La fracnophonie nord-américaine / Francophonie in North America

This course will explore the issues that are unique to the diverse francophone cultures throughout North America. Acadia, Quebec, French Ontario, Manitoba, New England and Louisiana were all welcoming grounds to french speaking settlers where their voices are still heard. Each region, however, evolved differently both culturally and linguistically depending primarily on the presence of English, the dominant language of North America. By looking at the socio-linguistic structures and the functioning of each of these communities, the similarities that link these Franco-North American communities will become apparent. Students will see how Quebec has become, through its history, institutions, demography and geography, a major epicentre for North American francophone culture.

Summer 2010, Summer 2012

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L'histoire du québec / The History of Québec

Quebec is a unique society which was born and has evolved at the crossroads of two Occidental empires, France and Great-Britain. This course will cover the major periods in Quebec’s history from its origins as New France (1680-1760), to British North America (1763-1867), the Dominion of Canada (1867-1959), and modern Québec (1960-present). Since the French settlements along the banks of the Saint Lawrence River, Canadians of French origin had to defend their heritage in skirmishes and wars against various First Nation Peoples, British and English-Canadians. Because of this situation, they developed a unique culture, historically founded on the Catholic religion, the French language, and family values. It is interesting to note that Québec presently has health and educational systems unlike any other in North America as well as an unparalleled legal system for the protection of the French language. This course will also cover the critical moments in Québec’s quest for political independence which occurred during the past few decades (in the form of referendums). After nearly 400 years of existence in North America, Québec has become a modern society facing contemporary issues such as the environment, globalization, and a the transformation of social identity.

Required Text: John A. Dickinson et Brian Young, Brève histoire socio-économique du Québec, 4e édition, Québec, Éditions du Septentrion, 2009, 458 p. ISBN: 978-2-89448-602-3

Summer 2011

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Le Québec en images: cinéma québécois / Cinéma québécois

Quebec films offer a rich and diverse repertoire of works which delve primarily into the social identity of the largest French speaking culture in North America. Other predominate themes to be discussed focus more on the social and historical particularities of Quebec. These include: British colonization, Catholicism, winter, large families, the north, etc. This course will follow the evolution of film making in Quebec since its conception in the beginning of the 20th century and focus primarily on two defining decades. The first, known as the Quiet Revolution (1960-1980), is considered as the starting point of contemporary Quebecois cinema. From this period emerged the National Film Board of Canada, several of the Quebec’s most influential film producers: Jutra, Brault, Perreault, Carle, Arcand, etc., as well as various styles of cinematography, most notably, “cinema direct” or candid eye.

The second part, the New Generation (1990-2000) will show how a group of young filmmakers provided a second wind to an ailing industry. Through the use of more modern filming techniques, and a post-modern approach to script writing which focused less on social and political themes, they were instrumental in gaining international recognition for Quebecois cinema. For each period, we will discuss and analyze several film makers and their selected works.

Required Text : Marcel Jean, Le cinéma québécois, Montréal, Boréal, 2005, 128p.

Summer 2008, Summer 2011

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Le français québécois (linguistique culturelle) / French Quebecois (cultural linguistics)

The goal of this course is to demonstrate how the French of Quebec constitutes not only the language of art and literature but an integral part of Quebecers’ identity. By reading and discussing critical essays and diverse forms of literature such as folktales and legends, songs and novels, students will be exposed to the linguistic particularities of Quebec French, known as québécismes. They will also understand how the language evolved throughout its history in a North America environment. In the 1960’s, literature proved to be the perfect setting for this creative and original form of French language in both the cultural and political arenas of Quebec. Since this decade, several of these significant Quebecois texts, which will be discussed in this course, have transcended the borders of Quebec where they have enriched francophone literature globally.

Required text: Langue et politique au Canada et au Québec. Une synthèse historique, Marcel MARTEL et Martin PÂQUET, Montréal, Boréal Éditeur, 2010.
ISBN 978-7646-2040-3.

Summer 2008, Summer 2012

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Littérature québécoise / Québec Literature

The study of Quebec’s literature is an excellent introduction to a unique North American French context in which both French and English cultures converge. Since its beginnings, Quebec’s literature has participated in the important stages of North American development. The course will start with the first written productions of the Explorers, and continue by highlighting periods of the literary history to follow. The 19th century, which saw the birth of the French-Canadian novel, was primarily marked by the Catholic ideology of political resistance which had a notable impact on every form of literary genres. The 20th century ushered Quebec’s literature into a modernity similar to those in which other Occidental countries had already been experimenting. Finally, this course will analyze Quebec’s literature in the 21st century, and the impacts of globalization on the different literary stakes, on both the individual and collective levels. Throughout its history, Quebec’s literature has been the privileged witness to the evolution of a Francophone culture that succeeded in maintaining its oral and written identity in the predominately Anglophone context of North America.

Summer 2010

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