| 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 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Professor. Hurcombe |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| 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 |
Why is the unit important?
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 examining 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 as 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; and working-class culture.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
The unit develops your knowledge of what constitutes political culture and of a range of French political cultural expressions from the era, refining your understanding of the broader concept of political cultures and the specific context of early 20th-century France. It also develops your knowledge and use of a variety of cultural and political theories through which to interpret such expressions; this will be of use in other areas of the programme. Finally, it allows you to undertake independent research and to refine your collaborative skills via the summative assessment tasks.
Overview of content
In this unit, you study 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. We begin by studying differing forms of French nationalism and how these ‘prepared’ France for war with Germany in 1914. We then examine ‘culture de guerre’ – the mobilisation of all sectors of society in support of total warfare – and how the war impacted perceptions of gender. Gender is further explored in our analysis of interwar France (notably through the study of veterancy and the concept of the ‘nouvelle femme’, but also through our study of men’s and women’s sport). In the final part of the unit, we examine the relationship of political radicalism of the left and the right to utopianism and how travel to the USSR on the one hand and fascist Italy on the other shaped radical thought in 1930s France.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of this unit?
By studying this unit, you will have a detailed and advance understanding of a number of politico-cultural phenomena that have shaped modern France (including nationalism, the experience of World War One, feminism, sport, and radical movements of the far right and left). You will also have developed a knowledge of a number of frameworks relating to identity, gender and utopianism through which these phenomena can be read. You will be able to develop teamwork skills through a group presentation/podcast and your research project will allow you to develop independently a specialist understanding of an aspect of the course over which you will have ownership.
Learning outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
Teaching will be delivered through two-hour weekly seminars. These will comprise a short presentation by the tutor (20-25 mins), pair work, and collaborative group discussion focusing on materials provided at the start of the unit by the seminar tutor. You will work with a range of contemporaneous materials (newspaper articles, speeches, sound recordings, and visual materials such as press photos and cartoons). You will use and benefit from peer review via the formative assessment wiki commentary.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
Group wiki commentary, 800 words, (0%, Not Required for Credit). This will allow you to hone close-reading skills and teach you how to collaborate effectively with your peers.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
Group podcast, 8 minutes (25%) [ILOs 1-5]. Building on the formative assessment above, your podcast will be designed with an interested, but non-specialist audience in mind, testing your ability to translate your advanced understanding for a wider audience.
Written project, 4000 words (75%) [ILOs 1-5]. You will develop your own independent project relating to two or more aspects of the course with support from the tutor.
When assessment does not go to plan
When required by the Board of Examiners, you will normally complete reassessments in the same formats as those outlined above. However, the Board reserves the right to modify the form or number of reassessments required. Details of reassessments are normally confirmed by the School shortly after the notification of your results at the end of the academic year.
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 assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
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.
