Overview

This module will begin by providing a brief history of the French Empire and of immigration and debates about immigration in France, before looking at how race is conceptualized in France and assessing how France's Republican political traditions influence perceptions of race. The module will include a variety of texts and films, such as the literary work of Azouz Begag, Mathieu Kassovitz's film "La Haine" (1995) and Houda Benyamina's film "Divines" (2016). The module will also look at issues of race and immigration in French sport.

Main secondary materials Hargreaves, Alec. Multi-ethnic France: Immigration, Politics, Culture and Society (Abingdon: Routledge, 2007). Hargreaves, Alec. Voices from the North African Community in France: Immigration and Identity in Beur Fiction (Oxford: Berg, 1997) Jennings, Jeremy. 2000. ‘Citizenship, Republicanism and Multiculturalism in Contemporary France’, British Journal of Political Science, 30(4): 575-598. Tarr, Carrie. Reframing difference: beur and banlieue filmmaking in France (Manchester, UK : Manchester University Press, 2005).

Assessment Strategy

-threshold -D- - D+: Students demonstrate a basic understanding of the key concepts and works studied in the module and are able to situate them in relation to debates about race and the history of immigration in France. Some awareness of critical thinking and engagement with secondary sources demonstrated via assessed work (see box 18).

-good -C- - B+: Students demonstrate a firm grasp of the key concepts and works studied in the module and are able to situate them in relation to debates about race and the history of immigration in France. Good awareness of critical thinking and engagement with secondary sources, and independent analysis demonstrated via assessed work (see box 18).

-excellent -A- - A*: Students obtaining the highest grades will have provided highly insightful and innovative responses to questions addressed via assessed work. This will involve demonstrating an excellent grasp of the key concepts and works studied in the module and the ability to situate them in relation to debates about race and the history of immigration in France. This will be enhanced by an impressive awareness of critical thinking and engagement with a wide range of appropriate second sources, and independent analysis demonstrated via assessed work

Learning Outcomes

• To demonstrate an ability to critically assess a range of sources which evoke issues of race and immigration.

• To demonstrate understanding of conceptions of race and racial identity in France.

• To demonstrate understanding of the French Empire and of the history of immigration in France.

• To situate a range of sources in relation to concepts of race and racial identity in France, and also the history of immigration in France and the French Empire.