French and Francophone Studies (FRST)
Director: Associate Professor Éva Pósfay
Committee Members: Scott D. Carpenter, Pamela Feldman-Savelsberg, Cherif Keïta, Jamie Monson, William North, Susannah Ottaway, Nader Saiedi, Lauren Soth, Dana Strand, Cathy M. Yandell, Carl D. Weiner
Requirements for a French and Francophone Studies Major:
The French and Francophone Studies program responds to the growing interest in cultural studies, Africana and post-colonial studies by combining in the best possible way the resources of various disciplinary approaches including literature, political science, history, anthropology, and arts. After acquiring a solid grounding in the language, students will embark on the study of topics such as French cultural theory, issues of identity, social change, nationalism, and gender in France and the francophone societies in Canada, Africa, the Caribbean, and Asia.
The major in French and Francophone Studies follows the general outlines of the French and Francophone Studies Concentration with a total of 27 additional credits in coursework and senior requirements.
I. Language competence:
Prerequisite: French 204. In order to handle the sophisticated materials in French covered in our departmental courses and in order to be able to conduct research in French, where appropriate, in the courses offered outside the French section, it is highly recommended that students take French language classes above the 204-level. Examples: French 206, 208, 209 and 309.
II.One supporting course in cultural studies (see under concentration)
These interdisciplinary courses (FREN 243 and appropriate off-campus courses on culture) serve to introduce students to a variety of topics and techniques relevant to cultural studies.
III. One supporting course in history (see under concentration)
This requirement reflects the importance of historical grounding that was previously recognized in the organization of the concentration.
IV.Four literature courses, two of which must be at the 300-level:
Since our literature courses adopt an interdisciplinary approach, students can complement their learning in other disciplines through the literature offerings of the French section. We insist on two courses at the 300-level, because we find that the complex issues raised by the intersection of history, politics, and socio-cultural perspectives can best be explored by students who have a solid background in both language and literary studies.
V. Three elective courses appropriate for the major:
Students may choose from any of the courses included in the Concentration description, or any course appropriate for the major. French 309 will also count.
VI. The capstone seminar:
This 300-level course is an advanced interdisciplinary seminar focused on a particular topic and the methodology used for its study. It will be taught in French or English. Example: FRST 395: Mande of West Africa
VII. Comprehensive exercise:
a. French 398-399: Senior Essay (Fall and Winter). A seminar focusing on the
planning, preparation, and completion of a significant paper in French or Francophone Studies under the supervision of two advisors: one from the French section (the designated comps coordinator), and one from another discipline. This exercise will normally be written in French. 3 credits per term.
b. French 400: Integrative Exercise (Spring). A colloquium in which students present and defend their senior essay and discuss the essays of others. 3 credits.
A total of 69 credits are required for the major.
Majors are urged to pursue off-campus study in a French-speaking country. For information on approved international off-campus programs, consult the faculty in French and the Off-Campus Studies Office.
French and Francophone Studies Courses
FRST 140. Modern Europe Cross-listed with HIST 140. An introduction to Europe in the age of political and social revolutions. Emphasis is given to the impact of industrialization and the evolution of the liberal and socialist traditions. Students are invited but not required to take History 141 as a follow-up to this course. 6 credits cr., HU, Spring—C. Weiner
FRST 142. The Peasants are Revolting! Popular Culture in Early Modern Europe Cross-listed with HIST 142. This course examines daily life in France, England and the German states from the fifteenth through the eighteenth centuries. Topics include popular recreation and literature; popular rebellions and protest; religious practices; and work habits. We will focus on the question of the division between elite and "plebeian" cultures in this period. 6 credits cr., HU, Not offered in 2000-2001.
FRST 220. Border Crossings: Postmodern Perspectives on French and German Cinema Cross-listed with GERM 220,FREN 238,MEDA 238. In this course, we will explore the responses of French and German filmmakers to the challenges facing Europe as it redefined itself throughout the twentieth century. Taking Foucault's and Derrida's theories about the center and the margin as a starting point, we will examine such issues as national identity, marginalization, shifting gender roles and technological change. Filmmakers to be discussed will be Jean-Luc Godard, Jean Renoir, Agnes Varda, Fritz Lang, Rainer W. Fassbinder and Helma Sanders-Brahms. 6 credits cr., AL, Winter—D. Strand, S. Leonhard
FRST 236. Impressionism Cross-listed with ARTH 242. French painting of the second half of the nineteenth century. Concentration on the major artists: Manet, Degas, Morisot, Cassatt, Monet, Renoir, Seurat, Cezanne, van Gogh, Gauguin, et al. Prerequisite: any one term of art history. 6 credits cr., AL,RAD, Winter—L. Soth
FRST 237. The Enlightenment Cross-listed with HIST 237. This course focuses on the texts of Enlightenment thinkers, including Locke, Montesquieu, Voltaire, Diderot, Rousseau, Kant and Mesmer. Emphasis will be on French thinkers and the effect of the Enlightenment on French society. The course covers the impact of the Enlightenment on science, religion, politics and the position of women. Students will have the opportunity to read the philosophies in French. 6 credits cr., HU, Spring—S. Ottaway
FRST 238. Topics in Medieval History: Gender and Ethics in Medieval France Cross-listed with RELG 238,HIST 238,WMST 233. Acknowledged by contemporaries as one of the leading intellects of her time, Christine de Pizan (ca. 1364-ca. 1431) was an author of unusual literary range and perceptiveness. In addition to romances, poetry, and a quasi-autobiographical Vision, she composed works on political theory, arms and chivalry, and her famous defenses of women--The City of Ladies and the Treasure of the City of Ladies. Using Christine's writings as a foundation, we will explore problems and perceptions of gender, love, the ethics of personal relations, and the exercise of power in domestic and public spheres in late medieval France. 3 credits cr., HU, Winter—W. North
FRST 238. Topics in Medieval History: Papacy, Church and Empire Cross-listed with RELG 238,HIST 238,WMST 233. In the late eleventh century, the foundations of medieval society began to shake. Monks and clerics, kings and princes, lay men and women, challenged the traditional order of European society, demanding purity, freedom, and justice for their church and the reform of institutions grown corrupt. Yet the traditional order had its defenders, too. In this course we will examine their struggles--verbal and physical--as they debate such issues as clerical marriage and purity, institutional corruption, the relationship of Church and King, the meaning of canon law, the concept of just war, and the power of the pope within the Church. 3 credits cr., HU, Winter—W. North
FRST 239. Netherlandish Art on Site Cross-listed with ARTH 239. The first part of the course consists of a two-week field trip to the Netherlands and Belgium. It begins in medieval Bruges and includes a trip to nearby Ghent to see Jan van Eyck's Ghent Altarpiece. It continues in Amsterdam, a base for trips to Leiden (Rembrandt's birthplace), The Hague, Rotterdam, and Delft (Vermeer's home town). Amsterdam itself was Rembrandt's primary place of residence, and today is home to the Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum. The course will conclude on campus, meeting once a week for five weeks to enable students to give oral presentations on topics chosen during fall term and researched during the field trip. Prerequisite: Art History 238 and permission of the instructor. 6 credits cr., AL, Not offered in 2000-2001.
FRST 241. Introduction to French and Francophone Literature: Masculin/Féminin Cross-listed with FREN 241,WMST 241. ? Cross-listed FRST 241 and WMST 241. This course will problematize the idea of the couple in a variety of contexts ranging from medieval France to post-colonial Africa. We will consider such issues as race, class, gender, and culture. Works by Marie de France, Moli're, Duras, Baudelaire, Proust, Beauvoir, Sartre, Djebar, Truffaut, and recent popular songs. Conducted in French. Pre-requisite: French 204 or the equivalent. 6 credits cr., AL, Winter—É. Pósfay
FRST 241. Introduction to French and Francophone Literature: Sexuality and Sagacity Cross-listed with FREN 241,WMST 241. What is the relationship between sexuality and the acquisition of wisdom or knowledge? This quintessential problem figures not only in novels treating the coming of age, but also in poetry, theatre and film. Through readings of such authors as Labe, Sade, Baudelaire, Gide, Sartre, Bataille, Sebbar and Duras, and through recent films of Techine and Rohmer, we will discuss the connection between sexuality and sagacity. Special emphasis will also be given to developing critical reading strategies. Conducted in French. Prerequisite: French 204 or equivalent. 6 credits cr., AL, Fall—C. Yandell
FRST 243. Topics in Cultural Studies: Language and Identity in France and the Francophone World Cross-listed with FREN 243. . We will take a sociolinguistic approach to the study of French culture as we focus on the parallel evolution of the French language and the society that produced it and was created by it. After examining the concept of French identity from an historical and linguistic perspective, we will analyze specific elements of that identity in the contemporary world, notably, education, regionalism, postcolonialism (within and outside of France), and the influence of Europe and the U.S.A. We will look at movies, songs, cartoons, recipes, toys, short stories, essays and other types of cultural artifacts as the object of our study. Conducted in French. Prerequisite: French 204 or equivalent. 6 credits cr., AL, Spring—C. Lac
FRST 245. Francophone Literature of Africa and the Caribbean Cross-listed with AFAM 245,FREN 245. Reading and discussion of literary works, with analysis of social, historical and political issues. Conducted in French. Prerequisite: French 204 or equivalent. 6 credits cr., AL,RAD, Spring—C. Keïta
FRST 246. Julie's France, Pamela's England: Women in Society in the Age of Sensibility Cross-listed with HIST 246,WMST 247. The eighteenth century witnessed the rise of the sentimental novel as a popular genre in both France and England. This course will examine the historical context of novels that depicted women as creatures that were often defined by their "sensibility." We will look at debates about the "nature of women" as well as at the social and economic roles actually played by women in this period. 6 credits cr., HU,RAD, Not offered in 2000-2001.
FRST 251. Modern Political Philosophy Cross-listed with POSC 251. We will follow the "march" of modern political philosophy from Machiavelli through the works of Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau to Kant, Hegel, Marx, and Nietzsche. 6 credits cr., SS, Not offered in 2000-2001.
FRST 254. Introduction to Critical Methods: Structure, Gender, Culture Cross-listed with LCST 245. What does it mean to theorize the way we read? For one thing, it means to reflect on the assumptions already implicit in our reading habits; for another, it invites us to challenge those assumptions to see what might be gained. Changes of perspective can have significant impact, for the set of questions we bring to our reading largely determines the answers we come away with. In this course we will study a range of critical issues and movements, and we will examine how they can influence our reading of texts (prose, poetry, film) drawn from a variety of national traditions. Open only to declared majors of literature or language programs or permission of instructor. 6 credits cr., AL, Winter—M. Olds
FRST 255. Post-Modern Political Thought Cross-listed with POSC 255. The thought and practice of the modern age have been found irredeemably oppressive, alienating, dehumanizing, and/or exhausted by a number of leading philosophic thinkers in recent years. In this course we will explore the critiques and alternative visions offered by a variety of post-modern thinkers, including Nietzsche (in many ways the first post-modern), Heidegger, Foucault, and Derrida. 6 credits cr., SS, Not offered in 2000-2001.
FRST 256. Ethnography of Africa Cross-listed with AFAM 256,SOAN 256. This course emphasizes the study of several sub-Saharan African societies so as to deal with themes that have concerned anthropologists working in Africa. The types of questions anthropologists have posed about African societies, and the role Africa has played in the development of anthropological theory as explored. Texts include two classics, The Nuer and Chisungu, as well as contemporary re-studies and ethnographic case studies by both African and Western scholars to address issues affecting the entire continent, including colonialism, gender, local-state relations, the role of history, and debates about cultural identities. Prerequisite: Sociology/Anthropology 110 or 111 or permission of the instructor. 6 credits cr., SS,RAD, Not offered in 2000-2001.
FRST 351. Topics in the Sixteenth Century: Metamorphoses: Love, War and Monsters in Early Modern France Cross-listed with FREN 351. The French Renaissance continues to intrigue students and critics by its propensity for paradox, ambiguity, and contradiction. Just as literature and the arts reached new levels of aesthetic achievement, the bloodiest civil war in French history was taking shape. Simultaneously producing lyric poetry praising beautiful bodies, bawdy tales, moralizing dialogue, and chronicles of monsters, French sixteenth-century culture was in a constant state of flux. Through such authors as Rabelais, Marguerite de Navarre, Ronsard, Louise Labé and Montaigne, as well as contemporaneous artistic and musical works, we will investigate the meaning of these metamorphoses. Recommended preparation: 240 or equivalent. 6 credits cr., AL, Spring—C. Yandell
FRST 352. Seventeenth-Century Literature: Eccentrics in Classical France Cross-listed with FREN 352. Seventeenth century France is often touted as the pinnacle of French grandeur. Under Louis XIV's absolutist rule, France supported an astounding number of normative measures-from founding academies to policing codes of behavior-designed to help the French nation to become a political, economic and cultural world power. But in the midst of all these pressures towards normativeness, could one express any dissent in the age of Versailles? We will explore the creative strategies used by a whole range of Moli're, Racine, Perrault, irreverant writings by Lafayette, Choisy and many more. In French. Recommended preparation: 240-level course or equivalent. 6 credits cr., AL, Not offered in 2000-2001.
FRST 356. Nineteenth-Century Literature: Paris, Capital of the Nineteenth Century Cross-listed with FREN 356. During the nineteenth century, Paris became the center of philosophy and the arts in Europe. In this course, focusing on readings and artefacts from other domains, we will undertake the study of Paris in its literary, artistic, architectural, musical, and social facets. Conducted in French. Recommended preparation: French 240 or above 6 credits cr., AL, Winter—M. Olds
FRST 358. Twentieth-Century Literature: The Novel and Memory Cross-listed with FREN 359. Marcel Proust's quest to retrieve the past set the stage for future writers who, in their turn, have undertaken the challenging task of probing what bell hooks has referred to as "the debris of history." Memory, whether real or imagined, experiential or experimental, has been a central concern in the works of such twentieth-century authors as Maguerite Duras, Patrick Modiano, Charlotte Delbo, and Albert Camus. In this course we will pay particular attention to the high stakes of remembering (and forgetting) at the intersection of story (personal) and history (collective). Taught in French. 6 credits cr., AL, Fall—D. Strand
FRST 395. The Mande of West Africa: A Culture in Transition Cross-listed with AFAM 395,FREN 395. . This course examines the main aspects of social change in the area formerly covered by the medieval Empire of Mali, through anthropological texts, oral narratives, novels, films and both traditional and modern music. Some of the writers, film directors and musicians who will be studied are: Laye Camara, Amadou Hampate, Ba, Souleymane Cisse, Cheick O. Sissoko, Salif Keïta, Mory Kanteand others. 6 credits cr., AL,RAD, Fall—C. Keïta
FRST 398. Senior Essay The planning, preparation and writing of a significant paper in French or French and Francophone Studies under the direction of the department. Devoted to formulating a thesis and establishing a critical bibliography. 3 credits cr., S/CR/NC, ND, Fall—Staff
FRST 399. Senior Essay The planning, preparation and writing of a significant paper in French or French and Francophone Studies under the direction of the department. Discussion of drafts with other seminar members and the completion of the essay 3 credits cr., ND, Winter—Staff
FRST 400. Integrative Exercise A colloquium in which students present and defend their senior essays and discuss the essays of others. 3 credits cr., S/NC, ND, Spring—C. Yandell