wichmann) accompany the seminar.
Learning objectives
RMA 1 Learning objectives:
Knowledge of and insight in current research and debates;
Ability to critically assess current research and literature and voice one’s well-argumented opinion;
Ability to write a critically review of a monograph that is crucial for their thesis;
Ability to choose a research topic for his/her thesis, find relevant literature and present this via a powerpoint presentation and is able to handle a stimulating discussion afterwards;
Ability to write a paper on the issues and previous work of researchers presenting at the conference, with expression of a critically assessment of the literature and one’s own well-argumented opinion, making use of the feedback received with the presentation;
Ability to prepare the attendance to an international conference, evaluate the presentations, results, the importance and implications of the presented research of the conference;
Ability to write a formal research proposal (in NWO-format), formulating research questions, theoretical framework and methodology;
Ability to prepare and realize a small scale research project, based on the research proposal;
Ability to organize a research excursion with fellow-students.
RMA 2 Learning objectives:
Knowledge of and insight in current research and debates;
Ability to critically assess current research and literature and voice one-s well-argumented opinion;
Ability to write a critically review of a monograph that is crucial for their thesis;
Ability to choose a research topic for his/her thesis, find relevant literature and present this via a powerpoint presentation and is able to handle a stimulating discussion afterwards;
Ability to write a paper on his/her research topic, with expression of a critically assessment of the literature and one’s own well-argumented opinion, making use of the feedback received with the presentation;
Ability to write a formal research proposal (in NWO-format), formulating research questions, theoretical framework and methodology;
Ability to prepare and realize a small scale research project, based on the research proposal;
Ability to prepare the attention to a international symposium, evaluate the presentations, results, the importance and implications of the presented research of the conference;
Ability to organize with fellow-students a research excursion.
Method of instruction
Seminar with students- reports, commenting on the structure of research and thesis, with analytic discussion of recent publications. In addition participation in guest lectures and international symposium. Each year RMA students and PhD candidates organize a research excursion.
Examination
In their first year RMA students are required to draft a formal research proposal (in NWO format), formulating research questions, theoretical framework and methodology, after which they prepare and realize a small-scale research project, and (2) write a review of relevant literature. In the second year RMA students give detailed presentations on the progress of their research and on their theoretical reflections. RMA students attend in the first year an important international symposium, workshop or congress, to be selected in consultation with the thesis supervisor. Students are required to prepare the meeting with a paper on the issues and previous work of some speakers, to be complemented after attending the meeting with a summary evaluation. In the second year they are expected to present a paper or poster on their thesis research at such an international meeting or to submit an article to an international journal.
Required reading
Publications selected by the students themselves (library and internet search).