Undergraduate Course Descriptions

Who do the French consider themselves and what does the rest of the world think of when they think of France? We will explore these questions through architecture, film, literature, music and other forms of cultural production. France today is the world’s fifth largest economy, holds one of only five permanent seats on the UN Security Council, and controls the third-largest nuclear arsenal. Nonetheless, the postwar dominance of Anglo-American popular culture and the recent rapid economic development of Asia and Latin America sometimes leave the French feeling beleaguered and isolated. How is French culture perceived, valued and consumed outside of France, both in its former colonies and beyond? How has the racial, ethnic, linguistic and religious transformation of France in recent years revealed itself in music, the visual arts and literature? How have conflicts with their origins outside of France become part of the French contemporary scene? What does it mean for the French to be French in the 21st century and how is that different from what it has meant to be French in the past? What does it mean for the rest of the world to be French in the 21st century and how is that different from what it has meant in the past? How is France today like and unlike other countries with vast international responsibilities and complex interminglings of cultures, languages and religions at home?

Schedule of Undergraduate Courses