This seminar will enable students to develop an acute sense of observation and analysis concerning their experience in the professional world of Paris. There will be theoretical lectures, and students must participate by expressing their reactions to their own internship environment. The seminar will help students acquire the ability to understand the cultural differences they encounter by placing their observations in the appropriate social, historical or political context. This seminar is mandatory for all students taking part in an internship. Students receive credits for the combined internship experience and seminar coursework.
Prerequisites:
Placement in an internship
Method of presentation:
Practicum and Seminar
Required work and form of assessment:
Weekly journal (30%), class participation (20%), final report (20%) and final evaluation provided by the firm or host (30%).
Students will spend two to four half days per week at the internship site and one and one-half hour per week in the seminar. Students will keep a journal of their weekly activities. Journal entries should pertain to the weekly theme and will serve as a basis for class discussion. Students will eventually develop a thorough analysis of what occurred during their internship experience. Ultimately, the journal will help students constitute the final report.
content:
Orientation period: Presentation of participants, description of job sectors, explanation of required work, general approach to the working world.
Week one: Review and revise the résumés.
Week two:Beginning of the internship. Begin the journal by focusing on the French experience: intra-office relations. Association vs. enterprise work environment.
Week three: Cultural differences. First approach and general impressions. (Students must come prepared
with their personal observations). Cross Cultural Adaptability Inventory (CCAI) will be distributed.
Week four: The notion of service. Advertising and publicity.
Week five: Cultural taboos: money and personal life.
Week six: The press. Description of the different medias.
Week seven: Sharing the experience. Description of the company and discussion of personal experiences and observations.
Week eight: Getting organized, the “D” system (the “D” system refers to the verb se débrouiller which means “to sort out a problem,” “to manage”).
Week nine: Public/private. How do you translate “privacy?”
Week ten: Turn in internship report. Conclusion.
Required readings:
Hart, Alan. Living and Working in France: How to Prepare for a Successful Visit, be it Short, Long-term or
Forever. How to Books, Ltd, 1998.
Recommended readings:
Bochner, Stephen (ed.). Cultures in Contact: Studies in Cross-cultural Interaction. Pergamon Press, Ltd, 1982.
Hall, Edward T. Au delà de la culture. Ed. Seuil, Points essais, 1971.
------------. La Dimension cachée. Ed. Seuil, Points essais, 1971.
------------. The Silent Language. Anchor Press, Doubleday, 1977.
Hill, Richard. We Europeans. 3rd Ed. Europeublic SA/NV, 1997.
------------. EuroManagers & Martians: Business Cultures of Europe’s Trading Nations. 2nd Ed. Revised. Europublic SA/NV, 1998.
Hofstede, Geert. Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind, Intercultural Cooperation and its Importance for Survival. McGraw Hill, 1997.
Pineau, Carol & Maureen Kelly. Working in France. Frank Books, Paris and Boston, 1991.
Platt, Polly. French or Foe. Cultural Crossings, 1994.
Steele, Ross. The French Way. Passport Books, USA, 1995.
Trompenaars, Frans & Charles Hampden-Turner. Riding the Waves of Culture: Understanding Cultural Diversity in Business. 2nd Ed. Nicholas Brealey, 1997.
Welty Rochefort, Harriet. French Toast. St. Martins Press, 1999.
This seminar will enable students to develop an acute sense of observation and analysis concerning their experience in the professional world of Paris. There will be theoretical lectures, and students must participate by expressing their reactions to their own internship environment. The seminar will help students acquire the ability to understand the cultural differences they encounter by placing their observations in the appropriate social, historical or political context. This seminar is mandatory for all students taking part in an internship. Students receive credits for the combined internship experience and seminar coursework.
Placement in an internship
Practicum and Seminar
Weekly journal (30%), class participation (20%), final report (20%) and final evaluation provided by the firm or host (30%).
Students will spend two to four half days per week at the internship site and one and one-half hour per week in the seminar. Students will keep a journal of their weekly activities. Journal entries should pertain to the weekly theme and will serve as a basis for class discussion. Students will eventually develop a thorough analysis of what occurred during their internship experience. Ultimately, the journal will help students constitute the final report.
Hart, Alan. Living and Working in France: How to Prepare for a Successful Visit, be it Short, Long-term or
Forever. How to Books, Ltd, 1998.
Bochner, Stephen (ed.). Cultures in Contact: Studies in Cross-cultural Interaction. Pergamon Press, Ltd, 1982.
Carroll, Raymonde. Evidences invisibles. Ed. Seuil, 1987.
Hall, Edward T. Au delà de la culture. Ed. Seuil, Points essais, 1971.
------------. La Dimension cachée. Ed. Seuil, Points essais, 1971.
------------. The Silent Language. Anchor Press, Doubleday, 1977.
Hill, Richard. We Europeans. 3rd Ed. Europeublic SA/NV, 1997.
------------. EuroManagers & Martians: Business Cultures of Europe’s Trading Nations. 2nd Ed. Revised. Europublic SA/NV, 1998.
Hofstede, Geert. Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind, Intercultural Cooperation and its Importance for Survival. McGraw Hill, 1997.
Pineau, Carol & Maureen Kelly. Working in France. Frank Books, Paris and Boston, 1991.
Platt, Polly. French or Foe. Cultural Crossings, 1994.
Steele, Ross. The French Way. Passport Books, USA, 1995.
Trompenaars, Frans & Charles Hampden-Turner. Riding the Waves of Culture: Understanding Cultural Diversity in Business. 2nd Ed. Nicholas Brealey, 1997.
Welty Rochefort, Harriet. French Toast. St. Martins Press, 1999.