Mizzou Online
French 2310: French Civilization

Welcome

Course Introduction

French Civilization introduces you to the culture, history, and society of what the French term "the Hexagon." At the same time, the course will question the implications of hexagonal thinking by also strongly focusing on "France outside of France":  both the French colonies and the overseas French territories and regions. Though we will begin with the Middle Ages, we will primarily focus on the periods following the French Revolution of 1789. You will read selections from Cambridge Illustrated History: France, as well as a variety of articles, including assignments from Contemporary French Cultural Studies. We will pay particular attention to the ways France has imagined itself over the centuries, from monarchy to empire to Republic to colonizing nation. We will also pay close attention to definitions of “Frenchness” and French national identity, particularly in the age of American cultural imperialism and, today, globalization. In this respect, the role played by immigration in challenging certain French traditions will be an important part of our study. We shall see how French identity and civilization are constantly evolving processes rather than easily definable categories.

In this course we are covering the whole of French civilization and thus a great deal of historical material. Keep in mind that it is more important to grasp the larger historical trends than to memorize exact names and dates. For example, in Lesson 2, you should concentrate on the relationship during the Middle Ages between Christians and Muslims and between Western and Eastern Christians. You should also understand the relationship between social conflicts internal to Europe and how these played into the Crusades phenomenon. In Lesson 3, concentrate on understanding the philosophy of universal rights, how this was put into practice in the French Revolution, and what kinds of conflicts emerged from this political experiment. In Lesson 5, focus on understanding the various ways that these conflicts persisted: what should a society based on "universal rights" look like? In Lesson 9, focus on understanding the reasons that the decolonization movement arose (particularly in Algeria), how Algerian decolonization was finally achieved, and how French society has reacted to the realities of "post-colonial" French/Algerian contact, in particular, immigration.

NOTE: This course is open to any student. No knowledge of French is required. However, it may not be included for an area of concentration in French.

Catalog Description: This course surveys French civilization and culture from the Middle Ages to the present. Since it is impossible to cover every development in French history, politics, art, and everyday life over this time period, particular emphasis is placed on the modern era, that is, from the French Revolution onwards. Students will be introduced to the major currents in French history and thought in the period as well as to the ever-changing cultural and political definitions of what it means to be "French." Prerequisite: sophomore standing.

Time Limit for Course Completion: 9 months. All assessments must be submitted and graded within this time.

Course Keycode: 2313

Textbooks/Materials^†

Required Textbooks

• Jones, Colin. Cambridge Illustrated History: France. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1994.
• Kidd, William and Siân Reynolds, eds. Contemporary French Cultural Studies. London: Arnold, 2000.

Films

You will be required to watch the following films for this course:

• Musu, Antonio (Producer), & Pontecorvo, Gillo (Director). 1966. The Battle of Algiers (Motion picture). Italy: Igor Film.
• Rossignon, Christophe (Producer), & Kassovitz, Mathieu (Director). 1995. La Haine (Hate) (Motion picture). France: Canal+.
• Tati, Jacques (Producer & Director). 1958. Mon Oncle (My Uncle) (Motion picture). Italy & France: Alter Films.

All films are in French with English subtitles.

Note: It is recommended that you rent movies from Netflix or a local movie rental store, such as Blockbuster. Mizzou Online does not supply these movies. On-campus students may wish to check out the media library at MU’s Academic Support Center.

External Websites

Throughout this course, you will find links to useful websites. These links will include guided instruction on how each link can be used—whether as a supplemental resource, a place to go for practice, or for reference on course assignments.

Broken or incorrect links. We check for broken links regularly, but let our support staff know if you find one and we will get it fixed right away.

^† Materials used in connection with this course may be subject to copyright protection.

How to Study for This Course

• Be able to accomplish all lesson objectives. Learning is active, and courses at any level are often designed with objectives or actions that can be done as evidence that you have learned something. One advantage of self-paced learning is that learning objectives are clearly written for each lesson.
• Know how you will be assessed. Look at the grading scale, and read all the information on the assignments.
• Review the hints for independent study. This is an self-paced course and is likely different from other courses you have taken. Begin by reviewing these hints, which will help you adjust your computing and study habits so you will have the best chance of earning the grade you want.
• Download an "Independent Study Planning Sheet" (pdf) to track your progress. The number of lessons, progress evaluations, and exams will directly affect how long it takes to complete any given Mizzou Online course. As you work through this course, check your schedule often to make sure you're on track. Keep in mind that all progress evaluations and exams must be submitted and graded within the course time limit.

About the Course Developer

Dr. Valerie Kaussen is an associate professor of French in the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures at the University of Missouri. Her research and teaching interests are in Francophone Caribbean literature and culture, French and Francophone cinema, cultural studies, and literary theory. She is the author of Migrant Revolutions: Haitian Literature, Globalization, and U.S. Imperialism (Rowman and Littlefield, 2008). Her other publications include "Slaves, Viejos, and the Internationale: Modernity and Global Contact in Jacques Roumain’s Gouverneurs de la rosée" (Research in African Literatures, 2004), "Race, Nation, and the Symbolics of Servitude in Haitian Noirisme" in The Masters and the Slaves: Plantation Relations and Mestizaje in American Imaginaries (Palgrave MacMillan, 2005), and "Irrational Revolutions: Colonial Intersubjectivity and Dialectics in Marie Chauvet’s 'Amour'" in Tree of Liberty: Cultural Legacies of the Haitian Revolution in the Atlantic World (University of Virginia Press, Fall 2008).

Technical Specifications

Students with Disabilities

If you anticipate barriers related to the format or requirements of this course, please let the student services staff at Mizzou Online know as soon as possible.

If disability related accommodations are necessary (for example, a note taker, extended time on exams, captioning), please register with the Office of Disability Services, S5 Memorial Union, 573-882-4696. For other resources for students with disabilities, visit the Disability Resources site from the MU Chancellor.

To receive testing accommodations for this course, you must provide a memo of accommodation, issued from the MU Office of Disability Services, to Mizzou Online Student Services prior to requesting exams.

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