![Black and white photo of a small crowd of high school age boys and girls talking and laughing among themselves. Black and white photo of a small crowd of high school age boys and girls talking and laughing among themselves.](/courses/global-languages/21g-321-childhood-and-youth-in-french-and-francophone-cultures-spring-2013/21g-321s13.jpg)
A small crowd of Parisian high school students interacting. (Image by Martin Le Roy on Flickr.)
Instructor(s)
Prof. Bruno Perreau
MIT Course Number
21G.321
As Taught In
Spring 2013
Level
Undergraduate
Course Description
Course Features
Course Description
This course studies the transformation of childhood and youth since the 18th century in France, as well as the development of sentimentality within the family in a francophone context. Students will examine the personification of children, both as a source of inspiration for artistic creation and a political ideal aimed at protecting future generations, and consider various representations of childhood and youth in literature (e.g., Pagnol, Proust, Sarraute, Lave, Morgievre), movies (e.g., Truffaut), and songs (e.g., Brel, Barbara). This course is taught entirely in French.