Free course

Robert Owen and New Lanark

Free statement of participation on completion
Robert Owen and New Lanark
More about this course

Course description

Course content

Course reviews

Childcare, education, working conditions, healthcare, crime: these issues are hotly debated in today's society. They are also issues that Robert Owen, seen by some as a visionary and by others as a knave and a charlatan, sought to address in the early 1800s. This free course, Robert Owen and New Lanark, uses a series of essays written by Owen to explore the ideas of this important and controversial figure.

Course learning outcomes

After studying this course, you should be able to:

  • understand the Enlightenment ideas that underpinned Robert Owen's social reform agenda
  • understand how Owen's background and experience at New Lanark fed through into his thinking in the essays in A New View of Society
  • understand the main proposals in the essays
  • understand New Lanark's role as a model for social reform during this period.

First Published: 09/08/2012

Updated: 14/04/2016

You can start this course right now without signing-up. Click on any of the course content sections below to start at any point in this course.
If you want to be able to track your progress, earn a free Statement of Participation, and access all course quizzes and activities, sign-up.

Course content

Expand all course content

For further information, take a look at our frequently asked questions which may give you the support you need.

Have a question?

Take your learning further371

Making the decision to study can be a big step, which is why you'll want a trusted University. The Open University has 50 years’ experience delivering flexible learning and 170,000 students are studying with us right now. Take a look at all Open University courses372.

If you are new to university level study, we offer two introductory routes to our qualifications. Find out Where to take your learning next?373 You could either choose to start with an Access courses374or an open box module, which allows you to count your previous learning towards an Open University qualification.

Not ready for University study then browse over 1000 free courses on OpenLearn375 and sign up to our newsletter376 to hear about new free courses as they are released.

Every year, thousands of students decide to study with The Open University. With over 120 qualifications, we’ve got the right course for you.

Request an Open University prospectus371

A207_12