Paris, City of Modernity

Overview

In 2014 a law was passed ushering in ‘a new global plan for the Paris metropolitan region’. Known as ‘Le Grand Paris’, this ambitious urban development project offered a vision for the French capital to become one of the great metropolises of the twenty-first century. The COVID-19 pandemic has given further impetus to urban redesign, with Paris aiming to become a “15-minute city”. This module looks back at the consequences of the most far-reaching 'grand projet' to redesign modern Paris, Haussmann’s controversial remodelling of the city in the 1850s and 1860s. Using photographs, podcasts, newspaper articles and writings on urbanism, we will firstly explore how the transformation of Paris into one of the great capitals of the modern world was represented and experienced. Secondly, through literature/cinema, we will examine the twentieth-century legacy of the changes of the mid-nineteenth century. Running through the module will be a focus on the impact of a changing urban space on gender, class, politics, capitalism and social experience.

Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this module, students will be able to:
• have acquired an in-depth understanding of the chosen texts, including reference to their place in the historical / literary / cultural context of their time
• be aware of the ways in which a variety of writers/ cinematographers integrated Paris into their work, and how they depicted social, cultural and economic transformations
• be able to discuss, in oral and written form, the essential features of urban space and life in Paris as depicted by a number of French writers / cinematographers

Skills

This module will equip students with the capacity to:

• understand and interpret complex information
• develop key skills in critical thinking, detailed analysis, communication (both written and verbal), research abilities, time management
• gain intercultural awareness and the ability to work both independently and collaboratively

Assessment