Cardiff Centre for Lifelong Learning

This course introduces the academic study of religion. Through a series of case-studies, it will consider the study of religion from a variety of perspectives, including historical, anthropological, textual, and psychological approaches. Key themes for analysis include: religious identity, secularism, sacred texts, religious law, religious authority, and sacred places. There will be opportunities to read ancient religious writings, ethnography, and critical theory with the aim of equipping you with the skills needed to get the most out of studying religions both ancient and modern.

Who are history TV programmes for? What can studying history documentaries tell us about the way that historians and TV producers approach their craft? This summer school will explore the styles and techniques that the makers of historical documentaries employ to ‘reconstruct’ the past. Through a series of lively interactive case studies, it will analyse the tensions between academic and ‘popular’ history. It will consider the value of TV history as entertainment, as an educational tool, as a historical source and as a manufacturer of identity. Delivered over a single weekend, the course will be supported, before and after, by on-line resources and e-mail contact with the tutor.

In twenty-first century Britain, our identities are frequently characterised by ideas about gender, sexuality, ethnicity and nationality. However, the study of these categories in the early modern period has often remained marginal or hidden. This course explores the construction of identities like sexual identity and national identity, including the extent to which ideas about identity were based on what people looked like, their clothing and appearance. Ideas and developments will be positioned in broader frameworks of historical change in the period 1500 to 1700.

The ancient world is still with us, in our historic architecture, popular culture, and, of course, academic studies. How do we perceive the ancient world today? How do these perceptions help to shape modern notions regarding identity, freedom, culture and the nature of empire? By looking at various kinds of evidence – including history, novels, and post-war films such as Spartacus, the original The 300 Spartans, and more recent re-imaginings – we can gain an insight into the enduring adaptability of the ancient world as a means of commenting on the present.

Death is a universal human experience, but the variety of responses is staggering. Over time, and in various regions of the world, people have been buried, cremated, exposed or eaten; they have been laid to rest singly or in groups, in elaborate tombs, simple graves, pots or boats; and accompanied with lavish grave goods or with nothing at all. How can we make sense of this diversity? This summer school introduces you to all aspects of burial archaeology, from the basic analytical techniques applied to human bone to the challenges in reconstructing the lives and beliefs of individuals and communities from funerary evidence. The Summer School will be taught through a blend of lectures, workshops and class debates over a single weekend.