Department of French and Italian

At the start of the Covid-19 Pandemic, French President Macron launched “Operation Resilience” signaling his country’s determination to find a successful response to this global crisis. This reaffirmed France’s historical ambition as a defender of truth against conspiracy theories and “fake news” and a beacon of light against unscientific public policies and undemocratic political agendas. Using a variety of materials from mass-media and social media, political science, film and other arts, we will examine how and why France has succeeded or failed in its ambition to achieve economic and social justice, to face its colonial past, to eradicate racism and embrace sound immigration policies, and to deal with political polarization, nationalism, and xenophobia. We will draw comparisons between specific examples of “the French Exception” and “American Exceptionalism” to better understand societal and cultural similarities and differences between the US and its “longest friend and ally.”

Taught in English

French Society: News: News & Events: Themester: Indiana University Bloomington