This summer, Temple students will have the opportunity to study in one of the world’s most dynamic cultural centers through a new four-week program in London. Led by First-Year Writing Professor of Instruction Stan Mir, Gender in Drama and Film will examine shifting ideas about gender, masculinity and identity in Britain from the end of World War II through the 21st century, connecting literature and film to broader social and political change.

“We’re going to be looking at the different ways that notions of gender have changed or developed post-war,” Mir says. “As we get into the 60s, immigration from former British colonies in the Caribbean, as well as Pakistan and India, coincides with changing perceptions of gender and what it means to be British.”

Specifically, students will study how those evolving ideas are reflected in British theater and cinema. Participants will enroll in ENG3020 (or the Honors level ENG3900) and explore a breadth of material and perspectives, from John Osborne’s 1956 play Look Back in Anger, a central work of Britain’s “Angry Young Men” movement, to films like My Beautiful Launderette (1985) and Red, White and Blue (2020), as well as a handful of theatrical performances.

“It will be valuable to be in the place where a lot of these stories are set, so that you can get a real sense of the physical spaces and really visualize these landscapes,” says Stan Mir, Professor of Instruction in the First-Year Writing Program and the program’s Faculty Director.

Planned trips include the British Film Institute, the National Theatre, the Museum of London, and the Black Cultural Archives in Brixton. “Being able to visit these historical sites and archives will give us access to information, experiences and context we couldn’t get here in Philadelphia,” says Mir.  

Mir emphasizes the value of studying abroad for students who have not yet had the opportunity to do so. He hopes the trip offers students not only a sense of contemporary culture in the UK but also an opportunity to consider their own identities in a global context.

“It wasn’t until I went abroad that first time that I started to get a sense of the different impressions people have of the United States,” says Mir. “Getting that outside perspective is a really important aspect of studying abroad.” 

Temple’s Summer in London program is slated to run from late June through July. The deadline for applications is February 15, with a February 1 deadline for financial aid eligibility. Students interested in learning more can visit the program's web page or e-mail Professor Mir with any questions.