HIS 237 - The Spectacle of Modern France

4 credits (Fall or Spring)

Beginning with a detailed analysis of the French Revolution as the foundation for the making of modern France, this course concentrates thereafter on pivotal issues including transnational relationships with countries like Germany, Algeria, and the United States; consumerism and urban spectacle; the lure of bohemia and the fin-de-siècle crisis of bourgeois values; the interplay of so-called elite and mass cultures; and the collapse and recovery of democratic institutions in the twentieth century. We highlight perspectives of class, race, and gender and focus upon the power of culture and ideas in shaping the French nation.

Prerequisite: HIS 100 or second-year standing.
Note: Plus-2 option available.
Instructor: Maynard