Curriculum beyond the classroom
The surfing subject immersing students in Gold Coast culture
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It's the first subject of its kind on Australian sand — Bond University students are diving into Gold Coast surf culture through ethnography. Students enrolled in the Gold Coast Surf, Culture, and Storytelling subject are researching the unique culture of the Gold Coast region and Burleigh Heads by experiencing it firsthand before writing an autoethnographic account of an aspect of the culture.
The subject has taken students — local and international — on unforgettable adventures, including learning to surf with former pro surfer Munga Barry’s school, a visit to Jellurgal (Burleigh Headland) where members of the local indigenous community provide insights into Aboriginal culture and indigenous histories, and field trips including to the World Surf League headquarters in Coolangatta and the Mt Woodgee surfboard factory at Currumbin.
Course convenor and Assistant Professor of Journalism Rob Layton said students had even described their experiences as “the most fun they’ve ever had at uni”, sharing how they eagerly tell friends and family back home about their academic adventures. For many of the students who opt for the subject as part of their study abroad semesters, the subject is the highlight of their trip.
“Many have told me that taking this subject has been life-changing and given them a deeper understanding of a culture they knew little about," Assistant Professor Rob Layton said.
"The more we can broaden our thinking and understand how other people live, surely that has to help make the world just that little bit better.”
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"The more we can broaden our thinking and understand how other people live, surely that has to help make the world just that little bit better."
— Assistant Professor Rob Layton
It's not all sun and sand
The students are expected to make academic analyses of their field notes and observations and write ethnographic reports of an aspect of surf culture. Ethnography explores cultures from the perspective of the subjects of a study — that's where the students' on-the-scene learning comes in. Topics of their reports might include gender and surfing, how location shapes surfers’ identities, or localism (in which surfers exclude newcomers from surf breaks).
On successful completion of this subject, students will be able to:
Evaluate the significance of the Gold Coast's surfing history and its impact on the local community using ethnographic methodologies and critical on-site observations.
Construct multimedia narratives using theoretical frameworks implied by ethnographic methodologies, emphasizing the importance of place to personal identity within Gold Coast surf communities.
Apply critical thinking skills to analyze the cultural significance of coastal Aboriginal sites visited during the subject's immersive activities.
Synthesize acquired knowledge and skills in surfing, underwater smartphone photography, and storytelling to create multimedia narratives that showcase the Gold Coast's unique surf culture and heritage.
Use interview techniques and critical thinking skills to gather and interpret data on Gold Coast surfing communities for ethnographic and autoethnographic narratives.
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Learn more about this subject
In this subject, you will go surfing, learn underwater smartphone photography, and visit culturally significant coastal Aboriginal sites.