School of Humanities

The School of Humanities is based in the University's contemporary MX Building and benefits from a range of specialist facilities such as large lecture theatres and teaching rooms equipped with high-tech audio visual equipment.

Available courses:

• Creative and Professional Writing
• English
• English Language & Linguistics
• Philosophy
• Religious Studies

We are able to offer a variety of outreach activities for your students. Please see below for an indication of the type of workshops we can offer:-

English

Time out of joint: Contextualising Hamlet's struggles within the Renaissance

This session contextualises the play within the major social and cultural issues of 16th Centrury Britain

Living in the blank white spaces: sex, gender and storytelling in The Handmaid's Tale

This seminar addresses the gendered nature of writing, storytelling and discourse in the novel. who gets to speak? Who has the last word? What kinds of discourse are privileged in both this novel and the 'real world'? 

Language Varieties

This masterclass for AS and A-level English Language students takes the theme of 'language varieties' (Section 3.2 of the AQA A-level syllabus; also included in other A-level examination syllabuses). The session will identify and evaluate some of the defining variationist features, and students will be asked to analyse a written text (based on a recording) in small groups.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Philosophy

Sartre and Beauvoir

This session will explore the thought of two modern French philosopher, Jean Paul Sarte and Simone De Beauvoir, on what it means to choose a life of liberty. Does aiming for my own liberty commit me to equally make the liberty of others my aim? Are we always responsible for what we choose?

Hume's critique of the design argument

This session will look at the way Hume presents his discussion of the design argument, and it will examine Hume's main objections to both the analogical and best explanation versions of this argument.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Religious Studies

The human predicament: Reincarnation and Nirvana in Hindu, Buddhist and Sikh teachings

This session will explore key Indian thought on the afterlife and how understandings of reincarnation and liberation from rebirth are expressed in the dharmic traditions of Hindus, Buddhists and Sikhs.

Religious diversity in the UK: Citizenship and identity This session will ask what it means to be religious in 21st Century Britain, and will explore how religion is treated by Government, schools and media, and examine how this impacts upon everyday people and communities.