French Political Issues : Past and Present

“French Political Issues” is a history course with a special emphasis put on politics. The purpose of the course is to help students to understand the current political problems and controversies on the nature of the Republic, the French “laïcité”, the crisis of the integration model and the transformation of the Left and of the Right. The course will be built on a large review of the historical background with a chronological approach. The course will offer insights on the French political history from the Revolution of 1789 to the Fifth Republic. It will examine institutional, ideological and social facets of the French polity (including colonial and “imperial” history). The aim of the course is to give a solid knowledge of the evolution of French political issues from the 19th century to the present time. The course will also provide a good opportunity for the students to improve their methodological skills through text analysis, written essays and oral presentations.

Required texts:
- Michel WINOCK, Serge. BERSTEIN (ed.), L’Invention de la démocratie, de 1789 à 1914 ISBN-13: 978-2757802267
- Michel WINOCK, Serge BERSTEIN (ed.), La République recommencée, 1914 à nos jours ISBN-13: 978-2757831656