Overview

This module is concerned with Paris as cultural icon and touristic capital, on the one hand, and as a city built upon processes of exclusion, peripheral identities and creativity at the margins, on the other. Students will engage initially with the foundational urban architectures of the Second Empire (1852–70) before coming to study expressions of modern and contemporary Paris. Through lectures and seminars, this module will bring to life the multiple and contradictory representations of the city, as well as the marginal stories informing more official representations of its key monuments, museums and geographical sites. Students will engage critically with both global landmarks (such as la Tour Eiffel) and unofficial sites of artisitic inscription (such as street art). They will consider both central events that have celebrated and reinforced French Republican world-views (such as the Exposition Coloniale of 1931) and events on the margins that have challenged the very concept of Republicanism (such as the banlieues riots of 2005). They will learn to view Paris not just from a static ‘centralized’ perspective, but also as a city shaped by its peripheries, the diverse practices of its inhabitants, its mobilities and its ongoing capacity for dissent. Drawing from a broad selection of media, including documentary, film, fiction, exhibition catalogues, posters, architecture and contemporaneous newspaper reports, students will gain an important insight into the eclectic, colourful and often paradoxical nature of Parisian architectures, society and culture, while learning to question and challenge the touristic and governmental imaginaries of one of Europe’s most iconic cities.

Key texts

Primary texts and films include the following (these may vary from one year to the next): Films Caché. Dir. Michael Haneke. Artificial Eye. 2005 Le fabuleux destin d’Amélie Poulain. Dir. Jean-Pierre Jeunet. UGC. 2001 Cléo de 5 à 7 Dir. Agnès Varda. 1962

Short Novels Patrick Modiano’s Dora Bruder (1997) Georges Perec's Les Choses (1965)

Students will engage initially with the foundational urban architectures of the Second Empire (1852–70) before coming to study expressions of modern and contemporary Paris. Through lectures and seminars, this module will bring to life the multiple and contradictory representations of the city, as well as the marginal stories informing more official representations of its key monuments, museums and geographical sites. Students will engage critically with both global landmarks (such as la Tour Eiffel) and unofficial sites of artisitic inscription (such as street art). They will consider both central events that have celebrated and reinforced French Republican world-views (such as the Exposition Coloniale of 1931) and events on the margins that have challenged the very concept of Republicanism (such as the banlieues riots of 2005). They will learn to view Paris not just from a static ‘centralized’ perspective, but also as a city shaped by its peripheries, the diverse practices of its inhabitants, its mobilities and its ongoing capacity for dissent. Drawing from a broad selection of media, including documentary, film, fiction, exhibition catalogues, posters, architecture and contemporaneous newspaper reports, students will gain an important insight into the eclectic, colourful and often paradoxical nature of Parisian architectures, society and culture, while learning to question and challenge the touristic and governmental imaginaries of one of Europe’s most iconic cities.

Assessment Strategy

-threshold -D- - D+: In order to merit the award of credit, student should demonstrate a basic comprehension of the material presented, and demonstrate that they can clearly differentiate between the various portions of that material. -good -C- - B+: Students attaining the higher grades in this course will show a high level of clarity in sorting and analysis of the course material, and will show a creditable range of secondary exploration which is likely to help them explore the themes which link various periods and developments, forming their own conclusions. -excellent -A- - A*: Students attaining the highest grades in this course will additionally have produced innovative analysis of the subject matter and the broader themes emerging from it, and will be able to engage with and, at a high level, even challenge received ideas about interpretation of the story of Paris.

Learning Outcomes

• Contribute to seminar discussions through presentations and critical analyses of the primary sources.

• Engage critically with governmental spatialities, representation and republican, colonial and postcolonial discourses.

• Identify and discuss some of the key events that have shaped Paris in the modern and contemporary period and the key city landmarks that testify to those events.

• Understand the complex and multi-layered nature of Parisian history and contemporary life, and the multifaceted nature of Parisian identity.

• Use a wide range of primary and secondary sources to complete coherent, focused and structured assignments.