French culture has been evolving at a furious rate and in some unexpected directions. In the last twenty years, one of the primary motors of this evolution has been the increasingly active participation of France's ethnic minorities in the country's public life. This can be seen in daily life as well as at the highest levels of government (with minorities taking on roles at the head of major governmental ministries), and, of course, in the arts. This course will study some of the major artistic tendencies of this evolution. After a brief history of immigration to France, and a look at some of the social issues confronting the descendants of immigrants in France today (banlieues, discrimination, troubles sociaux, etc.), we will explore the literature, film, music, and mass media presence of France's minority communities, with an emphasis on beur culture. Students will be asked to do a presentation and/or paper on a topic they will design themselves.
