French

Week 1 : Pedestrian Roots? Pop Culture in France
Compared to its “high-brow” cousin, Culture (“high C”), “pop” culture gets a bad rap – often judged as catering to the unsophisticated, trivial, consumerist, and sensationalist. Yet, there’s no denying the facts – society can’t get enough of it! During this module, we’ll focus on French “pop culture” perspectives, products, and people, to better understand the ways that mass media informs the public and influences opinions and behaviors. Among the subjects to be studied are French singer / songwriter legends, films and film stars, television personalities, print/digital media, advertising impacts and trends, l’américanisation, the fashion and perfume industries, and more!

Week 2: Gender Roles, Rules, and Representations
From Jeanne d’Arc’s armor to Marcel Duchamps’ alter-ego, Rrose Sélavy, and from the notorious portrait of King Louis with ballerina legs to bas-bleus publications of 19th-century feminist journalism, France enjoys a long history of gender-bending and featuring, at its cultural center, that which is otherwise marginalized. To forge better definitions and dispel stereotypes surrounding French “masculinity” and “femininity,” this module will investigate social practices, prescriptions, and depictions of gender and sexuality throughout French history to today, studying relevant laws, literature, artistic production, key figures, and sites of interest.

A comprehensive study of gastronomy in France, this module will investigate the production, preparation, distribution, presentation, and consumption of French food and drink, as well as etiquette, dietary practices, and related attitudes. Topics: include farming, fishing, hunting, and gathering, from small-scale palombières and potagers to vast livestock operations and world-renowned wineries, from the modest of mushrooms to the proudest of pâtés. We’ll look into family meals, fast food joints, specialty shops, the French café phenomenon, open-air markets, and those famed restaurants and recipes of haute cuisine. Finally, we won’t leave the table without having researched some great names in place settings – French linens, Baccarat crystal, Limoges porcelaine, Quimper faïence, and Laguiole cutlery. Tout le monde à table!