FRN 417 - Negotiating Identity in Contemporary France

1 course unit

This course examines the situation of French residents, especially youth, whose family immigrated to France from North and Sub-Saharan Africa, the French-speaking Caribbean, and Asia. They frequently find that they are caught between two worlds, struggling to be accepted as fully French, but wanting to understand their African, Caribbean, or Asian cultural heritage. Often not considered French, despite their French citizenship, they suffer from racial prejudice, whether on the streets, in the workplace, or in the education system. In addition to these difficulties are the clashes between the culture of their parents’ native countries and the principles and values of the French Republic. Through an examination of novels by contemporary authors, several sociological studies, bande dessinée and films, students will come to understand the complexities involved in defining what it means to be “French” in France today. Taught in French.
Prerequisite(s): FRN 301 Communication & Cultural Understanding and FRN 304, 306 Approaches to Textual Analysis
Meets general academic requirements DE, HU, and W.