Material and Spiritual Culture of Victorian England - MA Seminar 2 3301-KBS2BA
An MA seminar devoted to the discussion of Victorian culture and art. Part one will be devoted to the discussion of subjects dealing with broadly understood material culture, such as:
- relations between high and popular culture in 19th century,
- the form and functioning of kitsch,
- new forms of 19th c. popular culture such as toys or postcards (Christmas, holiday, WWI),
- neo-classicism in 19th c. culture,
- illustrative aspect of Victorian art, recurrent motives,
- semantic analysis of fashion and leisure in Victorian culture.
Part two will deal with analysis of social and political thought of the epoch basing on selected texts. Subjects will include:
- Monarchy, democracy and political system: B. Disraeli i W. Gladstone, W. Bagehot
- Victorian society, liberalism, theory of progress: J. S. Mill, J. Bentham, T. Carlyle, H. Spencer, T. Macaulay
- Raising social conscience and campaigning for women's rights: H. Mayhew, K. Marx, J. Butler
- Religion, science, education: J. H. Newman, Ch. Darwin, T. H. Huxley, M. Arnold.
- Role of art. And artist in society: J. Ruskin, O. Wilde.
Type of course
Course coordinators
Learning outcomes
Knowledge
Students:
- know appropriate methodology,
- know the most important theories of cultural studies within the field of English studies,
- learn about the social structures of Victorian England,
- are aware of ethical norms in scholarship.
Skills
Students:
- can identify a research theme,
- can use the methodology of cultural studies,
- develop the skill of oral and written communication in English,
- can write a coherent scholarly essay,
- can find and use academic sources.
Competences
Students:
- are ready to take responsibility for their work,
- are conscious participants of culture.
Assessment criteria
The preparation of MA thesis. The first year: plan, bibliography. The second year: 1st semester - one chapter, 2nd semester - the complete thesis.
Bibliography
Primary sources - exceprts from texts by above-mentioned authors.
Secondary sources:
1. Banach, Andrzej, O kiczu. Kraków: Wydawnictwo Literackie, 1968.
2. Briggs, Asa, Victorian Things. Sutton History Classics.
3. Hillier, Bevis, Greetings from Christmas Past. London: Herbert Press, 1982.
4. Houghton, Walter E., The Victorian Frame of Mind. New Haven and London: Yale U.P., 1976.
5. Flanders, Judith, The Victorian House. London: Harper Collins Press, 2003.
6. Mitchell, Sally, Daily Life in Victorian England. London: Greenwood Press, 1996.
7. Picard, Lisa, Victorian London: the Tale of a City 1840-1870. New York: St. Martin's Press, 2006.
8. Sweet, Matthew, Inventing the Victorians. London: Faber and Faber, 2001.
Additional information
Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system: