SO 360 CONTEMPORARY FRENCH SOCIETY IES Abroad Nantes
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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.