Explore Culture, History & Humanities Courses

This course explores the transformative period of Russian history from 1860 to 1924, encompassing the autocratic rule of the Tsars, the revolutionary upheavals of 1905 and 1917, the chaos of the civil war, and the consolidation of the Bolshevik regime. Students will examine key events, figures, and ideologies that shaped modern Russia, delving into the complexities of political, social, and economic changes during this era.



Please note: this course includes much of the material covered in previous Russian Revolution courses at the City Lit. Moreover this course is taught at an introductory level. Tutor: Zoe Quinn.

The Middle East remains the global hotbed of conflict and instability where religion still plays a dominant role in the life and politics of society. This course will aim through a combination of teaching and participant discussion to provide some historical perspective and connect, evaluate and understand contemporary geopolitics, diplomacy and events in the region. Tutor: Noman Hanif.

Explore the evolving role of labour unions in modern society, examining their relevance and impact in the 21st century.

Explore diverse economic theories beyond capitalism in economic paradigms with regards to the alternatives of capitalism and broaden your understanding of global economic systems.

This online course introduces a selection of fairy tales from the First Golden Age of Children’s Literature, occurring in the latter half of the 19th century until the early 20th century. We will focus upon L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900), J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan (1911), George McDonald’s The Princess and the Goblin (1872), and Charles Kingsley’s The Water-Babies: A Fairy Tale for a Land-Baby (1863).

This course introduces and critically examines the concept of a Black or African Latin America through the region’s history, philosophy, activism, politics, diaspora, memory and culture.

Explore how historical, political, and economic factors have shaped Global South economies. Analyze trade, governance, urbanization, poverty, sustainability, and challenges, fostering a holistic understanding of their development within the global landscape.

This interactive lecture outline course explores the doemstic political, social, and cultural divisions that have occurred in the United States since the end of the Second World War.

This course focuses on Flemish and Dutch (Netherlandish) art of the late sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The course will examine well-known artists such as Peter Paul Rubens, Anthony van Dyck, Rembrandt and Vermeer, as well as the role of artworks and visual images in the formation of religious, class, gender and national identities, in early science, and in cultures of collecting.

This class introduces you to a range of themes and issues in European cinema, including art cinema, national cinema, movements and new waves, authorship, popular cinema and genre, along with key developments in European film history. We will also be thinking about key films and filmmakers, the canon of European cinema and its cultural status, and a range of critical accounts of European cinema.

Cubism, Futurism and Constructivism are pivotal movements in the history of modern art – encapsulating all the promise and peril of the 20th century’s devastating birth, and even helping rewrite perceptions of space and time.

Are you brand new to creative writing? Do you want to build your confidence in a supportive environment alongside other beginners? This gentle short-course guides students taking their first steps on the path to becoming a creative writer.

South America's economic journey: colonization, industrialization, neoliberal reforms, regional integration, challenges, sustainability, and emerging opportunities for inclusive growth.