240531 SE Melanesian cosmology, alterity and landscape (P3, P4) (2018S)

Melanesia is often understood as the classical ‘other’ of Western societies. At the same time, though, the societies in the countries understood as Melanesia (e.g. Papua New Guinea, West Papua, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and New Caledonia) have been influenced and transformed by Western ideas, practices and institutions over many decades. These include colonialism and post-colonialism, Christian missionisation, large-scale resource extraction, cities, money and commodity consumption. What is also the case is that the majority of peoples in these places still live or maintain strong connections to their ancestral landscapes and cosmologies, which have simultaneously transformed due to these outside influences. But outside influences, such as westerners, are not new to Melanesians, as their social life, cosmology and landscape has always been formed in relation to otherness (alterity). If anything, alterity is the source of Melanesian social life, cosmology and landscape.
The aim of this course is to introduce students to the significance of alterity for understanding Melanesian cosmologies, landscapes and social life more generally with particular reference to Papua New Guinea. The course will be taught through a combination of lectures and seminar discussions.