Comprendre la France d'aujourd'hui: institutions, citoyenneté et culture / Contemporary Civilization of France: Institutions, Citizenship, Economy and Culture

The goal of this course is to situate the most recent changes in French society in the context of long-term evolution and major trends. Rather than aiming for a factual account, we will envision the basic mechanism of a complex industrial society. A multidisciplinary approach will allow students to become familiar with economic, legal, and political aspects, as the course focuses on insitutions (the state, the government, the legal and educational systems), economics (corporations, budgest, taxation, currency) health policies, the family, immigration, culture. For each one of these domains, we will stress factors of continuity and rupture, and acknowledge the importance of history. Classroom discussions will be supported by a regular reading of French newspapers and magazines, as well as selections from the textbook Les Institutions de la France. Evaluation will involve a written research project in three stages.