Blackness in French (FRE4722.01)

Maboula Soumahoro

This course will begin with an exploration of the various processes of racialization that have produced blackness in the context of France. Then, the bulk of the semester will be devoted to delving into the ways in which blackness has been combined with historical, social and political issues that have impacted intellectual and artistic productions. The historical periods will include the World Wars and their impact on the disintegration of the French colonial empire as well as the contemporary times. The latter produced migration waves originating from newly independent, post-colonial territories as well as former colonies that have remained within the French Republic. The presence of these migrants and their offspring has profoundly transformed French society. To this day, this “new” presence continues to greatly infuse public debates and policies. How are those (hi)stories told? Advanced. Conducted in French.


Learning Outcomes:
❖ effectively communicate ideas in the target language, both orally and in writing
❖ understand, situate, evaluate, and critique various types of discourse within multiple contexts
❖ form ideas and opinions based on their research and logically state and express their thoughts coherently and cohesively in the target language
❖ conduct research independently
❖ challenge stereotypes about Blackness in French by highlighting the importance of her/histories of migration and cross-cultural contact on French national identity



Delivery Method: Fully remote
Prerequisites: Students should contact Noëlle Rouxel-Cubberly (nrouxel-cubberly@bennington.edu) for registration permission and additional information.
Corequisites: Attendance at 2 CSL Series events.
Course Level: 4000-level
Credits: 4
W 2:10PM - 5:50PM (Full-term)
Maximum Enrollment: 18
Course Frequency: One time only

Categories: All courses , French , Fully remote
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