French and Francophone Studies (FRST)
Director: Professor Dana Strand, fall, Associate Professor Éva Pósfay, winter and spring
Committee Members: Scott D. Carpenter, Laurence Cooper, Pamela Feldman-Savelsberg, Cherif Keïta, Christine Lac, Jamie Monson, Victoria Morse, William North, Susannah Ottaway, Martha White Paas, Diethelm Prowe, 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 French language or literature courses, three 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 three 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.
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 conducted in French or English.
VII. Comprehensive exercise:
a. French Studies 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 Studies 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 137. Before Europe: The Early Medieval World, 250-c. 1050 Cross-listed with HIST 137. This course examines the formation of western Christendom from its origins in the Christian Roman Empire to its consolidation in the 11th century. As we move from Merovingian Gaul, Lombard Italy, and Anglo-Saxon England to the Carolingian Empire and its successor kingdoms in Germany, France, and Italy, we will examine such issues as the cultural and political legacy of the Roman and Carolingian worlds; the nature and forms of secular and sacred power; gender roles and relations; ethnic and social identity; and the forms, patterns and meaning of communication (political, economic, ritual, literary, religious) both inside and outside early medieval Europe. 6 credits cr., HU, Not offered in 2003-2004.
FRST 140. Modern Europe 1789-1914 Cross-listed with HIST 140. . An introduction in the age of political and social revolutions. Emphasis is given to the impact of industrialization, the rise of national consciousness, and the search for progress through the great liberal and socialist movements, and ultimately the drive for global domination and development, students are invited but not required to take HIST 141 as a follow-up to this course. 6 credits cr., HU, Winter—D. Prowe
FRST 141. Europe in the 20th Century Cross-listed with HIST 141. A survey of the major political, socio-economic, and intellectual developments of 20th century Europe. Special emphasis will be placed on the rise of urban masses and private economic power and the attempts to integrate these new forces into a stable political system. 6 credits cr., HU, Spring—D. Prowe
FRST 206. Composition and Conversation Cross-listed with FREN 206. Designed to encourage students to express themselves orally and in writing while strengthening their knowledge of contemporary French through discussions of current issues in France. A wide range of topics and activities will allow students to function in diverse situations from practical tasks to much more specialized language situations. Students will learn useful and practical strategies for improving effective communication and refining their own writing style. Prerequisite: French 204 or equivalent. 6 credits cr., ND, Spring—C. Keïta
FRST 208. Paris Program: Conversation and Composition Cross-listed with FREN 208. Focusing on topics of current interest in French society, this course is designed to help students gain ease and proficiency in spoken and written French. The course will be conducted and supervised by local instructors assisted by recent graduates of the Program in French as a Foreign Language at the university of Paris X. In addition to regular in-class activities, the graduate assistants will meet with students for weekly tutorials. 6 credits cr., AL, Spring—Non-Carleton Faculty
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 20th 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, Not offered in 2003-2004.
FRST 231. European Economic History Cross-listed with ECON 233. 6 credits cr., SS, Fall—M. Paas
FRST 232. Women's Lives in Pre-Modern Europe Cross-listed with HIST 236,WGST 236. Did women have a Renaissance? Were women increasingly relegated to a separate sphere from men: "domesticated" into the household? Or, on the contrary, is the history of European women characterized by fundamental continuities? This course seeks to answer these questions through an exploration of women's place in the family and economy, laws and cultural assumptions about women, and women's role in religion. Throughout the term, we will be focusing not only on writings about women, but primarily on sources written by women themselves, as we seek a fuller understanding of the nature of European women's lives before the modern era. 6 credits cr., HU, Not offered in 2003-2004.
FRST 235. France in the Making, 987-1460 Cross-listed with HIST 234. This course will examine the political and social transformations and cultural developments that conspired to make the kingdom of France one of the most influential and dynamic polities in the medieval world. Among the topics to be addressed: the ideals and practice of medieval governance; the formation of "French" national identity; France as a center of European intellectual and cultural life; forms of religious life, dissent, and persecution (the Albigensian Crusade, treatment of the Jews, and Trial of the Templars); and the ideals and realities of social relations (courtly romance, the rise of the merchant class, the status of women). 6 credits cr., HU, Fall—W. North
FRST 236. Impressionism Cross-listed with ARTH 242. French painting of the second half of the 19th 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, Not offered in 2003-2004.
FRST 238. Topics in Medieval History: Gender and Ethics in Medieval France Cross-listed with RELG 238,HIST 238,WGST 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 womenÂThe 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, Not offered in 2003-2004.
FRST 238. Topics in Medieval History: Papacy, Church and Empire Cross-listed with RELG 238,HIST 238,WGST 233. In the late 11th 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 strugglesverbal and physicalas 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, Not offered in 2003-2004.
FRST 238. The World of Bede Cross-listed with RELG 238,HIST 238,WGST 233. This course will examine the works and world of the Venerable Bede (c. 673-731), one of the great Christian thinkers and historians of the Middle Ages and a key witness to the history of early medieval Ireland and Anglo-Saxon England. Through close study of Bede's Ecclesiastical History of the English People and other contemporary sources, we shall address such issues as Christian vs. Germanic rulership; the nature of religious conversion in early medieval societies; monasticism and conceptions of sanctity; Ireland and England as outposts of classical and Christian culture; and the problems of historical thought and writing in the early Middle Ages. 3 Not offered in 2003-2004.
FRST 240. Introduction to French Literature: Sexuality and Sagacity Cross-listed with FREN 240. What is the relationship between sexuality and knowledge? We will address this question through novels, poetry, and plays of such writers as Ronsard, Baudelaire, Sade, Sartre, Duras and Beyala, as well as films of Téchiné and Annaud. This course serves as an introduction to the study of French and Francophone literatures and aims to develop students' skills in analysis and discussion in French. Prerequisite: French 204 or the equivalent. 6 credits cr., AL, Fall—C. Yandell
FRST 241. Introduction to French and Francophone Literature: Growing Up French Cross-listed with FREN 241. Students will read and discuss literary works selected from different historical periods. The works, representing a variety of literary genres, share a common preoccupation with a theme or problem that will provide the central focus of the course. Past course topics include voyage, exile and marginalization, transgression, and death. Conducted in French. Prerequisite: French 204 or the equivalent. 6 credits cr., AL, Winter—D. Strand
FRST 242. Paris Program: City of Wonders: Paris in the Arts Cross-listed with FREN 246. Home of some of the finest and best-known museums in the world, Paris has long been recognized as a center for artistic activity. Students will have the opportunity to study French art of the last two centuries onsite: in-class lectures and discussions will be complemented by guided visits to the unparalleled collections at the Louvre, the Musée d'Orsay, the Centre Pompidou, local art galleries, and other appropriate destinations. 6 credits cr., AL, Spring—Non-Carleton Faculty
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 United States. 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 the 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 the equivalent. 6 credits cr., AL,RAD, Not offered in 2003-2004.
FRST 249. Mali Program: Negotiating the Past: The Challenges of Nation-building in Mali Cross-listed with FREN 251. This course will look at various issues in Malian history (ancient and modern) and the process of political and economic change. A component of this course will be an introduction to conversational Bambara, the lingua franca of Mali. 4 credits cr., AL, Winter—Non-Carleton Faculty
FRST 250. Mali Program: Film and Society in Mali Cross-listed with FREN 250. This course will concentrate on the dynamics of traditional orality within the art of cinema in Mali. Feature films and documentaries by award-winning filmmakers such as Soulemane Cissé, Cheick Oumar Sissoko, Adama Drabo, Dany Kouyaté, and Abderrahmane Sissako will be screened and analyzed. Discussions with some of these filmmakers will introduce the student to the challenges and success of filmmaking in economically-challenged countries such as Mali and Burkina Faso. 6 credits cr., AL, Winter—Non-Carleton faculty
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, Fall—M. Steedman
FRST 252. Mali Program: Literature and Society in Mali Cross-listed with FREN 252. 6 credits cr., AL, Winter—C. Keïta
FRST 253. Paris Program: Vivre à Paris Cross-listed with FREN 249. What does it mean, and what has it meant to live in Paris? This course will explore through literature, cultural readings, and experiential methods the multiple faces of Paris. Special attention will be given to the questions of beauty, idealization, immigration, and social change. 6 credits cr., AL, Spring—C. Yandell
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—S. Carpenter
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, Winter—L. Cooper
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 is 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, AIDS, 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, Not offered in 2003-2004.
FRST 257. The Peasants are Revolting! Society and Politics in the Making of Modern France Cross-listed with HIST 243. Political propaganda of the French Revolutionary period tells a simple story of downtrodden peasants exploited by callous nobles, but what exactly was the relationship between the political transformations of France from the Renaissance through the French Revolution and the social, religious, and cultural tensions that characterized the era? This course explores the connections and conflicts between popular and elite culture as we survey French history from the 16th through early 19th centuries, making comparisons to social and political developments in other European countries along the way. 6 credits cr., HU, Spring—S. Ottaway
FRST 290. Directed Reading 2 credits cr., S/CR/NC, ND, Winter—C. Keïta
FRST 309. Beyond Words: The Fine Art of Writing in French Cross-listed with FREN 309. Designed to help students develop strategies to master the writing of literary essays, "exposés" and "explications de texts" in French, while perfecting their own writing style through creative writing and translation. Required for the major in French. Prerequisite: at least one course above French 204. 6 credits cr., AL, Spring—É. Pósfay
FRST 340. France in Revolution, 1750-1870 Cross-listed with HIST 340. A narrative and analytic history of France from the downfall of the Bourbon Monarchy to the establishment of the Third Republic, this course will investigate how France, experiencing almost generational cycles of revolution and reaction, tried to come to terms with the social, cultural and political legacies left by its first and greatest revolution. A week or so will be spent highlighting comparisons with the American and Haitian revolutions and their aftermaths. The course is one of the supporting courses required for a French and Francophone studies concentration. 6 credits cr., HU, Fall—C. Weiner
FRST 341. France, Third-Fifth Republic Cross-listed with HIST 341. Modern France from 1870 to the present. The politics, culture, society and economy of modern France will be studied in relation to such topics as agriculture and industry, archaic and modern; mass politics, class struggle and the rise of socialism; perceiving Paris; modernism in art and life, Bohemia, the belle epoque and the post-industrialist society; Gaullism and the prospect of European unity. History 341 can be taken as one of the core courses in the French and Francophone Studies Concentration. 6 credits cr., HU, Not offered in 2003-2004.
FRST 345. Atlantic Revolutions, France and America Cross-listed with HIST 345. An examination of the recent literature on the French and American Revolutions to establish a basis for a comparative approach to both revolutions. Our approach will include social, political, intellectual and cultural perspectives on a variety of subjects illuminating the reciprocity between the revolutions. The course will not concern itself with a detailed narrative of either revolution so some solid knowledge of one or both of these revolutions is assumed. This will be a reading intensive course heavily dependent on class discussion. Written work will consist of one short critical review at the mid-term and a final, more extensive analytic paper. Permission of the instructors is required. 6 credits cr., HU, Not offered in 2003-2004.
FRST 349. Paris Program: Vivre à Paris Cross-listed with FREN 349. What does it mean, and what has it meant to live in Paris? This course will explore through literature, cultural readings, and experiential methods the multiple faces of Paris. Special attention will be given to the questions of beauty, idealization, immigration, and social change. 6 credits cr., AL, Spring—C. Yandell
FRST 351. Topics in the 16th 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 16th 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: French 240-level course or the equivalent. 6 credits cr., AL, Not offered in 2003-2004.
FRST 352. 17th Century Literature: Eccentrics in Classical France Cross-listed with FREN 352. . 17th 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 in a whole range irreverent writings by Molière, Racine, Perrault, Lafayette, Choisy and many more. Conducted in French. Recommended preparation: French 240-level course or equivalent. 6 credits cr., AL, Winter—É. Pόsfay.
FRST 353. Political Theory of Alexis de Tocqueville* Cross-listed with POSC 352. An examination of the political theory of Alexis de Tocqueville, focusing on Democracy in America and The Old Regime and Revolution. 6 credits cr., SS, Not offered in 2003-2004.
FRST 354. Literature of the Other Cross-listed with FREN 354. What is the division between Us and Them? The way we define the groups we belong to and those we differ from has always been of capital importance, and these definitions change over time. By looking at texts and events of the 18th and 19th centuries, including travel literature, tales of the supernatural, texts from the Revolution and documents of colonization, we will investigate the creation and manipulation of various "Others," as they have been defined socially, culturally, and sexually. Authors may include Mme de Graffigny, Diderot, Sade, Mme de Staël, Balzac, Flaubert, Baudelaire, among others. Conducted in French. Recommended preparation: French 240-level course or equivalent. 6 credits cr., AL, Spring—S. Carpenter
FRST 356. Topics in 19th Century Literature Cross-listed with FREN 356. The 19th century in France is a tumultuous period, punctuated by the aftershocks of the Revolution and preoccupied with massive social restructuring. Such events are played out in a field of power that is political, institutional, economic, sexual and cultural. This course focuses on the way discourses of power are inscribed in literary and other cultural texts (caricature, sculpture, etc.), and pays particular attention to the strategies mounted in opposition to power. Care is taken to relate past practices to the present day. Recommended preparation: French 240-level course or above. Conducted in French. 6 credits cr., AL, Not offered in 2003-2004.
FRST 359. 20th Century Literature 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 20th 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). Conducted in French. 6 credits cr., AL, Not offered in 2003-2004.
FRST 395. Autobiographical Lenses: Self/Other/Culture Cross-listed with FREN 395. While "writing the self" may first appear to be a uniquely narcissistic enterprise, autobiography also reveals much about the culture from which it emerges. Readings may include Montaigne, Musset, Romain Gary, Annie Ernaux, Hervé Guibert and Azouz Begag, as well as cultural and theoretical texts. Throughout the course, students will also engage in an autobiographical project of their own. Prerequisite: Fench 240-level course or the equivalent. 6 credits cr., AL, Fall—C. Yandell
FRST 398. Senior Essay Cross-listed with FREN 398. 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—S. Carpenter
FRST 399. Senior Essay Cross-listed with FREN 399. 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—S. Carpenter
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—S. Carpenter