Study Guide

Humanities and Social Sciences

HAS 110

2024
Table of Contents
1 Introduction.................................................................................................................. 1
1.1 Welcome ........................................................................................................................... 1
1.2 Educational approach ........................................................................................................ 1
1.3 Responsibilities of the student ........................................................................................... 1
2 Administrative information .......................................................................................... 5
2.1 Contact details ................................................................................................................... 5
2.2 Timetable .......................................................................................................................... 5
2.3 Grievance procedures ........................................................................................................ 5
3 Study material and purchases ..................................................................................... 6
4 Rules, requirements and guidelines............................................................................. 6
5 Student support ........................................................................................................... 6
6 Module information ..................................................................................................... 7
6.1 Purpose of the module ...................................................................................................... 7
6.2 Module outcomes .............................................................................................................. 7
6.3 Articulation with other modules in the programme ........................................................... 7
6.4 Module structure ............................................................................................................... 7
6.5 Learning presumed to be in place ...................................................................................... 8
6.6 Credit map and notional hours ........................................................................................... 8
7 Assessment ................................................................................................................... 8
7.1 Assessment plan ................................................................................................................ 8
7.2 Assessment criteria ............................................................................................................ 9
7.3 Assessment policy.............................................................................................................. 9
7.4 Plagiarism .......................................................................................................................... 9
8 Addendum A: Support services .................................................................................. 11
1 Introduction
1.1 Welcome
Welcome to HAS 110! The course is offered by lecturers in the Faculty of Humanities, and introduces
first-year Engineering students to some of the key debates in the social sciences about the
characteristics and challenges of contemporary society.

1.2 Educational approach

The course aims to equip students with an intellectual toolkit with which they can develop different
ways of understanding society and critically engage with the world around them. To this end,
academics from the Humanities Faculty will give weekly (and sometimes biweekly) lectures based on
their areas of expertise. These lectures will, unless otherwise indicated, be presented during the first
lecture of the week (marked as L1 in the timetable below). Material presented during L1 will then be
contextualised and elaborated upon during class discussions in the second lecture of the week
(marked as L2 in the timetable below).

1.3 Responsibilities of the student

Since HAS 110 is a Humanities course, the demands and expectations it places on students may be
somewhat different from those of their more familiar Engineering courses. Success in Humanities
courses turns on attending lectures and doing the reading prescribed for them. Reading prescribed
texts should ideally be done before the lectures to which they relate. At minimum students must do
the prescribed reading for each week before that week’s second lecture, thereby giving themselves a
chance to follow and participate in class discussions. The following table provides information on how
to prepare for each contact session:

Homework,
Session Preparation for class
classwork,
Week date Unit / Theme Chapter / Activity / Article /
or
Website
assignments

1 19-23 Introduction None None

February
(Dr Pieterse)

2 26 February Library information None None

to 1 March session

(Mr. Mchunu)

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3 4-8 March Invention and Prescribed reading: Read assigned
innovation in the African text/s
past. Killick, D. 2015. ‘Invention and
Innovation in African Iron-smelting
(Ms. Rammutloa) Technologies.’ In Cambridge
Archaeological Journal, 25(1) pp. 307-
319.

4 11-15 Sugar and the making of Prescribed reading: Read assigned

March the Atlantic world. text/s
Stuart B. Schwartz (ed). 2004. Tropical
(Dr Paleker) Babylon: Sugar and the making of the
Atlantic World, 1450-1680. Chapel
Hill: University of North Carolina
Press, Chapter 9.

5 18-20 From Anthropology to Prescribed reading: Read assigned

March Zoology: The A to Z of text/s
stable isotopes, an Ben-David, M. & E.A. Flaherty. 2012.
(Note that a introduction. ‘Stable isotopes in mammalian
Thursday research: a beginner’s guide.’ In
timetable is (Dr Hall) Journal of Mammalogy, 93(2), 312–
followed on 328.
Tuesday the
19th and
that a Friday
timetable is
followed on
Wednesday
the 20th of
February.)

Recess 21 March to None None None

1 April

6 2-5 Animal bone – from raw Prescribed Reading: Read assigned

April material to meaning text/s
A. Antonites, Bradfield, J. & Forssman,
(Dr Antonites) T. 2016. ‘Technological, Functional
and Contextual Aspects of the K2 and
Mapungubwe Worked Bone
Industries.’ In African Archaeological
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 Review, 33, 437-463.

7 6-13 April Semester Test 1 Revision of weeks 3, 4, 5 and 6 Revision of

weeks 3
(No through 6
lectures)

8 15-19 April Technology and Prescribed reading: Read assigned

Warfare: A Strategic text/s
Studies Perspective Cohen, E.A. 2016. Technology and
Warfare. In Strategy in the
(Dr Blake) Contemporary World. Fifth Edition,
edited by J. Baylis, J.J. Wirtz and C.S.
Gray. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

9 22-26 April HIV/AIDS, the State and Prescribed reading: Read assigned
Social Movements text/s
Stephen, J. 2009. ‘‘Saints and Sinners’:
(Dr Pieterse) The Treatment Action Campaign.’ In
K. Cullinan and A. Thom (eds.) The
Virus, Vitamins and Vegetables: The
South AfricanHIV/AIDS Mystery.
Johannesburg: Jacana, pp 157-174

10 29 April - 3 Pharmaceuticals and the Prescribed reading: Read assigned

May making of the modern text/s
South African state. Parle, J. Hodes, R. & Waetjen, T.
(Please note 2018. ‘Pharmaceuticals and modern
that (Prof Hodes) statecraft in South Africa: the cases of
Wednesday opium, thalidomide and
1 May is a contraception.’ In Medical Humanities
public 44, 253–262
holiday and
that a
Wednesday
timetable is
followed on
Thursday 2
May)

11 6-10 May ‘Pharmatrash’: medical Prescribed reading: Read assigned

waste in South Africa text/s
Hodes, R. 2019. ‘Pharmatrash’ in
(Prof Hodes) South Africa: A Contemporary
History of Democracy’s Detritus.’ In
South African Historical Journal 71(4),
pp. 676-703.

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12 11-18 May Semester Test 2 Revision of weeks 8, 9, 10 and 11 Revision of
weeks 8
(No through 11
lectures)

13 20-24 May To be announced. Prescribed reading: Read assigned

text/s
To be announced.

14 27-31 May The Who, What, Where, Prescribed reading: Read assigned
When, and How of text/s
South Africa’s Coalition Ayabulela Dlakavu (2022) ‘South
Dilemma African electoral trends: prospects for
coalition governance at national and
(Mr. Botha) provincial spheres in 2024.’ In
Politikon, 49:4, 476-490.

15 3-6 June Course review and exam Course review and exam preparation None
preparation

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2 Administrative information
Communication relating to the module, not included in the study guide, will in most cases take place
via the announcement tool on ClickUP. Since the same lecturer will appear for the second lecture in
all weeks in the course, you will be able to get to know him. You should contact this lecturer (Dr
Pieterse) by email or during his consultation hours should you experience difficulties with any aspect
of the course.

2.1 Contact details

Building and Telephone
Name Email address Consultation times:
roomnumber number
Dr Pieterse Humanities
012 420 5223 Jimmy.pieterse@up.ac.za To be announced on Click-UP.
(Module Building, 8-8
coordinator
and lecturer)

2.2 Timetable

Group Lecture Day Time Venue

Number

1 L1 Wednesday 12:30-13:30 Eng. III-7

L2 Thursday 14:30-15:30 Eng. III-7

2 L1 Wednesday 11:30-12:30 Eng. III-7

L2 Thursday 15:30-16:30 Eng. III-7

3 L1 Monday 12:30-13:30 Eng. III-7

L2 Thursday 7:30-8:30 Eng. III-7

2.3 Grievance procedures

All grievances must be submitted in writing with specifics of the incident or the nature of the
complaint. It is imperative that you follow the procedure outlined below in order to resolve your
issues:
1. Consult the lecturer concerned about your grievances/concerns.
If the matter has not been resolved,
2. consult the class representative (The primary function of the Class Representative is to
serve as a two-way communication channel between the class and the lecturer).
If the matter has not been resolved,
3. consult the module co-ordinator (large modules with multiple lecturers)
If the matter has not been resolved,
4. consult the Head of Department
If the matter has still not been resolved,
5. consult with the Dean of the Faculty

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3 Study material and purchases
Readings, whether in the form of chapters or articles, will be made available on ClickUP prior to the
relevant lectures. You will not be required to purchase a textbook.

4 Rules, requirements and guidelines

Please refer to faculty guidelines.

5 Student support
The University of Pretoria supports you in various ways free of charge. For academic support contact
the lecturers, module coordinator (see section 2.1), and/or the Faculty Student Advisor (see section
2.1).

Academic support
Individual consultations
Goal setting & motivation
Faculty and workshops about
Adjustment to university life
student - time management
Test/Exam preparation
advisors - study methods
Stress management
Career exploration
• Think carefully before dropping
modules (after the closing date for
amendments or cancellation of
FLY@UP: modules). www.up.ac.za/fly@up
The Finish • Make responsible choices with your
Line is Yours time and work consistently. email: fly@up.ac.za
• Aim for a good semester mark.
Don’t rely on the examination to

pass.

For e-learning support

• Report a problem you experience to the Student Help Desk.
• Approach the assistants at the help desks (adjacent to the Student Computer Laboratories in
IT Building, NW2, CBT, etc).

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 • Visit the open labs in the Informatorium Building to report problems at the offices of the
Student Help Desk.
• Call 012 420 3837.
• Email studenthelp@up.ac.za

Safety in the evening: Green Route

• From 18:00 till 06:00 Security Officers are available to escort you (on foot) to and from your
residence or campus anywhere east of the Hatfield campus through to the LC de Villiers
terrain.
• Departure point is at the ABSA ATM next to the Merensky Library.
• Phone the Operational Management Centre if you need a Security Officer to accompany you
from your residence to campus.

For more support services see Addendum A

6 Module information
6.1 Purpose of the module
Science and technology are not value neutral. It stands to reason that engineering students should
grapple with (at least some) of the multiple ways in which the technological and the social articulate.
Moreover, lived-experiences of engineers (and engineering students) are not limited to the workplace.
Like all people, they form part of complex and historically shaped social arrangements. The purpose
of this course is to equip students with some of the tools that might enable them to better understand
these complexities and ultimately make better sense of the world they inhabit.

6.2 Module outcomes

By the end of the course you should have a basic grasp of some of the key debates in the social
sciences, and be in a position to refer to these debates in order to make deeper sense of the world
around you. You should also be able to relate some of these debates to the work you will do once you
have completed your degree.

6.3 Articulation with other modules in the programme

HAS 110 is a Humanities course, and does not link directly to other modules in the programme.

6.4 Module structure

Unless otherwise indicated, this course comprises two lectures per week throughout the first
semester.

The first lecture of each week will be given by a member of the Faculty of Humanities, and will provide
a broad overview of a given topic. These lectures will be given by a series of lecturers, some of whom
will give one lecture and others two. The lecturers have been selected for their particular expertise in
the topics they will discuss.

In order to provide continuity in the course, the second lecture of each week will be given by the same
lecturers throughout the semester. The second lecture of each week will amplify and clarify the
material dealt with in the first, and the lecturer concerned will engage in question-and-answer
sessions with students during the lecture period marked as L2 in your timetable.

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6.5 Learning presumed to be in place
On entering the module, students should have in place matric level reading, comprehension, and
writing skills.

6.6 Credit map and notional hours

Lectures, tutorials and practicals (contact time)

Contact time Preparation Total time Number Total time per
per week per week per week of semester
(periods) (periods) (hours) weeks (hours)
Lectures* 2 4 5 12 60
Tutorials 0 0 0 12 0
Practicals 0 0 0 12 0
Assignments and assessment (non-contact time)
Assessment Preparation Total time per
time (hours) time (hours) semester
(hours)
Assignment(s) 0 0 0
Class Tests* 0 0 0
Semester test 1 5 6
1
Semester test 1 5 6
2
Examination 2 10 12
Module hours 84
Module credits 8
Note 1: The time allocation in this table represents nominal hours, i.e. some students
might require less and others more time to attain the pass requirements.

7 Assessment
Assessment guidelines are provided in the table below.

7.1 Assessment plan

Marks
Assessment Assessment
Assessment task About Due date or
type tool
weight
Test will comprise of Weeks 3-6 Memo for As per dates set by
Semester
multiple-choice MCQ section the Faculty of 25%
Test 1
and/or short,
written questions.

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 Engineering for Test
Week 1
Test will comprise of Weeks 8-11 Memo for As per dates set by
Semester multiple-choice MCQ section the Faculty of
25%
Test 2 questions and Engineering for Test
shorter, Week 2
written questions.
Exam will comprise a All content Memo for As per dates set by
combination of covered during MCQ section the Faculty of
Examination multiple-choice the semester Engineering for the 50%
questions as well as (Weeks 3-14) Examination period
written questions.

7.2 Assessment criteria

In order to achieve success in the semester tests, students should have internalised the content of the
relevant lectures, lecture slides (where appropriate), and readings. Tests will comprise a series of
multiple-choice and paragraph type questions that will gauge knowledge of the aforementioned. In
order to prepare for these tests, students should do the relevant readings, attend lectures, and revise
before the tests.

In order to achieve success in the examination students should be able to answer a series of shorter
and longer form questions pertaining to all of the work covered in the course. In order to prepare for
the examination, students should do the relevant readings, attend lectures, and revise before the
examination, so as to be able to answers questions regarding some of the key debates in the social
sciences about the characteristics and challenges of contemporary society.

7.3 Assessment policy

In order to qualify for a sick test/examination a valid medical certificate must be submitted (to Dr
Pieterse for the purposes of the test, and to Engineering Faculty Administration for the purposes of
the examination). An aggregate of 40% for Semester Tests 1 and 2 is required to gain entry into the
examination. In order to pass the module, students must obtain final mark of 50% or higher. In order
to gain entry into the supplementary exam, a final mark between 40% and 49% must be obtained.

7.4 Plagiarism
Plagiarism is a serious form of academic misconduct. It involves both appropriating someone else’s
work and passing it off as one’s own work afterwards. Thus, you commit plagiarism when you present
someone else's written or creative work (words, images, ideas, opinions, discoveries, artwork, music,
recordings, computer-generated work, etc.) as your own. Only hand in your own original work.
Indicate precisely and accurately when you have used information provided by someone else.
Referencing must be done in accordance with a recognised system. Indicate whether you have
downloaded information from the Internet. For more details visit the following websites:
https://www.up.ac.za/en/about-up/article/2013215/why-learn-about-plagiarism. Please download a
QR code reader on your cellphone. To download a QR code reader open your mobile app store (App
Store, Google Play or Windows Marketplace) and search for QR code readers.

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Why learn about How do I avoid Overstepping the
What is plagiarism?
plagiarism? plagiarism? mark

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8 Addendum A: Support services
Please download a QR code reader on your cell phone. To download a QR code reader open your
mobile app store (App Store, Google Play or Windows Marketplace) and search for QR code readers.

Student
Provides counselling and therapeutic
Counselling 012 420 2333
support to students.
Unit

Student Health Promotes and assists students with 012 420 5233
Services health and wellness. 012 420 3423

Provides support for UP students and

The Careers careerservices@up.ac.za
graduates as they prepare for their
Office 012 420 2315
careers.

24-hour Operational Management 012 420-2310

Department of Centre 012 420-2760
Security
Services 24-hour Operational Manager cell 083 654 0476
Crisis Line 0800 006 428

Enquiries concerning studies, 012 420 2371/4001

Department of
accommodation, food, funds, social Roosmaryn Building,
Student Affairs
activities and personal problems. Hatfield campus

Centre for
Sexualities, Identifies and provides training of
012 420 4391
AIDS and student peer counsellors.
Gender

Ensure an integrated and inclusive

Disability Unit learning experience for students with 012 420 2064
disabilities.

Fees and http://www.up.ac.za/enquiry

012 420 3111
funding www.up.ac.za/fees-and-funding

012 420 3051

IT Helpdesk For student IT related queries studenthelp@up.ac.za

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