Clothing Cultures in Comparative Historical Contexts (P01727)

? Credit Points : 20 ? SCQF Level : 11 ? Acronym : HCA-P-ClothCult

This course provides an advanced analysis of clothing cultures in comparative historical contexts, and is the core course for the new taught masters programme in 'The Material and Visual Cultures of the Past'. The course, which is team-taught, covers key periods and themes in the evolution of clothing and clothing cultures and explores text-based, visual and material approaches to the subject. Methodological and theoretical issues are an integral part of the course. It is designed as a preparation for and complement to other areas of subject-specific teaching in the taught programme and is also intended to raise key questions of relevance to dissertation research. The development of visual skills is stressed throughout. Teaching (10 two-hour sessions) is based on pre-set reading and exercises, and seminar discussion directed by one or more staff. The course will explore the following key themes: reading dress in the ancient world: sumptuary legislation and clothing in the Renaissance; second-hand clothing in the Renaissance; classicism and fashion c.1550-1810; status and clothing, 18th & 19th centuries: masculine ambiguities - macaronis and dandies; the black-coated worker and other uniforms; screen style, costume design and the period film; women's hem-lines and underwear since the 18th century; clothing and rebellion.

Entry Requirements

? This course is not available to visting students.

Subject Areas

Home subject area

Postgraduate (School of History and Classics), (School of History, Classics and Archaeology, Schedule E)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : Postgraduate

? Delivery Period : Semester 1 (Blocks 1-2)

? Contact Teaching Time : 1 hour(s) 50 minutes per week for 11 weeks

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, students will have an advanced knowledge and critical understanding of clothing cultures in comparative historical contexts, along with a knowledge of some of the distinct methodological and theoretical approaches to the subject, including the visual and material. In particular the course seeks :
- to provide an awareness of the diversity of approaches to clothing history.
- to provide an understanding of the theoretical and methodological issues that underpin the study of clothing and clothing cultures.
- to provide an introduction to the types of sources that are used in the study of clothing, including material and visual sources, and develop skills in the use of these sources.
- to encourage the student's ability to read and contextualize challenging research-based texts and data from a range of discipline routes.
- to provide an opportunity for small group discussion based on set reading and other exercises and thereby develop the verbal skills of students.
- to develop library and IT skills through the use of books, journal articles and web-resources.
- to provide an opportunity for a sustained piece of critical writing on a theme arising from the course that is also of relevance to the intended dissertation topic.