Over the course of the semester, you are required to
submit a
series of reader responses pertaining
to the assigned cultural readings in English about France. The responses (written in English) are short literature
reviews in which you are expected to analyze the text in the context of other
class materials. You will turn in these assignments on the class Reader Response Blog, at no later
than 9:15 am on the dates indicated on the syllabus schedule.
The responses will be 250-300 words in length. Grammatical accuracy
is expected; therefore, carefully proofread your copy before submitting it. It
is highly suggested that you first type your response in Microsoft Word (SAVING
it in Google docs or another safe storage location) before copying and
pasting your work into the blog. You must submit the assignment through the blog;
no emailed or hard-copy versions will be accepted. The assignments are worth 5% of your overall course grade.
In order to receive full credit, your responses must contain the following five parts:
- Briefly outline the main points in the reading. This introduction to your response should be no longer than a sentence or two.
- Discuss and critique the author’s thesis. Is the argument valid? Is
there enough supporting evidence for the claims?
- Compare and contrast the text with what you have learned in class or
any previous knowledge that you have about France. How is the vision of France
in this text similar or different?
- What is your reaction to the reading? What have you learned? What surprises
you? What would you like to learn more about? Would you recommend this
passage to others?
- Critical
Engagement and Community Discussion: read and respond to posts from at least
2 classmates.
The reading assigned, was about France and how they live in their own history. The French live in a modern society but have still kept their history and have worked it in to their modern lives.
RépondreSupprimerThe authors compare this to North America where we have the mentality that we need to get rid of the old to build the new. As tourists, the authors see France as a museum. Many things around them are really old, and yet they see that Frenchmen still occupy the old towns, but in a modernized way. The authors thesis is that there is no precise divide to make the past the past and the present the present. They say that the French have kept some ways of the pass and have integrated the past into the present. I think this argument is valid and there is enough evidence but I think that all other countries are like this too. Every country has ways of doing things and if they are good ways then the get carried on into the next generation. Not every country has as long of a history that France does but that doesn't mean that other countries don't have part of their past in their present day. There would be no progression if they didn't. On the other hand I can’t really make a decision on whether I believe their thesis unless I experience it first hand.
What I know about France is very little. I know that the Eiffel Tower is in France and that it is very old. I know that it was supposed to just be a temporary structure but the ended up liking it so they made it stronger and decided to keep it. This kind of goes along with what the authors are saying in the book: the French incorporate the past into their everyday lives. Another thing I know about France is that Paris is one of the biggest fashion capitols. In the fashion industry, things are constantly changing, getting rid of the old and starting something new. In that sense of France, it does not go along with what the authors are saying.
Although I can find things to disagree with, I really enjoy this book. Learning about the French culture is really interesting for me. I don’t know a lot about France so this will be interesting and fun to read. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who would like to learn more about France.