“LONDON CALLING: ORDERING THE WORLD”

BRITISH LITERATURE, HISTORY, & CULTURE

ENGLISH 299 or HISTORY 199, or 499

SPRING & SUMMER 2025

Drs. Laura Rotunno & Douglas Page                   

COURSE DESCRIPTION AND PURPOSE

"By seeing London, I have seen as much of life as the world can show."

"You find no man, at all intellectual, who is willing to leave London. No, Sir, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford."

—Samuel Johnson

After this immersion in London, you may, very well, echo Johnson's sentiments. This course lets you, at the very least, test his ideas, because this Study Abroad experience will provide you the opportunity to enhance your knowledge and understanding of British literature, history, and culture through visiting key sites in the Greater London area. That is, a goal is to aid in your recognition of and ability to critically discuss the interrelationships between and cultural significance of British historical events, not just for Britain but for the rest of the world.

Designed to supplement and complement the readings and discussions undertaken in English 225N or WMNST 225N OR History 066 or 103, the course will further explore aspects of the British historical and literary culture covered in those courses, ranging from the architectural to the intellectual. During the 1-credit spring course, we will do much in terms of practical preparation for the trip; however, beyond that, we will also challenge you to consider your goals in this travel, lead you to discover the social, cultural, and physical changes undergone at sites we will visit, and prepare you to be travelers who are curious about the sustainability efforts, efficiencies, and inefficiencies of the sites we will visit. While there will be numerous sites that will show us environmental sustainability efforts at work or needed, we’ll also explore sites that will help us think about sustainability in terms of the sustainability of cities and communities (two of the UN Developmental Goals). Further goals for both the spring and summer/trip portions of this course include: 1) Undertaking international travel as a respectable representative of the U.S. and Penn State Altoona as well as a curious student of British history and culture; 2) Engaging elements of a familiar, yet foreign culture in a hands-on fashion; 3) Evaluating materials you have read in your prerequisite course(s) in respect to the sites, pieces of art, etc. that you will see in London; and 4) Exercising your research, presentation, and writing skills.