FREN3451: Genocide, Violence, and Trauma in French and Francophone Culture

• French Language 2 (FREN2051) OR an equivalent qualification to the satisfaction of the Chairman/Chairwoman of the Board of Studies in MLAC or his/her representative

• Modern Languages, Combined Honours and all Joint with programmes: French Language 4 (FREN 3041). Other: see Chairman/Chairwoman of the Board of Studies in MLAC or his/her representative

• None

• To explore the Holocausts legacy in French and francophone literature, visual culture and cultural theory.
• To facilitate cross-cultural awareness and comparison by using literature, film, and art to discuss how cultural memory of the Holocaust intersects with transnational histories of trauma (the Armenian genocide, colonialism, the Cambodian Killing Fields, and Rwanda).
• To study literary, visual cultural, and critical theory concerned with the emergence of multi-directional memory and the representation of violence and trauma in a globalized age.

• This module explores French and francophone representation of the Holocausts in a transnational framework that may include slavery, colonialism, and other genocidal events.
• Set texts will include novels, films, and visual culture. See the modules webpage for full details of set texts.

Subject-specific Knowledge:

• Critical knowledge and understanding of a range of texts, images, and films offering an insight into French culture in a transnational context;
• A knowledge of how literary and visual texts have responded to the difficulty of representing violence and trauma;
• An understanding of how the history of the Holocaust in France intersects with other historical moments in a global sphere.
• Knowledge of key debates and terms in Holocaust studies, trauma studies, and transnational theory.
• Knowledge of a range of critical approaches to the study of cultural history (Arendt, Bauman, Rothberg, etc.).

Subject-specific Skills:

• Critical analysis and close readings of a variety of textual genres (historical, legal, literary, journalistic) and visual culture (film, photography, paintings);
• Ability to think across disciplines, drawing links between cultural, material and social history.
• Ability to undertake cross-cultural comparison while being attentive to historical and social differences.

Key Skills:

• Critical and analytical thinking
• Essay-writing and oral presentation
• Structuring of arguments
• Independent learning and research

• The module will be taught intensively in Term 1 or Terms 2/3 on a 'short-fat' basis.
• This module will be taught by means of weekly 2-hour lectures and 1-hour seminars.
• Independent research of an unfolding human rights crisis and will provide the basis for an in-class presentation.
• These assessments reflect the intended learning outcomes, namely critical understanding of texts and images based on detailed reading and in-depth discussion, and a broader cultural awareness.
• Teaching will be in English, with the module capped according to School norms.

If you have a question about Durham's modular degree programmes, please visit our FAQ webpages, Help page or our glossary of terms. If you have a question about modular programmes that is not covered by the FAQ, or a query about the on-line Undergraduate Module Handbook, please contact us.

Prospective Students: If you have a query about a specific module or degree programme, please Ask Us.

Current Students: Please contact your department.