1 - 10 of 66 results for: OSPOXFRD

The political system of the United Kingdom; contemporary scholarly debates about UK politics and the UK constitution; and critical analysis of these debates and of current issues in UK politics (including constitutional reform), using contemporary political science and political theory.

Introduction to the study of constitutions and constitutional systems of government. The workings of the British and American systems of government. Comparative study of the most important constitutional issues facing Britain and the U.S. such as how suspected terrorists should be treated in a time of war. How to think about fundamental constitutional questions.

Development of British economic policy making from 1945, focusing on political economy including: ideological motives of governments; political business cycle; and the influence of changing intellectual fashions. Policy areas: attitude to the pound; control of the business cycle; and the role of the state in the economy. Prerequisite: ECON 50.

Different ways in which we might approach Shakespeare, and to whatnends. Consideration of Shakespeare's own historical context, his changing reputation, alongside modern critical readings. Read several of the works and use film and theatrical productions to discuss the differences between page and stage. Intended to serve both as an introduction for those who have not studiednShakespeare before and an exploration of different critical approaches for those who are already familiar with his work.

Emergence and rise of the professional woman writer from playwright and Royalist spy Aphra Behn (1640-89) to novelist and proto-feminist Charlotte Bronte (1816-55). How women writers dealt with criticism for writing publicly, placing each author and text in its historical and literary context. Range of poets, playwrights, and novelists including Eliza Haywood, Frances Burney, and Mary Elizabeth Braddon. Topics: gender roles and proto-feminism, the public versus the private sphere, sexuality, courtship and marriage.

Introduction to the archaeology of the of the British Isles, with particular attention to prehistory, Roman Britain and early medieval period. Themes: peopling of Britain and emergence of hunter-gatherer society; spread of farmers into Britain and role of ritual and community; growth of social hierarchies associated with the first metallurgy; growth of settled farming and layout of fields; growth of Iron Age tribes with their regional centers; arrival of Roman legions and transformation of the British landscape; Anglo-Saxon and Viking invasions and their response to them. Field trips to sites in southern England as well as hands-on lab sessions in the Ashmolean and Pitt-Rivers Museums in Oxford.

Independent study offerings in one of the following topics:n1. The spread of farmers through Europe.n2. Museums and society.n3. General Pitt-Rivers and the history of archaeology in Britain.n4. The Romans in Britain.nnStudents will be facilitated to work in libraries, museums and in the Oxford Archaeology Unit archives in order to collect information on the Roman presence in Oxfordshire and the long-term impact on the Oxfordshire landscape. Students will also be facilitated to work with the team in Reading publishing the long-term research of Professor Mike Fulford on the Roman town of Silchester.

Major challenges for economic policy in developed economies. Topics include: policies to foster growth and combat recessions; social insurance; the re-distributional role of the tax and welfare system; and government policies in key sectors such as health care, financial services, education and energy. Weekly short papers and presentations.

Independent study projects on current topics in economic policy. Possible topics to include: government policy to foster economic growth and fight recessions, inequality and the role of the tax system in redistributing income, social insurance,