FREN 349 - Studies in Culture and Criticism Topic A:La Belle époque:Politics,Society,and Culture in France:1880-1914

Institution:

Wellesley College

Subject:

Description:

Datta NOT OFFERED IN 2009-10. In the aftermath of World War I, French men and women viewed the preceding years as a tranquil and stable period in French history. Yet, during the era, subsequently known as la belle époque , the French experienced changes of enormous mag-nitude: the emergence of both consumer culture and a working class, the development of a national press, and the expansion of an over-seas colonial empire. Such ebullience was reflected in the emergence of Paris as the capital of the European avant-garde. Drawing on literary texts and historical documents, as well as on films, posters, and songs, this interdisciplinary course examines French society, poli-tics, and culture during the era that ushered France into the modern age . Prerequisite: 211 (or for classes of 2010-2011 only, 210 may be substituted) and one additional unit, 212 or above. Distribution: Language and Literature or Historical Studies Semester: N/O Unit: 1. 0 Topic B: France and Europe: Ambiguities, Obstacles, and Triumph s Gunthe r NOT OFFERED IN 2009-10. After an introduction to various social, cultural and political aspects of contemporary France and the French, we will turn our attention to issues surrounding France's role in the project to unify Europe. We will examine how France's anxieties and hopes for the European Union are shared by other European nations, and how France is experiencing EU membership differently from its neighbors, in ways that reflect its unique history and culture. Readings will be drawn from a variety of disciplines, including texts by histo-rians, political scientists, sociologists and economis ts. Prerequisite: 211 (or for classes of 2010-2011 only, 210 may be substituted) and one additional unit, 212 or above. Distribution: Language and Literature or Historical Studies Semester: N/O Unit: 1.0 Topic C: Liberty, Equality, Sexualities: How the Values of the French Republic Have Both Protected and LimitedSexual Freed oms Gunt her An examination of sexualities and genders in France that addresses the questions of why the French seem so comfortable with sex while at the same time so constrained by gender roles and why French movements for gay rights and women's rights have had such difficulty cooperating. The answers lie in the paradoxical relationship between France's relative indifference toward sexuality, on the one hand, and its fixation with gender difference, on the other. At the end of the semester, the course will focus on recent changes in discussions of gender and sexuality and address the issue of whether traditional paradigms for explaining gender and sexuality in France still apply or whether the French might be entering a new sexual era. Prerequisite: 211 (or for classes of 2010-2011 only, 210 may be substituted) and one additional unit, 212 or above. Distribution: Language and Literature or Historical Studies Semester: Spring Unit:

Credits:

3.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

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Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

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Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.wellesley.edu

Phone Number:

(781) 283-1000

Regional Accreditation:

New England Association of Schools and Colleges

Calendar System:

Semester

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