Fight like the French: Debates, Quarrels and Polemics in French Culture
FREN 228
Spring 2021
| Section:
01
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| Crosslisting:
MDST 229 |
In the age of "fake news" and polarization, knowing how to debate is essential. The French are notoriously practiced in debate; the importance of public opinion and the figure of the public intellectual have made French society as a whole particularly prone to the agonistic discussion of ideas. This course will survey foundational aesthetic and political debates in French culture from the 15th century to this day, focusing on those that were led by writers, philosophers, and intellectuals and that have entered French literary and cultural history. The course will show how controversies mark and make paradigmatic changes in the cultural landscape, advancing the arts and sciences and voicing political dissent. Throughout the course we will read literary works, treatises, letters, and newspapers. |
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| Credit: 1 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
HA RLAN |
| Course Format: Lecture / Discussion | Grading Mode: Student Option |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: None |
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Fulfills a Requirement for: (ARHA)(COL)(FRST-MN)(FRST)(MDST-MN)(MDST)(MDST-Art/Arch)(MDST-History)(MDST-Lang/Lit)(MDST-Phil/Reli)(RMST) |
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Past Enrollment Probability: 75% - 89% |
| SECTION 01 |
Major Readings: Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore
Texts related to the Quarrel of the Rose, the Quarrel of the Cid, the Quarrel of the Ancients and the Moderns, the Enlightenment and Emile Zola's J'accuse, as well as texts by Jean-Paul Sartre, Albert Camus, Simone de Beauvoir, Franz Fanon, Roland Barthes, Raymond Picard, Michel Houellebecq and Maurice Blanchot.
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Examinations and Assignments:
Weekly responses, 2 commentaries, one final project and one oral presentation. |
Additional Requirements and/or Comments:
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Additional requirements- While any student who has completed FREN 215 (with a minimum grade of B) or has placed out of FREN 215 through the placement test may sign up for this course, it is an advanced course intended for students who have already taken two courses in French beyond FREN 215 or already studied abroad in a French-speaking country. Written assignments, class discussions, and (most) readings will be in French.
CONDITIONS FOR CR/U STUDENT OPTION: The Department of Romance Languages & Literatures normally does not recognize CR/U except for COL students. The reason is that learning effectively in another language calls for regular completion of multiple activities over the course of the term, including faithful attendance and informed participation. In our experience students have counted on grades to determine where to focus their efforts. Because of the pandemic we have made the CR/U option available, but it should be chosen only as a measure of last resort. Since a full university credit is involved no matter what the grading option, bear in mind that CR/U assumes students will complete all graded activities including attendance and participation satisfactorily. Remember, too, that the French Studies major/minor and study abroad continue to require that courses be completed with a minimum grade. If you take your course CR/U, your professor will record the letter grade and the French section will decide accordingly whether the grade is sufficient for you to continue to the next level, to study abroad, to meet the requirement for acceptance into the major, or for the course to count for the major.
Students who are not admitted to the course through pre-registration are strongly encouraged to submit an enrollment request and attend the first class.
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| Instructor(s): Montenegro,Tina Times: .M.W.F. 01:00PM-01:50PM; Location: FISK122; |
| Total Enrollment Limit: 12 | | SR major: 4 | JR major: 4 | | |
| Seats Available: -1 | GRAD: X | SR non-major: 0 | JR non-major: 0 | SO: 2 | FR: 2 |
| Drop/Add Enrollment Requests | | | | | |
| Total Submitted Requests: 0 | 1st Ranked: 0 | 2nd Ranked: 0 | 3rd Ranked: 0 | 4th Ranked: 0 | Unranked: 0 |
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