In this class, taught in French, we will carry out a critical exploration/Study of selected works of ‘fiction’ by Senegalese women authors. In the process, we will look into the ways in which these writers have been constructing effective authoritative voices/discourse for themselves and for the socially marginalized We will explore how these women writers are ‘infiltrating’ traditional patriarchal structures while subverting them and claiming important shares inside various social and political power structures. We will accomplish this and more through critical study of novels by four prominent women authors: Mariama Bâ, Ken Bugul, Fatou Diome and Sokhna Benga. Our discussions will focus on issues of Identity, Oppression, Resistance, Exile, Language, Colonialism and of Literature as a tool for self-definition and self-liberation.

This course, part of the two or four-block abroad program, takes place in Nice, Paris and Normandie (including a day-visit in Monet’s Garden in Giverny) What is the state of national identity in France today? Who can become a French citizen? This course will explore the interrelationship between immigration and national identity in France as portrayed through literature, film, and the media. Particular attention will be given to the country’s problematic discourse on race, gender, and social integration. The emphasis of this course is also put on learning on-site and through ‘live’ experiences via site visits.