| Unit name | Political Cultures of Early Twentieth-Century France |
|---|---|
| Unit code | FREN30044 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Professor. Hurcombe |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
FREN20001 French Language or equivalent. |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | Department of French |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
This unit examines a particularly turbulent period of French history which witnessed not only two world wars, but also social and political challenges to the French state. It studies the interaction of a wide range of cultural forms and media with the political, considering how the latter is communicated in visual cultures, literature, and print media in early twentieth-century France. By studying a range of themes, it considers how cultural artefacts reflect, but also shape the political, whether through direct or indirect engagement. In so doing, it seeks to understand how the political was experienced not only as a set of ideas or principles enacted upon society through legislation, party politics and policy, but a cultural phenomenon that permeated human exchange and altered perceptions, thinking and behaviour. Themes studied may include nationalism and the war culture; gender representation and relations; sport; working-class culture and the Popular Front; existentialism and engagement. The unit aims to:
a) Develop students’ knowledge of what constitutes political culture and of a range of political cultural expressions from the era;
b) Develop students’ knowledge and use of a range of cultural and political theories through which to interpret such expressions;
c) Refine students’ knowledge of the political, social and cultural context of the era;
d) Expand their understanding of the multiple ways in which the social and the political intersect and are expressed culturally;
Allow students to undertake independent research into an aspect of early twentieth-century political culture
By the end of this unit, students will be able to:
Teaching will be delivered through a combination of synchronous sessions and asynchronous activities, including seminars, lectures, and collaborative as well as self-directed learning opportunities supported by tutor consultation.
1 x 1000-word commentary (25%). Testing ILOs 1-5.
1 x 4000-word written project (75%). Testing ILOs 1-5.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. FREN30044).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
