Explore Culture, History & Humanities Courses

Has the Global North prospered socially and economically at the expense of people in the Global South?

This in-college literature course explores the extraordinarily diverse world of writing about motherhood. We’ll look at literary texts that have firmly rebuked any notions of motherhood as ‘merely’ domestic, and have instead made it the subject of serious literary writing, have explored major themes such as the body, trauma, gender, queerness, race and creativity, and have written diverse truths about the realities of motherhood. You’ll leave this course with an understanding of classic texts about motherhood by authors such as Adrienne Rich as well as more recent texts by authors such as Rachel Cusk, Maggie Nelson and Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀.   

Step into the world of Marisol Escobar (1930–2016), the Venezuelan American artist, whose bold, witty sculptures blended Pop Art, Pre-Columbian traditions, and social commentary. This online talk will introduce you to the work and background of this New York-based artist who challenged gender norms and captured American society from the 1960s in her uniquely quirky style.

This course explores the historical origins, key developments in leadership and ideas, key policy and its foundations, recent electoral success, and support within the wider community of the major political parties in contemporary Britain. Join us to discuss!

This course examines the rich and prolific cinema of Hong Kong. From martial arts superstars like Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan, to gangster films of directors John Woo and Johnnie To, via the more personal visions of ‘new wave’ filmmakers like Ann Hui and Wong Kar-wai, the cinema of Hong Kong is hybrid and multifaceted. We will consider the momentous historical events as well as the industrial context out of which Hong Kong’s cinema grew, while looking at a range of film genres and directors from across several eras. We will consider also how Hong Kong cinema has reflected Hong Kong’s colonisation and decolonisation, leading up to the historical turning points of the 21st century such as the 2014 Umbrella Movement and the 2019 mass pro-democracy protests. 

This Literature course focuses on two novels by Charlotte Brontë: Jane Eyre and Villette. We will develop an appreciation of Brontë’s narrative methods and concerns through close analysis of her language, alongside engaging with the literary, historical and critical contexts of these novels, and the Brontë ‘mythology’ itself.

Explore the history of gender non-conformity in the Ancient World, journeying from the steppes of the Ancient Near East, to the complex religious rituals of Ancient Cyprus, and the elusive cult of the Magna Mater to explore the compelling evidence of Transgender and Non-Binary lives across the Ancient World.