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Course on French Institutions in society

Course on French Institutions in society

The course deals with the major issues at stake in French society and the way they are met by institutions and associations. It complements students’ volunteer activities, linking traditional learning and experimentation.

Structure

Students reflect on their volunteer experience through::

  • Surveys
  • Press articles
  • discussions
  • Presentation of personal research based on their work in the agencies they volunteer at in relation with their class work

Objectives

  • Allow students to have a hands-on approach and give them the ability to understand the way French society operates
  • Develop analytical and synthetic skills

Periods

Themes dealt with between the Fall & Spring semesters

  • An image of France
  • Health
  • The French at work
  • The French educational system
  • Politics
  • Immigration
  • Women in French society
  • Justice
  • Ethics
  • The media

Summer

Summary of previous chapters

Assessment

  • class attendance
  • continuous assessment (oral presentations on service activities, quiz etc…)
  • journal based on critical incidents during the week
  • final paper
  • evaluation by on-site supervisors

Suggested readings

  • Service-Learning Across Cultures : Promise and Achievement (edited by Humphrey Tonkin)
  • How to Serve and Learn Abroad Effectively (Howard A. Berry & Linda A.Chisholm)
  • Charting a Hero’s Journey ( Linda A. Chisholm)
  • Visions of Service ( Linda A. Chisholm)
  • Qu’est-ce qu’un français (Patrick Weil, ed Grasset)
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