Department of European Studies & Modern Languages, Unit Catalogue 2008/09 |
EU20619 Women between worlds: images of exile in francophone literature and the visual arts |
| Credits: 6 |
| Level: Intermediate |
| Semester: 2 |
| Assessment: ES67CW33 |
| Requisites: |
| Before taking this unit you must take EU20009 |
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Aims: This option aims to develop students' understanding of the experiences of immigrants and their descendants, with a particular emphasis on the experiences of women. It will focus specifically on the ways in which French women of North African origin transcribe their mothers' stories of exile, and articulate their own position 'between' cultures, in a range of literature, film and painting.
Learning Outcomes: As a result of the course, students will be able to: * assess the impact of factors such as gender, culture and ethnicity on experiences of immigration and exile; * analyse and make comparisons between a range of textual and visual representations of such experiences with regard to their themes, language and style; * understand the societies and historical contexts from which the prescribed works emerged; * appreciate the diversity and complexity of French culture and identity. Skills: Skills in critical analysis, conceptual thinking, precision in the use of written and spoken language, exercise of independent judgement, reasoned argument, teamwork and the planning/conduct/reporting of non-quantitative research are developed and assessed in this unit. Language skills are developed in this unit. Content: This option will examine the representation of a variety of literal and metaphorical journeys between cultures in textual and visual material produced in the period from the 1980s to the present day. Principal themes to be considered include the experience of identity conflict for the descendant of immigrants, the discrepancy between the cultural attitudes of North African immigrant mothers and their daughters, the impact of factors such as gender, culture and ethnicity on the construction of identity, and the problem of defining 'home' in a postcolonial francophone context. The unit will focus on works such as Kerouani, D. (1991), Une fille d'Algérie éprise de liberté, Paris: Robert Laffont; Nini, S. (1993), Ils disent que je suis une beurette, Paris: Editions Fixot; Sebbar, L. (1982), Shérazade: 17 ans, brune, frisée, les yeux verts, Paris: Stock; and the films Benguigui, Y. (1997), Mémoires d'immigrés: l'héritage maghrébin; Faucon, P. (2002), Samia. |