Getting Back to the Future - Humanities Online Event Event

Getting Back to the Future is an introduction to studying humanities subjects at University, including taster lectures and opportunities to ask lecturers and current students about why you should study English, History, Languages, Philosophy, Film, Music, or Archaeology. What would you learn? And where could it take you?

Our taster lectures and seminars will approach the theme of ‘getting back to the future’ from different perspectives. One key question is: what will the world look like after the COVID crisis, and how might we want to change it?

We have planned an online event that will allow us to start to get back to a conversation about the future—and back to our future, and back to your future.

• How do humanities disciplines help us make sense of the future?
• What will the future be like? What should it be like?
• And how can we make sure that we’re ready for it?

Draft Programme

10:00 – Welcome Talk and Introduction ( Prof. Christer Petley , School of Humanities)

10:30 – Lecture 1: ‘Apocalyptic Thinking: From Crisis to a Renewed Vision of the Future’ ( Dr Helen Spurling , Parkes Institute and History)

11:00 – Break

11:15 – Seminars

• ‘Retro and Nostalgia in Contemporary Film’ ( Dr Louis Bayman , Film)
• ‘Music in Troubled Times’ ( Prof. Jeanice Brooks , Music)
• ‘Neanderthals: 100 years of prejudice’ ( Prof. Alistair Pike , Archaeology)
• ‘Globalization: A Lesson from History’ ( Dr John McAleer , History)
• ‘Time Travel’ ( Prof. Daniel Whiting , Philosophy)
• ‘Communication Technologies: Old English Poetry to Cyberspace’ ( Dr Marianne O’Doherty , English)
• ‘Populism and the End of Democracy in Ancient Rome?’ ( Dr Louise Revell , Ancient History)

11:45 – Break

12:15 – Lecture 2: ‘Human/Non-Human’ ( Professor Stephen Morton , English)

12:45 – Your future and humanities careers, followed by a Q&A with staff and students

13:30 – End of the day.

After the event, participants will have access to a website containing a video tour of Avenue Campus, which is the main home of Humanities at Southampton, as well as talks from the day and other resources.

To get a taste of the themes covered on the day, check out this video from Prof. Christer Petley, who will be your host for Getting Back to the Future:

Once registered, you will be sent joining instructions ahead of the day.

Contact for queries - Emma Woozeer ( e.woozeer@soton.ac.uk ), Widening Participation & Social Mobility