Readings:

Course Reader

Course Description:

This course is designed as an introduction to the history of North African immigration in France in the twentieth- and twenty-first centuries. We will first focus on the main historical events that rendered the massive North African immigration possible and sometimes unavoidable. Our approach will be trans generational in that we will take into consideration the sharp contrast between the first waves of immigration in the mid-fifties and the second generation of French citizens born from immigrant parents. We will address specific topics such as the role of the Algerian War of liberation in determining a stereotype of the Arabs, the increasing importance of Islam and of the status of women in contemporary political debates and practices, as well as the development of a racist political movement such as le Front National. We will pay a close attention to the various cultural ways in which the city of Paris has been shaped and transformed by immigration, throughout the twentieth-century. Our material will be diverse: we will rely on textual sources such as fiction pieces, essays, manifestos and historical texts but also on cultural productions such as songs, films, documentaries and architectural documents.

Prerequisites:
French 102 or consent of Instructor.

Additional information:
Satisfies 1 “Culture” or 1 “Elective” requirement in the French major. Fulfills Letters and Science breadth requirement in Social and Behavioral Sciences or Historical Studies. Priority enrollment for declared French majors.

Section times and locations in the Schedule of Classes