FREN 2240 - [The French Experience]

(CA-AS)

Fall. 4 credits.

Next offered 2015-2016.

Staff.

An examination of French society, economy, and institutions through key moments in a long history, in order to figure out what made French culture so distinctive–even though some have claimed recently that the “French cultural exception is dead.” Looking attentively at texts and contexts (the bibliography will include, e.g., Yves Lacoste’s Vive la nation!/Long Live the Nation, Jonathan Nossiter’s documentary film Mondovino, Mehdi Belhaj Kacem’s La Psychose francaise, les banlieues, and Ariel Kenig’s Quitter la France/leaving France,) we will move beyond cliches, and attempt to understand how post-imperial France tries to adapt to the complex processes known as globalization and multiculturalism without losing its “national identity.” Special attention will be paid to the construction of Europe and to the notions of “European citizenship” and “European model.” Taught in English. Mandatory readings in French (book chapters, newspapers, an oral presentation in English or French, and a final paper (8,000 characters) in English.