France

Situated within the field of the sociology of sexualities, this course addresses the historical, cultural, and social construction of sexuality. Part 1 of the course investigates conceptual foundations of the social construction of sexuality. Part 2 of the course looks at the changing historical meanings of sexual categories and at the ways in which LGBT social movements have sought to politicize them. Part 3 examines the social regulation of sexuality through an analysis of topics such as sexual violence and harassment, women's sexualized imagery in the media, and controversies around same-sex marriage. At the end of the course, students have a solid knowledge of the core concepts in the field of sociology of sexualities, they are able to apply these concepts to contemporary controversies about sex and sexualities, and they understand the ways in which sexuality shapes our social world.

This class focuses on the proper pronunciation and enunciation of French words. Students listen to audio files on the computer and respond to various questions that indicate and improve the level of their French auditory distinction.

Cities have become major actors on environmental policy. However, the crosscutting nature of environmental problems involves the city in a web of relationships with other levels of government and non-governmental actors. Therefore, the understanding of environmental policy in cities raises the need to unveil the “black box” of the different dimensions of governance (urban, metropolitan, multi-level). The aim of the course is to introduce students to the complexity of implementing public policies in urban contexts through the particular complexities of the environmental issues. For such purpose, the course addresses the basic concepts of policy analysis, the different discussions and theories on governance and orients them towards the specific case of environmental problems in different contexts. Particular attention is placed on air quality, mobility, and climate change.

This course is an advanced introduction to international criminal law as a discipline that lies at the intersection of public international law, criminal law, and human rights. It presents a broad-based critical perspective on international criminal justice, its deliverables and achievements, and its paradoxes and debates. It covers major topics such as the history and sources of international criminal law; the core crimes (genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression); individual criminal responsibility; jurisdiction and immunities; the nature and structure of international criminal proceedings; and the roles played by various actors, especially the victims of international crimes. The course focuses on the law and practice of modern international criminal tribunals such as the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, and the International Criminal Court. Apart from an in-depth study of the main concepts, the course provides an opportunity to critically read and analyze recent cases, participate in structured viewings of documentaries and court proceedings, and navigate the online databases of modern international criminal tribunals. Through this course, students are trained to orient themselves in the contemporary landscape of international criminal law and to analyze current developments in the field from a critical legal perspective.

This course explores the articulation between environmental attitudes and worldviews and how they contribute to shaping green political action in a context where the imminence of a global ecological crisis (global warming, threats on biodiversity, scarcity of resources) is no longer in question. The course covers a diversity of social sciences approaches: how conceptions of nature shape our attitudes to its enjoyment, understanding, and exploitation; the challenges to environmentally friendly public policies at the national, the European, and the international levels, including; the role of individuals from collective mobilization to the emergence of the “citizen-consumer”; the parliamentary and the extra-parliamentary strategies of environmental movements and of the counter-movements, in the EU and beyond.

This course is both an introduction to archeology and a study of the archeology of France, including an exploration of the oldest remains in Europe and France. It provides an overview of prehistoric people and cultures, with a strong emphasis on relics and archeological data found in France, and how the ancient people of what is modern France once lived. The course begins with an explanation of the tenets of archeology as a profession, and then delves into the various geological and climatic eras on Earth. It also examines the variety of human species along with their artifacts, namely in France. Discussions include the main stages of the chronology and the technical, economic, and social specifics of the societies of the current territories of France for each major historical period. The course sessions are shared by three instructors, each working in their area of expertise.

This course looks at the geography of the contemporary Arab world, including origins and consequences. Topics addressed include: the Arab world as a geographic object; Islam as a shared and at times divisive faith; ethnic and religious minorities in the Arab world; recent states with complex heritages; forms and practices of power in the Arab world; from Caliphate to Nation State; the Arab world as a space of movements; from the medina to the metropolis, the tradition and modernity of the Arab city; hydrocarbons as a source of wealth and as an obstacle to development; water as a vital and coveted resource; the Arab world in the face of food-related challenges; interface or periphery, the Arab world and its margins, and between the temptation to withdraw and promises of an opening, the Arab world in the face of globalization.