Taught In English

There is no language prerequisite for courses at this language level.

The majority of students taking this course will be American.

Students are required to take a minimum amount of contact hours of French a week in order to take a course in English.

Objective

• Discover how France functions on a political and economic level
• Understand the particulars of the political system and the economic world
• Discover the diverse aspects of life in European countries

Course Program/Structure/Syllabus

• The French Republic and Republican values (the institutions �" the President, the Senate, the National Assembly, the citizen, Republic and Democracy)
• The Political Parties (the right, the traditional left, the center, the “Fronte Nationale,” the Extreme Right parties, the Green Party)
• The elections (electoral procedures at the municipal elections, regional and legislative elections, the accumulation of mandates, the specifics of the presidential election)
• The French economic system (the private sector and large French corporations, the public sector and its influence, the nuclear and transportation sector, the role of small and medium-sized businesses)
• France and Globalization (French Trade Protectionism, difficulties of market adaptation, the exportation sector, research investment, emigration to countries that are more economically liberal)
• Job Organization (35-hour work-week, job security, work councils, vacation)
• Trade Unions (Trade Unions and Politics, the culture of strikes and public demonstrations, Trade Unions within businesses)
• Agricultural World (Agricultural politics, the peasant in French Society, GMOs)
• The French Social System (Social Security, Health, Unemployment Benefits, the right to unions)
• The Media (Print Journalism, Television and Radio chains, public and private media, relationship with the powers, predicted reforms)
• The University and the “Grand Ecole” system (the organization of the university system, the reforms, the contestations of students, the formation of Elite Republicans)
• The Situation of Women (equality, women in the working world, the protection of women’s rights)
• Regional Patriotism (la Corse and nationalist movements, Brittany and its culture, the Pays-Basque and Basque Nationalism in Spain)
• France and Old Europe (the French-German Relationship, rivalry and detente between Great Britain and France, strong French-Spanish liaisons, relations with Italy)
• France and “Young” Europe (the differences of diplomatic position and economic relations)
• France in the world (French-Speaking communities, France and the United States, France at the heart of the United Nations, France and NATO)

Organization

This course will be organized around the study of documents, presentations and debates. The different themes will be studied in relation to current events. Current events in other European countries will be studied each week.

Resources

Newspaper articles
Audiovisual documents
Internet Research

Evaluation

Student Attentiveness
Participation in class
Final Exam