2017/18 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

FREN3860 French Popular Culture

20 creditsClass Size: 24

Module manager: Dr David Platten
Email: d.p.platten@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun) View Timetable

Year running 2017/18

Pre-requisite qualifications

Ability to study a module taught in French, usually evidenced by having completed level 2 of a degree programme including French.

This module is not approved as a discovery module

Module summary

Research into popular culture has tended to focus either on the discourse of the popular, or on its sociological and anthropological aspects, which has arguably been to the detriment of our understanding of how popular culture is produced and consumed. This module starts from the premise that works broadly categorised as popular are conceived as acts of creativity and invention. In relation to a range of modern and contemporary productions which have achieved commercial and artistic success it will investigate the question of how aesthetic value is determined. It will also explore the interface between cultural production and the evolution of modern and contemporary French society, asking specifically whether popular culture is fundamentally conservative or progressive, whether it reflects or effects changes in society.

Objectives

On completion of this module students should be able to:
1. Respond critically to a broad range of literary, visual and auditory examples of modern and contemporary French popular culture;
2. Investigate ways in which aesthetic value may be determined;
3. Apply different cultural and social theories to the study of popular forms and in so doing build on current thinking around the impact and pre-eminence of popular culture on and in contemporary French society;
4. Develop an approach to the study of popular forms from an intermedial perspective;
5. Evidence their ability to initiate and conduct original research in the field of French popular culture;
6. Evidence an enhanced understanding of the nuances and resources of the French language in relation to the study of popular culture

Learning outcomes
1. A deeper understanding of how French popular culture is produced and consumed;
2. Knowledge of the theoretical discourse and policy frameworks which orientate the processes by which popular culture is created and received;
3. Appreciation of how meaning is created within different popular genres, of how narratives circulate and of how critical judgements are made;
4. Exposure to, and possibly participation in, the latest, interdisciplinary research into (French) popular culture;
5. Confidence in ability to prosecute original research in a vibrant field of study.
6. Enhanced linguistic competence overall and specifically with reference to the fields dealt with.

Skills outcomes
Cultural awareness; ability to analyse critically a range of creative material (prose fiction, film, tv drama, popular music, graphic novel); ability to understand and apply different theories of cultural practice.

Syllabus

Primary Material

Novels:
Boris Vian, L’écume des jours (Paris: 10/18, 1947)
Daniel Pennac, La Fée carabine (Paris: Folio, 1987)

Music :
Serge Gainsbourg. Download or CD, including the following songs:
Le Poinçonneur des lilas; La Chanson de Prévert ; Bonnie andClyde; Initials BB; Je t’aime moi non plus; 69 année érotique; Ballade de Melody Nelson; Je suis venu te dire que je m’en vais; Aux armes et caetera.

Bandes Dessinées :
Marjane Satrapi, Persépolis, Tome 1 (Paris : L’Association, 2000)
Joann Sfar, Le Chat du rabbin, Tome 1, La Bar-Mitsvah (Paris: Dargaud, 2001)
Chloé Cruchaudet, Mauvais genre (Paris: Delcourt/Mirages, 2013)

Film and Television :
Ne le dis à personne (dir. Guillaume Canet, 2006)
Les Revenants (Saison 1, diffusée sur Canal + en 2012) / The Returned, Season 1 (shown on Channel 4 in 2013)

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Seminar	20	1.00	20.00
Private study hours			180.00
Total Contact hours			20.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			200.00

Private study

Students are expected to engage thoroughly with the primary material, and prepare for seminars in the light of research questions foregrounded in lectures. Each student will have the opportunity in pairs to devise and design a seminar class, which will be delivered to the group. Students will be required to produce a formative essay on work covered during Semester 1. In consultation with the module leader they will determine an original question for their module essay, which they will research. In the light of guidance given by the module leader they will revise for their end-of year examination.

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

Student progress will be monitored via feedback on student-led seminars, which will be followed by a 'debriefing' session including a formal evaluation sheet, feedback on the formative essay (2,000 words for 0% of the module mark), individual consultations for the module essay and preparation for the examination. All students will have the opportunity to discuss progress with the seminar leader outside of the stipulated contact time.

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Essay	3,000 words in French	50.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)		50.00

Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated

Exams

Exam type	Exam duration	% of formal assessment
Standard exam (closed essays, MCQs etc)	2 hr 00 mins	50.00
Total percentage (Assessment Exams)		50.00

Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 02/03/2018 17:22:50

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