SO 360 CONTEMPORARY FRENCH SOCIETY IES Abroad Nantes

DESCRIPTION: With a dual approach, both historical and sociological, the course will focus on social, societal*, economic, political, institutional and cultural changes in France since the 19th century. It will be a question of noting the changes that have shaped French society as it is in order to understand it in its current aspects.

To this end, we will proceed according to an approach that will go back in time and start the study either at the source of the theme/phenomenon studied, or at a time in history when it has experienced a significant turning point (a dive from a few decades back for some themes to a few centuries for others). The course will consist in retracing the historical evolution of the object of analysis. The outcome of this process will be the study of the theme nowadays.

*Relating to the behavior of individuals in society and the evolution of morals.

CREDITS: 3 credits

CONTACT HOURS: 45 hours

LANGUAGE OF INSTRUCTION: French

PREREQUISITES: A thorough knowledge of French history, French society or sociology in general is not required to take this course. It is rather advisable to have some basic knowledge. Some of the readings in the bibliography will help to better prepare for this course.

ADDITIONAL COST: None

METHOD OF PRESENTATION: The sessions are divided between lecture style and interactive exercises involving students (exchanges-discussions, frequent comparisons between French and American societies for example, group work on documents, short individual or group presentations).

Documents of various kinds will occupy a large place in the course: texts (press, scholarly books, speeches), iconographic documents (photographs, drawings and caricatures, posters), audio and video documents (songs, films and documentaries).

REQUIRED WORK AND FORM OF ASSESSMENT: • Homework Assignment – 25% • Midterm Exam – 25% • 5-Minute Oral Presentation – 5% • Final Exam – 35% • Involvement Score (Attendance and Participation) – 10%

Homework Assignment The homework assignment will consist of personal research work in response to a problematic in relation to French society. It will result in an eight to ten page typed thesis, including a page dedicated to the bibliography.

Midterm and Final Exams The midterm and final are supervised exams in which students are allotted 1h30 to complete the midterm and 2 hours to complete the final. They will focus on the themes of the program curriculum. They will be composed of two forms of exercises: document studies and course questions. Document studies consist of an analysis of a corpus of documents in response to a given problem (texts, iconographic documents of different kinds, graphs & statistical tables, etc.). The course questions exercise includes a written production with arguments in response to a question, in the form of a short essay.

Oral Presentation A 5-minute oral presentation to be given on a subject proposed by the teacher in relation to one of the themes on the program.

Involvement Score (Attendance and Participation) This will take into account attendance as well as active participation during the course. As the course has a very generalist dimension and is open to current events, it is advisable to follow current events (reading the newspapers and magazines available at the IES, listening to the news radio stations). Therefore, working and reading the IES library is recommended.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: By the end of the course, students will be able to: • Understand both the drivers of a society's evolution over time and precisely the changes in French society since the 19th century. • Develop global knowledge about French civilization in fields as varied as culture, politics, economy and society. • Use and know how to use all types of documents, highlighting their interest and subtlety with a critical eye. • Conduct in-depth research on a subject by identifying a relevant issue and establishing the body of appropriate sources. • Be able, in a comparative way, to establish the differences and commonalities between the changes in American society and those in French society. • Improve skills in terms of oral and written expression in French. • Take an active part in the course by giving an oral presentation.

ATTENDANCE POLICY: The courses offered by IES Abroad are designed to take advantage of the teacher's unique collaboration, and the lecture/discussion format is the main teaching modality. At the end of the course selection period, classroom attendance is therefore mandatory. Absences can only be excused for valid reasons. It is the students' responsibility to provide proof of these absences, for example a medical certificate. Absences due to travel or visits by friends or family members are not excused. Absences that are not excused for valid reasons will have consequences on your final grade in the course: each non-excused absence will lead to a half letter reduction of the final grade (e. g. B+ will be reduced to B, A to A-) and may also lead to a lower participation grade. Seven absences in a course will result in an "F" for that course. Each examination, test, presentation, research work or other exercise not carried out because of an absence may only be rescheduled in the event of a duly justified medical or family emergency.

CONTENT: Session Content Assignments

Session 1 Education in France (Since the end of Read: the Middle Ages): From Traditional and • Eduquer au XXIe siècle, 5 pages Elitist Education to Contemporary http://www.lemonde.fr/idees/ School Challenges • From medieval times to the Watch: 18th century • L'explosion des effectifs scolaires: la rentrée • From the Enlightenment to the 1964 http://fresques.ina.fr/jalons/fiche- School of the Republic media/InaEdu01068/lexplosion-des-effectifs- • The challenges of scolaires-la-rentree-1964.htm0l democratization and • Les 'zones d'éducation prioritaire: quel bilan?' massification (1960s - 1990s) http://fresques.ina.fr/jalons/liste/recherche/Th • The new challenges of eme.id/107/df/ education in the 21st century

Session 2 Young people in French Society Since Read: the 1960s: From the Emergence of the • Les jeunes d'aujourd'hui : quelles sociétés pour "Young" Social Group to Current Youth demain?, Chapitre 1. Etre jeune: un temps, un Issues. mode de vie pleinement assumes, Pp 17-25. • Context and factors for the emergence of youth groups Work to Prepare: within the a post-war French • Study of the “affiches et slogans” May 68 society (1960s) • Youth from May 1968: from Field Study: mobilization and commitment • La jeunesse française actuelle: carrying out a to forms of recognition (1968 - local street survey (type of survey) among 1980s) young people in groups of two in downtown • New issues (since the 1990s) Nantes

Session 3 Women in French society (Since the Read: French Revolution, 18th century): From • Les droits de la femme (en France) chronologie, the First Struggles to the Latest 8 pages www.vie-publique.fr [La Achievements, the Slow Path to Documentation Française, CNDP] Emancipation • The question of women's rights Watch: at the time of the French • “Les discriminations hommes-femmes”, Revolution conference by Jeannette Bougrab (President of • The (late) conquest of the right the HALTE[High Authority for the Fight against to vote (political citizenship), Discrimination and for Equality] on the the first stage of the feminist discrimination that women suffer at work, 15 struggle minutes. http://www.les-ernest.fr/quest-ce- • The struggle for emancipation quun-immigre-francais/ and the women's liberation (towards legal and social equality) • From the 1960s -1970s, second high point of the feminist fight

• The new conquests of the 21st century and the challenges ahead (since parity in 2000)

Session 4 Work and Unemployment in France Read: (Since the 19th Century): Changes in the • « 30 ans de chômage de masse en France... Working Population and the Pourquoi ? », 4 pages Entrenchment of Mass Unemployment • Changes in work in France Work to Prepare: (changes in the working • Research in preparation of a presentation with population) since the 19th sides for the sake of debate: ''Les politiques de century lutte contre le chômage: politiques d'inspiration • Mass unemployment and its libérale contre politiques d'inspiration consequences: scourge of the keynésienne'' French economy (since the 1970s)

Session 5 Social Inequalities and Poverty in France Read: (Since the 19th Century): The Hazards • « Pauvreté et exclusion. Des notions toutes and Constants of Poverty relatives», p. 4-9. • Inequality and poverty from the • Publication Réseau Canopé: Middle Ages to the 19th century o Qu'est-ce la pauvreté ?, p.4 • Social inequalities and poverty o Pauvreté contre classes sociales ? pp in the 19th century until in the 5-7 Glorious Thirty Poverty and o Assistance ou droits sociaux ? p.7 exclusion since "the crisis" of the 1970s

Session 6 Religions and Secularism in France: Read: History of Relations Between the State • “Quelle laïcité aujourd'hui ?” 4 pages www.vie- and Religions (Since the 18th century) publique.fr [La Documentation Française, (The Republic and Religions) CNDP] • From the emergence of secularism to combat Watch: secularism: separating the State • L'histoire de la laïcité en France (JT 2015) and the Church (late 19th - early section JALONS du site de l'INA [Institut 20th century) National de l'Audiovisuel]. (vidéo 2 page 1) • Towards a secular framework http://fresques.ina.fr/jalons/liste/recherche/Th after the Second World War eme.id/107/ and new (contemporary) • “Le débat sur le port du voile à l'université (JT debates around secularism 2015)”. (vidéo 1 page 1) http://fresques.ina.fr/jalons/liste/recherche/Th eme.id/107/

Session 7 From Yesterday to Today, France as a Read: Land of Immigration: Waves and • “Politisation de l'immigration" en France : Migration Policies in France Since the logiques politiques et enjeux discursifs » 19th Century L'immigration en débat (France/Europe) pp. 69- 81

• The beginning of the era of mass migration with industrialization and labor shortages (late 19th & early 20th century) and the evolution of migration policies during the inter-war period (from the immigration boom of the 1920s to the "undesirable" of the 1930s) • Second half of the 20th century: from the massive reception during the Glorious Thirties to the closure of borders after the crisis of the 1970s • Instrumentalization/politization of immigration (for electoral purposes, it becomes a major theme in the political debate)

Session 8 Integration in France (Since the 1960s): Read: Concept and Debates Around "French • “Petite histoire de l'intégration à la française”, Integration" pp 4-5. • History and debates around the • “L'intégration “à la française”: une philosophie "French-style (republican) à l'épreuve des réalités” integration model" • “L'intégration “à sens unique” des immigrés en France” • « La crise du "modèle français d‘intégration", une proposition d'outil », p. 13-25.

Watch: • “Qu'est-ce qu'un immigré français ?”, conference by Pascal Blanchard (historian of immigration). http://www.les-ernest.fr/quest- ce-quun-immigre-francais/ • “L'égalité a-t-elle un avenir ?”, a conference by Hakim El Karoui that shows how the French vision of equality has conditioned and influenced the integration of communities of foreign origin into society. http://www.les- ernest.fr/legalite-a-t-elle-un-avenir/

Field Study: • Guided tour of the Departmental Archives and discovery of 19th century documents on "foreigners in Nantes".

Session 9 The Suburban Crisis: Expression of Socio-Spatial Segregation Within Urban

Territories (Phenomenon of Double Read: Social Fragmentation / Spatial • « La construction du « problème des banlieues Segmentation) (Since the 1960s) » entre ségrégation et stigmatisation », p. 36- • A brief history of large 44. ensembles (housing projects) (1960-1970) Watch: • Suburban discomfort (since the • 'La construction des grands ensembles à la 1980s) périphérie des grandes villes : la remise en cause’ (TV news 21 mars 1973) http://fresques.ina.fr/jalons/fiche- media/InaEdu01081/la-construction-des- grands-ensembles-a-la-peripherie-des-grandes- villes-la-remise-en-cause.html

Session 10 The Family in France (Since the 1970s): Read: The Many Transformations of the • “La famille traditionnelle en déclin” Family Model • « Introduction », in Couple conjugal, couple • The decline of the traditional parental : vers de nouveaux modèles, ERES « family (from the 1970s Couples, famille et métamorphoses », p. 11-18 onwards) • The metamorphoses of the Watch : family: a large number of new • “France : la famille dans tous ses états”, models that feed a very lively interview with François de Singly, sociologist debate and family specialist, who shows that the debate on the family turns into a dialogue for the deaf. 64 minutes • “Une nouvelle famille ?”, Square, Arte, 02/03/2014. Les changements de la famille en France et en Europe.

Session 11 Leisure, Culture (and Tourism) in France Read: (Since the End of the 19th Century): • “Pratiques culturelles en France et aux États- Towards a Leisure Society and the Unis”, p. 1-16. Continued Differentiation of Cultural Watch: Practices • Winston Churchill, Discours d’Edimbourg, 19 • From the 19th to the 20th mai 1950 (extraits) century: towards a civilization • Général de Gaulle, Conférence de presse du 14 of leisure? janvier 1963 (extraits) • Cultural practices / cultural • Margaret Thatcher, Opening speech from the differences within French 39th academic year at the Europe College in society Bruges, 20 september 1988 (excepts) • Tourism in France since the 19th century

Week 12 The French and Politics: the Presidential Read: Elections Under the 5th Republic, Pillars • “L'histoire des précédentes élections and Mirrors of the Democratic Debate. présidentielles”, L'Express.

Watch: • "Duels présidentielles”. Documentary on the history of the televised debates between two rounds of the presidential elections]. Institut National de l'Audiovisuel (production). Hugues Nancy (Réalisateur). 2012.

COURSE-RELATED TRIPS: Field trips will be carried out and may include in particular: • The carrying out of an opinion survey (sociological study in the form of a street survey in the city center of Nantes) • A visit to the Departmental Archives led by the Archives' pedagogical guide • If the timetable allows it: attend a hearing of the Court of Nantes (a trial)

REQUIRED READINGS: • AVENLE, Cyprien, “La construction du “problème des banlieues” entre ségrégation et stigmatization.” Journal français de psychiatrie, Publication ERES, March 2009 (n° 34), p. 36-44. • BARATS-MALBREL, Christine. “Politisation de l'immigration" en France : logiques politiques et enjeux discursifs.” Quaderni, n°36, 1998. L'immigration en débat (France/Europe), pp. 69-81. • BECKER Jean-Jacques. Histoire politique de la France depuis 1945, edited by. A. Colin, Paris, dernière éd. 2015. • BERGONNIER-DUPUY, Geneviève, and Monique ROBIN. “Introduction.” Couple conjugal, couple parental: vers de nouveaux modèles, edited by Geneviève Bergonnier-Dupuy et al., ERES. “Couples, famille et metamorphoses,” 2007, p. 11-18. • BORNE Dominique. Histoire de la société française depuis 1945, edited by A. Colin, Paris, coll. Cursus. dernière éd. 2002. • CHRISTIN, Angèle, and Olivier DONNAT. “Pratiques culturelles en France et aux États-Unis.” Éléments de comparaison 1981-2008, Culture études, January 2014 (n° 1), p. 1-16. • COSTA-LASCOUX, Jacqueline. “L'intégration “à la française” : une philosophie à l'épreuve des réalités.” Revue européenne des migrations internationales, vol. 22 – n°2, 2006. • ECK, Jean-François, Histoire de l’économie française depuis 1945, edited by A. Colin, dernière éd. 2004, collection Cursus, Paris, 1998. • “L'histoire des précédentes élections présidentielles.” L'Express. December 2016. • “La famille traditionnelle en déclin.” dossier en ligne de La Documentation Française, 9 June 2013. • “Les droits de la femme (en France) chronologie.” La Documentation Française, CNDP, Mise à jour 25 June 2015, 8 pages. www.vie-publique.fr • “Etre jeune: un temps, un mode de vie pleinement assumes.” Les jeunes d'aujourd'hui : quelles sociétés pour demain ? CREDOC [Centre de Recherche pour l'Étude et l'Observation des Conditions de Vie], pp 17- 25. • “L'intégration à sens unique” des immigrés en France.” Libération, 8 Jan. 2016. • MARTINACHE, Igor. “Pauvreté et exclusion. Des notions toutes relatives.” Idées économiques et sociales. 2013/1 (N° 171), p. 4-9. • NOIRIEL, Gérard. “Petite histoire de l'intégration à la française.” Le Monde diplomatique, January 2002. La République et ses immigrés, pp 4-5. • “Quelle laïcité aujourd'hui?” La Documentation Française, CNDP, Mise à jour 25 June 2015, 4 pages. www.vie-publique.fr • RABREAY, Marine. “30 ans de chômage de masse en France...Pourquoi?” Le Figaro, 4 May 2016, 4 pages.

• SERRES, Michel (de l'Académie française). “Eduquer au XXIe siècle.” Le Monde, 7 March 2011, 5 pages. http://www.lemonde.fr/idees/ • SOMMAIRE, Jean-Claude. “La crise du ‘modèle français d‘intégration,’ une proposition d'outil.” Vie sociale, April 2006 (N° 4), p. 13-25.