TAG-26

Although demands to decolonise archaeological education are longstanding, recent years have seen a groundswell of student-led activist movements critiquing the nature of academic power and the power of the university curriculum. Calls of ‘why is my curriculum white?’ and ‘Rhodes Must Fall’ have spurred debate over legacies of institutional racism, equality of access to educational and career opportunities, and representation and acknowledgement of diverse student experiences, among other themes. These calls resonate with wider conversations within archaeology around sexual harassment in the field, the office, conference venue or classroom, gender and racial gaps in salary and educational attainment, and the expectations of collaborative knowledge production across geographical and cultural contexts.

Building on dialogues that have emerged out of this year’s SAAs and TRAC, in this session, students and staff will jointly explore the nature of power and knowledge at this nexus of pedagogy and archaeological practice. Taking the form of a round table moderated by one student and one faculty member, the session encourages discussion of topics including (but not limited to) curriculum content; access to and inclusion within field-based teaching; incorporating student perspectives in teaching strategies; educational media and teaching delivery; and practices of establishing and critiquing expertise in the classroom.

Submissions for participation in this session should come from faculty and students, and should take the form of 1) a statement of interest (max 250 words) in participating in the session; and 2) a set of 2-5 questions to pose to the group, which will form the basis of group discussion with a view to developing a set of action points. Session participants will be expected to adhere to TAG@UCL-IoA’s code of conduct, and should treat this foremost as a collaborative forum.

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