This course is focused on the chronological study of six major works having acted as catalysts in the history of Victorian ideas. They describe the formation of mainstream values through the crisis of the 1840s; the period of Mid-Victorian compromise and stability and - beyond the turning point of the 1860s - the period of late Victorian values influenced by emerging ideas underpinning the future developments of the 20th century—from various shades of socialism and nationalism to belief in science and the new aesthetic approaches bound to foster Modernism. Sessions include lecture material, study of a key chapter, and examination of critical and contextual documents assigned in advance to one or a pair of students. As in Program #1, issues identified are then used for debates based on an open-ended question or a "motion" asserting one of the possible points of view.
Objectives
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
- Understand Victorian political, social and cultural debates;
- Exploit a major work in context;
- Exploit biographical sources;
- Identify problematics for debate purposes;
- Acquire excerpt study and summary techniques
This course is open to all students but prior knowledge of and interest for British culture, history, and civilization – not to mention the Victorian Era in particular – will obviously help. General knowledge in the field of philosophy and politics, familiarity with 19th-c. English prose writing and skills in fast reading and summarizing are also key to success.
Sessions are organized around the study of a key book and the exploitation of a key chapter: author, context, relation to broader perspectives and critical approaches. While biographical notes and a general introduction to the book itself are provided via a short lecture and platform posts, the student(s) in charge of presenting chapters must deliver a convincing analysis and the rest of the class is invited to debate thought-provoking “motions” judging the book.
Assessment and Final Grade
Validation requires a final grade equal to at least 10 out of 20 based on the weighted average of the following two intermediary grades:
- In-class presentation of a key chapter (40%)
- End-of-semester essay (60%)
Course Requirements
This course requires mandatory reading of the following 6 books:
Arnold, Matthew. Culture and Anarchy. Jane Garnett (ed.). Oxford World’s Classics. Oxford: OUP, 2009
Carlyle, Thomas. Past and Present. Supplied as an .EPUB file.
Disraeli, Benjamin. Sybil or the Two Nations. Sheila Smith (ed.). Oxford World’s Classics. Oxford: OUP, 2008.
Mayhew, Henry. London Labour and the London Poor. Robert Douglas-Fairhurst. (ed.). Oxford World’s Classics. Oxford: OUP, 2012.
Morris, William. News from Nowhere. David Leopold (ed.). Oxford World’s Classics. Oxford: OUP, 2009
Smiles, Samuel. Self-Help: With Illustrations of Character, Conduct, and Perseverance. Peter. W. Sinnema (ed.). Oxford World’s Classics. Oxford: OUP, 2002.
Dates set for presentations as well as the final deadline for submission of the end-of-semester essay must always be met. No late submissions or “make up” presentations will be allowed. This unit works on a very tight schedule.
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Practical information
