Module Catalogue 2025/26

Pre Requisite Comment

As reading materials for this module are often in French, it is advisable that students have a good reading ability of French.

Co Requisite Comment

Stage 1 FRE1071
Stage 2 FRE1070

Aims

In consonance with the overall aims of the degrees offered in the SML, to introduce students to the study of contemporary French politics, society and culture; to prepare students for future study of history, politics and society of France; and to introduce methods of study appropriate to socio-political and historical studies.

Outline Of Syllabus

This class provides an introduction to the history of France and of the francophone world since the Middle Ages. It initiates students to the major events and themes that have shaped politics, society, and culture in France and its former colonies, paying special attention to questions of identity and diversity in a national and imperial context. Modules include a combination of lecture and seminar-style discussion of documents (in French). This course is part of a two-course sequence.



Semester 1 (1550-1870)

Week 1 Introduction and the French Wars of Religion
Week 2 The World of Louis XIV
Week 3 Slavery, and the Making of Colonial France
Week 4 The Enlightenment
Week 5 Revolutions
Week 6 Napoleon: Inventing France’s First Emperor
Week 7 Reading Week/Enrichment Week
Week 8 New Empires
Week 9 French Romantics and the Leisure Capital

Semester 2 (1870-2002)

Week 1 French Imperialism and the Civilising Mission
Week 2 The Dreyfus Affair
Week 3 The Great War
Week 4 The 1920s: Les Années Folles
Week 5 Occupation, Collaboration and Resistance: The Vichy Years
Week 6 Decolonization
Week 7 The Trentes Glorieuses and May 1968
Week 8 Fin-de-Siècle France


This course will be taught both in French and English and will be assessed in English

Intended Knowledge Outcomes

By the end of this module students should be able to demonstrate a knowledge of key facts, and a basic understanding of key concepts and issues in the following areas:

- a synthetic overview of French and francophone history;
- to initiate students to some of the major questions in French and francophone studies;
- to help students develop their critical reading and writing skills using French sources
- to help students learn critical study and writing skills for their degree in Modern Languages

Intended Skill Outcomes

By the end of this module you will have gained experience in:

- taking notes effectively from lectures
- taking notes from textbooks and other secondary material;
- the close reading of some primary sources texts
- writing cogent and clear analyses of selected topics

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

Lectures will allow definition of the scope of the syllabus, an introduction to a body of knowledge, and modelling of the level of analysis required. Videos extracts shown during lectures will provide practical illustrations of the contents introduced. Seminars will give students the opportunity to discuss the information they have been introduced to in lectures through group work; presentation and directed personal reading. Extra resources as well as formative quizzes will also be available via Canvas.

Seminars will be in English to ensure that language problems do not hinder student expression and that the material covered has been fully understood by the students.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

Primary Source Analysis: This exercise is to develop research skills, and a close reading of one source in the context of the secondary material read in this course. The idea is to encourage focused engagement and critical reading and argument skills.

Exam: to engage with the material covered in class; to develop a more thorough understanding of the themes taught over the course of semester 2; to develop academic writing skills; to build on skills developed through semester 1 assessment.

General Notes

N/A