Overview
Perhaps no other country than France has emerged as such an exciting and complex site for the investigation of cultural, economic, political, and social relations at the beginning of the 21st century. Globalization--known to the French as mondialisation-- has been an issue since 1945, when Americanization first became an important influence on French culture. Since then, the French have had to develop strategies for dealing with 'the imperialism of Mickey Mouse' and 'coca-colonization'. And, France's transition from a leading colonial power to a postcolonial one certainly has played a role in these culture wars. French post-colonialism has brought with it the largest immigrant population in Europe and all the attendant dilemmas: immigration policies and politics, uprisings in the 'banlieues', the widening gap between rich and poor, rural and urban, young and old, unemployment, and the rise of extremist political agendas.
The Global Studies program in Paris will explore the following questions: How is France dealing with a weakened national agenda in a rapidly expanding European Union? What is France's role in 'Fortress Europe' and in global security since 9/11? How have antiglobalization debates been framed in France? Through readings, classroom discussions, visits to museums, government ministries, and international organizations, along with guest speakers (politicians, writers, intellectuals, scholars, and diplomats), and the unique opportunity of exploring these fascinating questions in one of the most vibrant global cities, students will achieve a better contextualization of these issues, unpack their deeper significance, and attempt to assess the various global challenges France faces at this important turning point in world history.
All students are expected to have taken at least an introductory course on globalization prior to participating in the summer program as a basic understanding of globalization issues will be assumed for all participants. For more information on prerequisites, please visit the curriculum page.
Scholarships: Merit-based scholarships of $1,000 from the UCLA International Institute are available for ten outstanding UCLA Global Studies Majors or Minors participating on a Global Studies summer program. See Scholarships page.
Directed by Professor Dominic Thomas, Department of French and Francophone Studies, UCLA. For more program information, please click on the links above.
Financial aid is available to qualified UCLA students. All other students should inquire about financial aid at their home institution. For more information on financial aid, click here.