Dress and Society in the Ancient World (VS1) (U04243)

? Credit Points : 20 ? SCQF Level : 10 ? Acronym : HCA-3-VS1-DRESS

This course will introduce students to the way dress reflected a multitude of identities (e.g. gender, ethnicity, wealth and legal status) in the Roman Empire, and will show how dress behaviour can be analysed to answer social and cultural-historical questions. Students will use mainly written and pictorial primary sources and will analyse debates and developments surrounding dress in modern classical and anthropological scholarship.

Entry Requirements

? This course is only available to part year visiting students.

? This course is a variant of the following course : U04234

? Pre-requisites : Visiting students should usually have at least 3 courses in Classics related subject matter(at least 2 of which should be in Ancient History or Classical Art/Archaeology) at grade B or above (or be predicted to obtain this) for entry to this course. We will only consider University/College level courses.

? Special Arrangements for Entry : This course is only for visiting students in Edinburgh during the 1st Semester but NOT the 2nd Semester. In order for a student to be enrolled, contact must be made with a Course Secretary on 50 3580 in order for approval to be obtained.

Subject Areas

Home subject area

Ancient History, (School of History, Classics and Archaeology, Schedule E)

Other subject areas

Classical Art/Classical Archaeology, (School of History, Classics and Archaeology, Schedule E)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : 3rd year

? Delivery Period : Semester 1 (Blocks 1-2)

? Contact Teaching Time : 2 hour(s) per week for 11 weeks

First Class Information

Date	Start	End	Room	Area	Additional Information
23/09/2008	14:00	15:50	Room G.04, William Robertson Building	Central

All of the following classes

Type	Day	Start	End	Area
Lecture	Tuesday	14:00	15:50	Central

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of the course, students should be able to demonstrate in session discussions, essays and in the written degree examination that they have acquired the following specific academic competences:
• an understanding of the wide variety of dress styles worn in the various parts of the Roman Empire
• an understanding of the uses of evidence of dress behaviour for ancient historians, particularly in the realm of social and cultural structures and processes
• the ability not just to describe, but to analyse dress behaviour and what it tells us about the wearer in terms of individual and group identity
• familiarity with comparable examples from the modern period and the advantages and disadvantages of the comparative approach to classical study
• an understanding of the variety of identity groups an inhabitant of the Roman Empire could belong to
In addition, they should be able to demonstrate, that they have acquired the following specific transferable skills:
• the ability to compare a wide range of different source types (written, pictorial and artefactual)
• an understanding of the specific challenges presented by the nature of specific types of sources and the quantities in which they are available
• the ability to gather material independently on a given topic and organise it into a coherent set of data
• skills in working through complex theoretical problems
• skills in contributing to group discussions and oral argument
• evaluating different approaches to and explanations of material, and making critical choices between them
• expressing ideas and arguments clearly
• and organising their own learning, managing their workload and working to a timetable
They should also have developed their general competences as follows, and be able to demonstrate them by the means stated above:
• general historical understanding
• general appreciation of portrait art
• general analytical skills

Assessment Information

Students will be required to submit one individual essay of 3000 words and will complete a Take-Home Examination. The Essay will count as 40% of the final grade; the Examination as 60%.