Childhood and youth in french and francophone cultures

Lectures: 1 session / week, 3 hours / session

Youth is a source of fascination in most Western cultures. It is both a major inspiration for artistic creation and a political concept, in the name of which policies are pursued. As such, it is also a vital component of national identity. What does it mean to be young in France? When does a child become a young adult and when does youth end?

This course will study the transformation of youth since the 18th century and the changing experiences of becoming an adult in contemporary French society. We will examine various representations of youth in literature (e.g. Rimbaud, Nizan, Bouraoui, Douard), movies (e.g. Breillat, Sattouf, Ozon, Lvovsky), and songs (e.g. Aznavour, Hardy, Saez).

Sessions will be divided between

Final grade will be determined from three types of required exercises:

The following table indicates which topics, readings, and questions were covered during each class session.

Question: Utiliser un adjectif pour décrire votre génération et expliquer pourquoi.

Question: Qu'est-ce qui différencie la jeunesse et l'enfance?

Question: Décrivez votre meilleur/e ami/e et expliquez pourquoi il/elle vous aide à vivrez votre jeunesse.

Question: Être jeune, est-ce être romantique?

Question: L'adolescence est-elle une période difficile et pourquoi?

Question: À quel âge est-il préférable de quitter la maison de ses parents et pourquoi?

Question: Présentez un événement où la société française a eu peur de ses jeunes.

Question: Que ferez-vous à l'avenir pour rester jeunes?

Question: Vous sentez-vous connectés à d'autres jeunes dans le monde et pourquoi?

Question: Être jeune, est-ce être révolté?

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