Introduction to the History of the Francophonie

This course is a general history of the Francophonie. It aims to show the differences between a geopolitical approach and a literary approach of the Francophonie. On the one hand, it focuses on the expansion of the French language in the world, from the European Renaissance to the postcolonial period, to concentrate on the birth of the OIF (Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie) in the middle of the twentieth century and to show the specific problems the member countries have to face (education, culture, wars) and the structural supports developed in education, culture and civilization (literature, cinema, language areas). On the other hand, it focuses on specific literary notions (colonialism, anticolonialism, nationalism, immigration); current problems (the translation in European languages); or contemporary debates (the role of the francophone writer in the word today) in francophone literatures.

Required text :
Dominique Combe, Littératures francophones, ISBN : 978-2-13-056845-2