Introduction to French Culture
Examines major social and political trends, events, debates and personalities which help place various aspects of contemporary French culture in their historical perspective. Topics include the heritage of the French Revolution, the growth and consequences of colonialism, the role of intellectuals in public debates, the impact of the Occupation, the modernization of the economy and of social structures. Also studied are the sources and meanings of national symbols, monuments, myths and manifestoes. Documents include fiction, films, essays, newspaper articles, and television shows. Recommended for students planning to study abroad. Taught in French.
Spring 2014
This course examines major social and political trends, events, debates and personalities which help place aspects of contemporary French culture in their historical perspective through fiction, films, essays, newspaper articles, and television. Topics include the heritage of the French Revolution, the growth and consequences of colonialism, the role of intellectuals in public debates, the impact of the Occupation, the modernization of the economy and of social structures. The sources and meanings of national symbols, monuments, myths and manifestoes are also studied. Recommended for students planning to study abroad. Taught in French.
Readings
- [Wylie] = Wylie, Laurence, and et Jean-François Brière. Les Français . 3rd ed. Prentice Hall, 2000. ISBN: 9780130307743.
- [Pennac] = Pennac, Daniel_. Au bonheur des ogres_. Assimil Gmbh, 1997. ISBN: 9782070403691.
- [Edmiston] = Edmiston, William F., and et Duménil. La France contemporaine . 4th ed. Heinle Cengage Learning, 2010. ISBN: 9781428231238.
- Carroll, Raymonde. « Introduction. » En Évidences invisibles: Américains et Français au quotidien . Seuil, 1991, pp. 16–20 and 27–28. ISBN: 9782020133005.
- Barthes, Roland. « Le vin et le lait. » En Mythologies: Édition illustrée . Seuil, 2010. ISBN: 9782021034479.
- Balzac, Honoré de. « La fille aux yeux d’or. » En La comédie humaine . Études de mœurs: Scéne de la vie parisienne . Kessinger Publishing, 2005, pp. 1039–54. ISBN: 9781419175817.
- Benjamin, Walter. Paris , capitale du XIXe siècle: le livre des passages . Les Éditions du Cerf, 1998. ISBN: 9782204031577. Paragraphes M1, 2; M2a, 1; M3, 8; M6a, 4; M13a, 2; and M20a, 1.
- Baudelaire, Charles. Les fleurs du mal . établie par John E. Jackson. Livre de poche French, 1972, pp. 136–39, 146–49, and 158–59. ISBN: 9782253007104.
- Breton, André. Nadja édition entièrement revue par l’auteur . Gallimard, 1964, pp. 70–83.
- Perec, Georges. Tentative d’épuisement d’un lieu parisien . C. Bourgois, 1982. Extrait. ISBN: 9782267003260.
- Calle, Sophie. « La filature. » En Doubles-jeux . Actes Sud, 1998, pp. 110–49.
- Christin, Pierre, and Annie Goetzinger. Agence Hardy: Le parfum disparu . Dargaud, 2001. ISBN: 9782205049398.
- David Barroux « Comment la France est devenue la terre d’accueil de la BD » Les Echos . 30 janvier 2014.
Prerequisites & course information
Prereq: 21G.304 or permission of instructor U (Spring) Not offered regularly; consult department 3-0-9 units. HASS-H
Sources
- Course catalogue ↗2026–2027
- MIT OpenCourseWare ↗Spring 2014
- MIT OCW readings ↗
- MIT OCW syllabus ↗
- Historical MIT OpenCourseWare offering. Named reading entries and schedule topics are automatically extracted from the linked source pages.