We've all heard the story of Victorian-age prudery which is said to have led to piano legs being covered with frilly lace so that lustful minds could not be excited by bare ankles. Yet, outside the home, in Victorian England, prostitution flourished as never before. This is one of the many paradoxes of the Victorian age, which also saw growing wealth and growing poverty, great buildings and workers' slums, strict morality at home and aggression abroad... Yet Victorian England's democratic institutions and educational ideas, its science and technology, and its fierce debates on religion and morality have made their mark around the world, especially in countries which were once part of the Empire. You only have to look at some of the surviving Victorian-age buildings in Australian cities. This course looks back on an age which has left a deep impression on our own.

Independent Study Discussion Courses are for study by groups without a tutor, so there is no need to write reports. These courses were written by tutors who have now since retired from the Discussion Group Program. Some courses were written a number of years ago, and therefore contain references to events which are now more historical than current, however, all are entertaining, well-produced and worthwhile.

COURSE INFORMATION

Course Author: Douglas Golding

Course Code: D223

Supplied Material: Course Booklet

Units & Pricing: 6 units / $48 per person

GETTING STARTED

Start your Group: Anyone can start a Discussion Group – seek out some like-minded friends or put up a notice in your local library, bookshop or workplace. Please note a minimum of 6 people is required to start a new discussion group.

Arrange the Meetings: New groups need to decide where and when to meet, and for how long – whatever best suits members' particular situations.

Run your Group: Choose a secretary to liaise with WEA and your tutor, a Discussion Leader to chair meetings, a reporter to take discussion notes to send to your tutor, and maybe a librarian to look after the books.

Start the Course: Contact WEA Sydney to enrol. Bookings can be made for one year, divided into two terms – Term 1 commences in February, Term 2 in July (Groups may make forward bookings for popular choices). Please indicate in what order your Group wishes to study the courses, if more than one course is booked.