Sociology

The goal of this course is to increase students' cultural sensitivity through an in-depth examination of the many layers that make up French history while at the same time exposing them to how this history shaped the physical city of Paris itself. Through comparative examination of current events in France and the US, the course also sensitizes them to differences in cultural norms. Lastly, the course seeks to increase students' understanding of how a nation's “eternal values and universal truths” develop in response to a people's particular historical experiences (e.g., the place of religion in the public sphere). The assigned readings and topics in the syllabus vary from year to year in order to align them with recent major events. Past units have included a variety of topics, such as: “The Veil”, Health insurance as a social or a socialist program; Presidents and the use and extent of power/elections; Women in the public eye; War and terrorism; Income distribution and the human costs of urban development. In each unit, the current issue is paired with careful study of related moments in French history (e.g., Huguenots in the 16th c. with Muslims today; a president with Napoleon). Readings expose students to the various ways history is/can be written. Readings include: First-hand accounts and editorials; Essays by specialists in political, social, economic, and urban history; Seminal texts of reference (e.g., “The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen”). In this course students develop written and oral rhetorical skills as well as their analytical skills through class discussion on readings, in which close attention is paid to both style and the use of evidence to support an argument, in-class analysis of things like political cartoons, and the deciphering of political messages embedded in the iconography of monuments' façades. Students are presented techniques to read visual evidence. Students engage in a photo-essay project that sends them to the Invalides in small groups. The final exam tests students on their ability to compare a set of recent newspaper articles/editorials to explain the differences in American and French attitudes by providing the appropriate historical background.

The course provides a framework for understanding key concepts and contemporary debates about food, as well as critically evaluating how past, current, and future food-related issues are framed and dealt with locally and globally. Students ask: What is food and where has it come from? Can we measure food? How does food act on us? Has food anything to do with government? Who can grow food and where? Whom do we eat with and who is not at the table? How could food be different? Can food be 'sustained' and is there a politics of food?

This course takes a close look at contemporary French society and its social policies beginning with a brief, historical-critical look at the emergence of the welfare state and the safety-net state. Next, four fundamental areas of society are explored: social action and the critical role of the not-for-profit sector; the educational system and its effects on social standing; the problem of the ring of disadvantaged zones around French cities as emblematic of the French malaise; and the values held by French and European youth. Finally, a comparative look at the American model will provide an opportunity to analyze the prospects and issues facing French society. The course highlights the effects of pressures such as global economic liberalism on the specific institutionalized relations that exist between French citizens and culture, work, education, immigration, and other facets of life and society.

This course develops a critical framework for thinking about gender and sexuality, with special attention to issues of class, race, and ethnicity under different societies. The course is based on a participatory, active learning approach, with an emphasis on critical reflection and peer-to-peer learning. Participants do the required readings, weekly assignments, participate in group discussions and final group oral presentation.