Post-War French Thought and Culture

Module overview

This module is designed to explore in detail the key areas of feminism, postcolonial theory, and cultural semiotics i.e. the analysis of cultural signs, whether in visual culture, such as advertising, political culture, or based in cultural practices. The module focuses on core ideas about misogyny, discrimination, the psychology of colonialism, and cultural consumption. We will focus on selections from major texts which have been foundational in the study of culture, resistance, and domination. These texs are available in English allowing students with no prior knowledge of French or Francophone contexts to engage with the module.

Aims and Objectives

Learning Outcomes

Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

define, present and exemplify specific concepts related to the theories and texts studied
Apply knowledge, understanding and analysis critically to primary and secondary material related to Francophone culture
engage more deeply with selected texts from French cultural theory in its cultural and intellectual contexts

Knowledge and Understanding

Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

core concepts in the topic areas of feminism, the critique of colonialism, and cultural semiotics
specific aspects of the cultural and intellectual contexts in which these texts produced

Transferable and Generic Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

adhere to guidelines and deadlines
critically evaluate and analyse cultural texts and secondary sources
plan and organise your learning, exercising independence and initiative
communicate your ideas in clear, concise and fluent writing

Learning and Teaching

Teaching and learning methods

Teaching and learning methods include: - lectures introducing concepts and contexts - seminars, where we will discuss cultural texts and concepts both as a whole group, and in small groups - independent reading, thinking, and writing - one-to-one tutorials

Study time
Type	Hours
Preparation for scheduled sessions	2
Completion of assessment task	40
Revision	40
Seminar	12
Lecture	12
Follow-up work	4
Wider reading or practice	40
Total study time	150

Resources & Reading list

Textbooks

Frantz Fanon. Peau noire, masques blancs.

edited by Laura Hengehold and Nancy Bauer (2017). A companion to Simone de Beauvoir. Wiley Blackwell.

Simone de Beauvoir. Le deuxième sexe (Vol.II).

Robert Young (2020). Postcolonialism. A very short introduction. OUP.

Roland Barthes. Mythologies.

Assessment

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.

Breakdown
Method	Percentage contribution
Essay	50%
Essay	50%

Referral

This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.

Breakdown
Method	Percentage contribution
Essay	50%
Essay	50%

Repeat

An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.

Breakdown
Method	Percentage contribution
Essay	50%
Essay	50%

Repeat Information

Repeat type: Internal & External