ML1113: Modern France: War, Conflict and Culture

School French
Department Code MLANG
Module Code ML1113
External Subject Code 101133
Number of Credits 10
Level L4
Language of Delivery English
Module Leader Professor Claire Gorrara
Semester Autumn Semester
Academic Year 2014/5

Outline Description of Module

This course will introduce students to the history, culture politics and economics of post-war France. It will assume no prior knowledge of France, of literary and cultural studies or politics and economics. Key concepts from these disciplines will be introduced as necessary. Although delivered in self-contained lectures, the course is structured in a way so as to enable students to see how as to enable students to see how changes in one area impact upon others.

The first semester focusses on conflict and culture in post-war France, beginning with an exploration of the impact of the Second World War on French society. It will then proceed to analyse the impact of France’s empire and the bloody process of decolonisation on its sense of national identity. The module will then move onto explore the Algerian War (1958-62) before discussing the issues of post-war immigration and integration in contemporary France in a prescribed film. Throughout the semester, the emphasis will be on how war and conflict, both home and abroad, have shaped French society and its development.

On completion of the module a student should be able to

On completion of this module, students should have:

  • Furthered knowledge and understanding of the major wars and conflicts that have shaped France from the Second World War to the contemporary era
  • Analysed and understood a range of cultural responses to such events
  • Demonstrated an understanding of the role of literary and cultural media in mediating and debating the impact of war and conflict on French national identity, above all in the form of the short story, essay, photography and film
  • demonstrated a broad understanding of aspects of, and developments in the economy and politics of modern France since World War Two, including:
  • the changing political role of France in the world from the late nineteenth century to the contemporary period
  • aspects of  the transformation of France from a closed rural, agricultural economy and society to an open, post-industrial economy and society;
  •  the main institutions and actors of government in modern France and the evolution towards a system of semi-presidential government in France;
  • developed transferable learning, research and organisational, communication and IT skills

How the module will be delivered

Although delivered in 10 self-contained lectures and four workshops, the course is structured in such a way as to enable students to see how one conflict and war impacts on another and its cultural forms.

Skills that will be practised and developed

·         Lectures will develop the student’s capacity to absorb information, including through note-taking.

·         Workshops will develop the capacity to deploy this information and to integrate it with new information to produce well-constructed arguments

·         Through the coursework essay students will practice and develop research skills and the capacity to deploy information in well-constructed arguments

·         Coursework essays will enable students to practise and develop written presentation and work processing skills

·         Coursework essays will enable students to develop and demonstrate their knowledge of aspects of post-war French history, culture, politics and economics

How the module will be assessed

One coursework essay of 1,500 words on a choice of topics related to the course content and to be submitted at the end of the Autumn Semester.

Assessment Breakdown

Type % Title Duration(hrs)
Written Assessment 100 Modern France: War, Conflict & Culture N/A

Syllabus content

Week 1: Lecture – Introduction                                                                  

Week 2: Lecture – War and Occupation: The Second World War           
 
Week 3: Lecture – Cultural Responses to the Second World War :
 
Week 3: Workshop: exploring set text in detail                                
 
Week 4: Lecture: French Colonialism                                                                       
 
Week 5: Lecture: Cultural Responses to colonialism                                
 
Week 5: Workshop: exploring set text in detail                                                                    
 
Week 6: – Research Skills Workshop                                               
 
Week 6: Workshop: Essay writing advice and guidance                                                                           
 
Week 7: Lecture – The Algerian War (1954-62)                                         
 
Week 8: Lecture – Cultural Responses  to the Algerian War                   
 
Week 8: Workshop: exploring set text in detail        
 
Week 9: Lecture – Immigration and migration in post-war France                      
 
Week 10: Lecture – Cultural Responses to immigration in France    
                 
Week 10: Workshop: exploring set text in detail 
                                                     
Week 11: Lecture: course overview and assignment guidance

Essential Reading and Resource List

Please see Background Reading List for an indicative list.

Background Reading and Resource List

Claire Gorrara and Rachael Langford (eds.), France Since the Revolution: Texts and Contexts (Edward Arnold, 2003). There are 13 copies of this in the library; relevant chapters on the Second World War and French colonialism

James Macmillan (ed.), Modern France 1880-2002 (Oxford University Press, 2003)

David Howarth and Georgio Varouxakis, Contemporary France: An Introduction to French Politics and Society (Edward Arnold, 2003)

Martin Evans and Emmanuel Godin, France 1815-2003 (Edward Arnold, 2004). There is an excellent website also linked to this with additional texts, accessed via the University of Portsmouth’s School of European Studies website

Robert Gildea, France since 1945 (Oxford University Press, 2002)

Jill Forbes and Mike Kelly, French Cultural Studies (Clarendon Press, 1995)

Alex Hughes and Keith Reader, Encyclopaedia of Contemporary French Culture (Routledge, 1998)

Mike Kelly (ed.), French Culture: The Essentials (Edward Arnold, 2001)

Sian Reynolds and William Kidd, Contemporary French Cultural Studies (Edward Arnold, 2000)

Sarah Kay, Terence Cave and Malcolm Bowie, A Short Introduction to French Literature (Oxford University Press, 2003)

Peter France, New Oxford Companion to Literature in French (Oxford Univeristy Press, 1995)

Helen Drake, Contemporary France (Palgrave/Macmillan, 2011)


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