Undergraduate Course: Victorian Edinburgh (LLLE07040)
Course Outline
| School | Centre for Open Learning |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 7 (Year 1 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 10 |
ECTS Credits | 5 |
| Summary | This course considers the complex challenges and changes wrought in the period 1837-1901 within Scotland's capital city. It examines examples of the economic, social and political context in which 'Edinburghers' lived, and assesses their responses to the most important Scottish, British and international events. |
| Course description |
1. Becoming the 'capital city': what did this mean for Edinburgh?
2. Edinburgh in the Victorian Age: an overview.
3. Building the dream cityscape? The architecture and 'improvement' schemes.
4. Mine Own Romantic Town? Edinburgh's writers and their influence on the world.
5. Edinburgh's political elites: who ran the city?
6. Edinburgh and Queen Victoria: the three visits.
7. The darker side of Edinburgh: poverty, immigration and crime.
8. A madman's dream? Edinburgh's artists and galleries.
9. An age of heroes? Edinburgh's statues and monuments.
10. Edinburgh institutions: university, churches and financial and printing prowess.
Edinburgh was at the centre of many of the major Scottish events of the nineteenth century. It experienced royal visits, including those of George IV and Victoria, was a key location for the religious Disruption of 1843, and was home to great commemorative construction such as the Gothic Scott Monument. The city was physically redesigned by the many 'improvement acts' and the coming of the railways. However, many of those who visited the city and who lived in it described it as both 'beautiful' and 'grotesque'. Edinburgh's Old and New Towns became more and more a reflection of the 'haves' and the 'have-nots'. Immigrants to Edinburgh found refuge in the city but not necessarily a welcome there.
Students will examine the city from many angles, assessing the diverse and changing character of the city; placing it in the broader historical context of Scotland; and evaluating its place in Britain and Europe. The course will introduce students to a wide variety of sources relating to nineteenth-century Edinburgh, including art, poetry, literature, diaries, newspapers, town council minutes and letters, developing source-handling skills and critical thinking.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
| Additional Costs | None |
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- demonstrate an understanding of the complex nature of the Victorian period in Edinburgh, and place that city in the broader context of Scotland, Britain and Europe at the time;
- demonstrate an ability to analyse the rich array of primary sources for nineteenth-century history, and to handle critically the secondary sources;
- demonstrate, through oral contribution in classes, and through the assessment where applicable, an ability to conduct research and to structure ideas;
- demonstrate, through oral contribution in classes and through the assessment where applicable, an ability to organize their own learning and to manage their workload.
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Reading List
Essential:
D. Daiches, 1967. Edinburgh. Edinburgh: Oliver and Boyd.
M. Fry, 2011. Edinburgh. London: Macmillan.
C. McKean, 1991. Edinburgh. London: Century
Recommended:
J. Crawford, L. Ferguson, K. Watson, 2010. Victorian Scotland. Edinburgh: RCAHMS.
B. Edwards et al, 2005. Edinburgh: The Making of a Capital City. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.
W. Knox, 1999. Industrial Nation: Work, Culture and Society in Scotland, 1800-Present. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.
J. McCaffrey, 1998. Scotland in the Nineteenth Century. London: Macmillan.
G. Morton and T. Griffiths, eds., 2010. A History of Everyday Life in Scotland, 1800 to 1900. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.
T. Royle, 1980. Precipitous City: The Story of Literary Edinburgh. Edinburgh: Mainstream.
R.J Morris and R. Rodger eds., 1993. The Victorian city : a reader in British urban history, 1820-1914. London: Longman.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Critical thinking.
Handling and analysis of sources.
Oral discussion.
Time management.
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| Special Arrangements |
N/A |
| Study Abroad |
N/A |
| Keywords | Victorian Edinburgh |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Sally Crumplin
Tel:
Email: Sally.Crumplin@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Ms Kameliya Skerleva
Tel: (0131 6)51 1855
Email: Kameliya.Skerleva@ed.ac.uk |
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