HIS-30126 - Module Specification
School of Humanities
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

Programme/Approved Electives for 2024/25

Available as a Free Standing Elective

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2024/25

The popular image of the Victorian period in Britain is often one of extreme prudery and a sharp separation of the roles of men and women. Whilst there is some truth in this picture the reality was considerably more complicated. The nineteenth century saw the rise of sexological science that began to classify people according to their sexual tastes. Public life was, meanwhile, beset with scandals over adultery and prostitution. And at the end of the century the trials of Oscar Wilde drew public attention to the issue of homosexuality. In this module we will be exploring the ways in which disputes over gender and sexuality can take us to the core of understanding many of the social and cultural tensions that make the study of the Victorian period so complex and fascinating.
Topics may include imperial masculinity, the 'fallen' woman, women's suffrage, the Oscar Wilde scandal, mass-media coverage, novelistic depictions and visual satire.

To consider and appreciate the changing ways that gender and sexuality were perceived in Britain during the Victorian period.

Intended Learning Outcomes

1,2
1,2
1,2
1,2

Study hours

24 hours seminars. 12 hours whole cohort workshops, 40 hours seminar preparation, 37 hours essay preparation and writing, 37 source criticism preparation and writing

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment