BA French and Chinese

In this course we will study the ways in which humans have interacted, represented, conceptualised, modified, and enjoyed nature and the environment. We will see how the idea of nature has shaped the French national identity, how diverging views on nature have impacted politics in France, and how the future of nature is inseparable from the future of humankind. We will study French vs. English conceptions of nature, nature and the French colonial empire, as well as nature and the French Revolution, Green politics, and the modern ‘Return to Nature’ movement. We will analyse the revival of natural spaces in major urban centres in the French-speaking world like Paris and Montréal.  Finally, we will discuss the future of nature as represented in science fiction. Sources will vary from historical documents, films, documentaries, literature, interviews as well as political texts and maps. See weekly syllabus below. 

To provide an overview of the idea of nature from the 17th century to the present 

To familiarize students with the idea of nature in French culture  

To provide students with key concepts of ecocriticism and environmental humanities 

To understand the concept of urban nature 

To introduce students to the history of ecology and politics in France 

This unit is divided into three main thematic blocks of three weeks each. The first week’s lecture and seminar introduce the unit and the topics covered. The last week is dedicated to revisions.

Block 1: Nature and National Identity

Week 2. French vs. English Ideas of Nature

Week 3. French Colonial Nature and the Concept of Wilderness

Week 4. French Taste, French Cuisine, French Nature

Block 2: Nature and Politics

Week 5. The State of Nature and the French Revolution

Week 6. Nature in Francophone cities

Week 7. The Rise of Green Politics in France

Block 3: Nature’s Future

Week 8. The Return to Nature Movement in the French Regions

Week 9. Nature in Science Fiction and Bande Dessinée (Comics)

Week 10. The Future of Nature: collapsology à la française

Each week, students will have a two-hour lecture presenting the history and larger questions raised by a specific topic (see above). The lectures will be followed by a one-hour seminar during which students will discuss the points addressed in the lectures.

Resources and teaching material will be available on BlackBoard and other platforms.

Analyse a variety of sources related to nature and the environment¿ 

Study nature documentaries and literature related to the environment  

Understand the forces underpinning Green politics and green cities in the Francophone world 

Use appropriate terminology to study representations of nature in a variety of discourses

Use suitable skills and appropriate terms to analyse the construction of the idea of nature 

Develop a critical understanding of Green politics

Express ideas logically and elegantly in oral and written French

Communicate strategically 

Synthesise complex ideas 

Refine critical skills

Develop original ideas and engage with existing theories

Improve public speaking and group participation

Assessment task	Formative or Summative	Weighting within unit (if summative)
Case study of Francophone urban area	Summative	40%
Essay	Summative	60%
Rationale for case study	Formative
Essay Plan	Formative

 

Feedback method	Formative or Summative
In class discussions	Formative
Written feedback on rationale for case study	Formative
Written feedback on essay plans	Formative

A range of primary and secondary sources will be available in French and in English. Here are a few examples: 

 

Primary sources: 

• Arthus-Bertrand, Yann, Home, (documentary film) 

• Laurent, Mélanie and Cyril Dion, Demain (documentary film) 

• Leboulanger, Camille, Malboire, L’Atalante, 2018, (novel) 

 

Secondary sources: 

• Emanuele Coccia, The Life of Plants, Polity, 2018 

• Bousé,Derek, Wildlife Films, University of Pennsylvania Press, 2000 

• Posthumus, Stephanie, French Ecocritique: Reading Contemporary French Theory and Fiction ecologically, University of Toronto Press, 2017 

• Rumpala, Yannick, Hors des décombres du monde. Ecologie, science-fiction et éthique du futur, Champ Vallon, 2018 

• Vrignon, Alexis, La Naissance de l’écologie politique en France, une nébuleuse au cœur des années 68, Presses universitaires de Rennes, 2017 

All lectures and seminars in English. Readings available in English and French.