HIS-30126 - Gender and Sexuality in Victorian Britain
Coordinator: Dominic Ts Janes Tel: +44 1782 7 33009
Lecture Time: See Timetable...
Level: Level 6
Credits: 15
Study Hours: 150
School Office: 01782 733147

Programme/Approved Electives for 2021/22

None

Available as a Free Standing Elective

Yes

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2021/22

Do you want to explore private lives and public scandals? The popular image of the Victorian period in Britain is often one of a fear of sex and a sharp separation of the roles of men and women. While there is some truth in this picture the reality was more complicated and intriguing. 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 controversies over adultery and prostitution. 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.

Aims
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

1: Essay weighted 50%
1500 word essay
Students will write a 1500 word essay on one of a choice of questions related to topics set week by week by the tutor

2: Critique weighted 50%
Source criticism
A 1000 word critical response to a one out of a selection of primary sources