As an independent state and as a member of the European Union, what is the overall situation of the French society (culturally, socially, economically, and historically)? The primary focus will be French cultural and social situation since 1995; however, to better understand this situation, the result of its own evolution, analysis will be viewed within the long historical perspective since the 19th century, more particularly, to better understand the institutional, social and economic evolution between periods of growth and periods of crisis.
Prerequisites:
Understanding of major events in French history since the beginning of the 19th century helpful, but not required.
Method of presentation:
Lecture, slide presentations, videos, discussion
Required work and form of assessment:
Attendance and participation (10%), term paper (25%), mid-term exam (25%), final exam (40%).
content:
France : geography and organization of the country, at national, European and global levels.
French population :
Spread over space ; demographic evolutions and current dynamics
Population ageing and its challenges
Young people in French society
Work and unemployment
Components and evolutions of working people
Unemployment
Women in French society
Changing family structures since 1945
Poverty and social exclusion
Crisis in the suburbs, a reflection a social malaise
New social devides:
Foreigners in France
Leisure and culture
Religious practices in French society
France, world’s number one tourist destination
French people eating customs; Christmas preparations
Required readings:
BORNE, Dominique. Histoire de la société française depuis 1945. Paris: Armand Colin, coll. Cursus, 1998.
ECK, Jean-François. Histoire de l’économie française depuis 1945, Paris, coll. Cursus, Armand Colin, 1998.
Recommended readings:
AGULHON M., NOUSCHI A. et SCHOR R., La France de 1940 à nos jours, Paris, Nathan université, 1995.
TEULON Frédéric, L’économie française depuis 1945, Paris, 1996, Ed du Seuil.
- ouvrage collectif : Il était une fois la France. Chronique d’une société en mutation (1950-2000), Collection Librio, Le Monde, 2004.
CASTEL R. et alii, Les mutations de la société française. Les grandes questions économiques et sociales, Paris, La Découverte, collection Repères, 2007.
GOETSCHEL Pascale et LOYER Emmanuelle, Histoire culturelle de la France de la Belle Epoque à nous jours, Paris, 2005, collection Cursus, A. Colin, 268 p.
Recommendation for complementary readings and in-depth sudy :
GAUCHON Pascal, Le modèle français depuis 1945, Paris, PUF, collection QSJ ? édition 2006.
ARIES Philippe, DUBY Georges (sous la direction de) Histoire de la vie privée. Tome 5 : De la première guerre mondiale à nos jours, Paris, 1987, éd. Le Seuil.
BRAUDEL Fernand (1990), Identité de la France. Tome 1 : Espace et histoire, Paris, 1990, éd. Flammarion, coll. Champs.
DUBY Georges (sous la direction de) Histoire de la France urbaine. Tome 5 : La ville aujourd’hui, Paris, 1985, éd. Le Seuil.
Même collection et même auteur : Histoire de la France rurale, Tome 4, La fin de la France paysanne depuis 1914.
ZELDIN Théodore, Histoire des passions françaises, Paris, Payot, Collection Petite Bibliothèque, 5 volumes.
DUBY Georges et MANDROU Robert, Histoire de la civilisation française, Paris, 1994, A. Colin, Collection Livre de Poche, au moins le tome 2 (XVII à XXèmes siècles).
BURGUIERE André et REVEL Jacques (dir), Histoire de la France, choix culturels et mémoire, Paris, Points Seuil Histoire n° 274.
Etudes sur la France de 1939 à nos jours, ouvrage collectif dans la collection Points Seuil Histoire n° 76.
A very efficient little book about Europe :
COURTY Guillaume et DEVIN Guillaume, La construction européenne, Paris, Editions La Découverte, collection Repères n° 326. Use the latest edition.
On France History, for the sake of general culture : 2 reliable references :
DUBY Georges (direction), Histoire de France de 1852 à nos jours, Paris, Larousse. Existe en collection de poche.
MARSEILLE Jacques, Nouvelle histoire de la France, Paris, 1999, éditions Perrin pour Le Robert, 1184 p. 5.
Contemporary French Society: French Identity In The European Union
As an independent state and as a member of the European Union, what is the overall situation of the French society (culturally, socially, economically, and historically)? The primary focus will be French cultural and social situation since 1995; however, to better understand this situation, the result of its own evolution, analysis will be viewed within the long historical perspective since the 19th century, more particularly, to better understand the institutional, social and economic evolution between periods of growth and periods of crisis.
Understanding of major events in French history since the beginning of the 19th century helpful, but not required.
Lecture, slide presentations, videos, discussion
Attendance and participation (10%), term paper (25%), mid-term exam (25%), final exam (40%).
Recommendation for complementary readings and in-depth sudy :
A very efficient little book about Europe :
On France History, for the sake of general culture : 2 reliable references :