French Cultural Studies
United Studies Abroad Consortium, Pau, France, Fall 2008
Professor Tom Peele

About Me
I am a professor of English at Boise State University where I teach cultural studies, French literature, and digital literacy. I studied French in Pau last summer and had a great time. You can see some pictures on my Facebook page. Please feel free to contact me with questions at tbpeele@gmail.com.

Course Description        
The discipline of cultural studies has a long history in Europe, Australia, and the United States. French philosophy has been especially influential in the development of British and American cultural studies. We will read key French cultural theorists and examine their influence on British and American cultural studies. Students will write essays and, as a final project, an ethnographic cultural study on the aspect of French culture of their choice (with my approval). Students are encouraged to use the Internet as a writing platform, to construct their essays as Web pages, and incorporate sound, image, and video as appropriate.

Course Objectives
The course aims to provide students with a general introduction to French cultural studies. We will examine the impact of French cultural studies on American cultural studies, and we will work to understand, and to employ, the methods cultural critics have used to define and analyze popular culture.
Required Texts

French Cultural Studies: An Introduction
Ed. Jill Forbes and Michael Kelly
Oxford University Press, 2006 (Excerpts provided; no purchase required)

French Popular Culture
Ed. Hugh Dauncey Hodder, 2003
(Excerpts provided; no purchase required)
Assignments

We will read selections from these texts in order to form a scholarly understanding of the field of Cultural Studies and French popular culture. We’ll also work to understand the field’s research methods, and to put those methods to work. There will be one major assignment for the entire semester, which will be a cultural study of the French sub-culture of your choice (with my approval). The other assignments will lead up to and become a part of the final essay. Your Observations and Fields Notes, for example, will be incorporated into your final project.There will not be a final exam, but rather a final presentation of your work. I encourage you to experiment with Web-based essay forms, though the digital facilities at Pau are limited. You’ll need to have your own computer if you want to pursue this option. If you’re interested in seeing the kinds of  projects students have completed in the past, send me an e-mail and I’ll send you a link.
Assignment Weights
Participation (readiness for class discussion, including brief written responses and attendance)
25%
3 Observations
15% (5% each)
3 Field Notes
15% (5% each)
Project Proposal
10%
Final Project
25%