Assignments 2007-8

ASSIGNMENTS: Note—In addition to the journal topics below, you must also add your three author interviews and a self-discovery activity (please see syllabus description). Final exam is on a separate sheet and is open book, open notes, like all other assignments.

Journal topics. Answers should be thoughtful and avoid excess summarization of the readings (number of handwritten pages indicated are a minimum). You should provide specific examples from the activities and readings covered. If turned in after the end of the course, typed copies should be submitted as you will need to send those electronically.

Sunday, 12-30: In TWO pages, comment on the following: Look at the outside of the Institut du Monde Arabe and give your interpretation of the architectural style and message of its design. (Be sure to look at the windows closely from the inside looking out as well). Once you have entered, choose one exhibit in the institute and give your impressions of the object. Are you surprised by the representation? Even if you are inexperienced at art appreciation, study closely the object and describe the message it conveys through its shapes, lines, colors, forms, materials, etc.

Monday, 12-31: In ONE page, choose one exhibit at the Musée Dapper, and analyze it, similarly to what you did at IMA yesterday.

Wed, January 2: In TWO pages, choose an exhibit at the Immigration museum and comment on it thoroughly. The exhibits at this museum are usually not by one artist, but the display usually tells some kind of personal story or general reality about immigration. Tie this in to what you read in the essay, “To Write in a Foreign Language”.

Thursday, Jan. 3: The MacVal was opened two years ago, the first modern art museum in the suburbs and the first of its kind to celebrate ALL artists with some connection to France (through birth, immigration, expatriate status, etc.) In TWO pages, explain the importance of a museum like the MacVal in the suburbs, and find one exhibit that particularly relates to the theme of this course and explain that piece of art.

Friday, Jan. 4: In TWO pages, give your general impressions of the African and Arab immigrant neighborhoods of Paris. Does Beyala give an accurate description of Belleville and Paris in her novel? Explain. How do these neighborhoods compare with immigrant communities you have seen in the United States? Are there problems evident here? Any positive observations? During this visit, did you at anytime feel you stood out as a “foreigner”. Explain.

Saturday, Jan. 5: A Day in Saint-Denis: In TWO pages, compare what you hear in the media and in the city about the perceptions of the youth of the ‘banlieue’ and what actually goes on in the housing developments as explained by the activists running the Women’s Association of Franc-Moisin. In ONE page, tell what draws this diverse group of worshippers to this megachurch and describe your own observations of the interactions of the congregation.

Sunday, Jan. 6: In ONE page, discuss how the prevalence of African and Middle Eastern dance in Paris adds to the cultural landscape of the city. What did you personally learn from these two sessions?

Tuesday, Jan. 8: In TWO pages, comment on the following:

From what you learned by visiting the Mosque, what would you say is the biggest obstacle hindering the total acceptance of the Muslim community into traditional French society? What needs to be done to overcome such an obstacle and do you foresee a solution in the near future? What do the two communities have in common? In your opinion, should France recognize polygamous marriages in the Muslim community and should co-wives and children be eligible for the same government benefits as monogamous couples? Explain.

Wednesday, Jan. 9: In TWO pages, explain if you notice any differences between the Asian neighborhood and the Arab and African neighborhoods. In France and in other Western cultures, it has been said that Asians are the “privileged minority”. While Westerns see this as a “compliment”, Asians are often insulted by this appellation. Explain.

Friday, Jan. 11: In THREE pages, and after having used the same set of questions for all three schools, compare and contrast the student reactions to your questions. Do you believe that the immigrant students you have witnessed at the schools have integrated well into French life? Does it seem that some immigrants have integrated better than others? What accounts for such differences, in your opinion? Compare the students’ perspectives of the immigrant experience and multiculturalism at Lycée Paul Valéry, ETSL, and Lycée Louis-le-Grand. Do you believe social class influences the opinions of students? Choose at least one interesting comment from each group of students and discuss your personal reaction to each.

Saturday, Jan. 12: In ONE page, give your general impressions of the course experience. What was your favorite part of the course? What was surprising to you? Did you have any opinions before the trip that have changed with this experience? Did you find Francophone literature to be vastly different from Western European or American literature or how is it the same?

FINAL EXAM QUESTIONS (To be completed as essays – two paragraphs minimum).

Loukoum (Choose three of the four)

1. Describe how the article “Polygamy, Disrupted Reproduction, and the State: Muslim Migrants in Paris” relates to Loukoum’s family. Give a specific example within in your answer.

2. Choose one of Abdou’s letters (Loukoum’s father) that is particularly thoughtful. Explain how the traditional role of the African male is in direct conflict with life in France.

3. Does Beyala’s description of Loukoum suggest a positive or negative outlook for France’s immigrant youth as they become adults? Explain.

4. Evaluate the intentions of the French social worker, Madame Saddock. Are such social services a help or a hindrance to the African immigrant community?

Essential Encounters (choose three of four)

1. Encouraging a relationship to develop between Joël and Doris, Flo jokes that she is merely following African tradition whereby a woman could chose a second wife for her husband. She soon finds her plan is no laughing matter. Explain why this once acceptable tradition can no longer work in contemporary African society.

2. Besides the situation mentioned in question #1, what other conflicts can tradition impose upon the modern African couple? Give examples from the novel.

3. What is the purpose of adding the character of Zimba to the novel? What does she represent?

4. Analyze the characters of either Flo or Doris in the novel. Are these portraits of strong women or weak women? Explain your answer thoroughly.

Sabra and Chatila / Montjoie Palestine ! (Answer all)

Explain what happened in Sabra and Chatila.

What is the meaning of the expression ‘Montjoie, Palestine!’

How do these two prose poems relate to current world events in the Middle East? Why do you think these issues are of interest to French society?

Coquelicot du massacre / Poppy from the Massacre (Answer all)

What is the symbolism of ‘poppy’ and ‘massacre’ and how do these symbolisms feed into the overall meaning of the title?

How can you relate personally to some of the characters in the novel, Najmé in particular?

Find examples of recent world events that are reminiscent of events in the novel occurring in 1988.

Self-guided discovery / ethnic neighborhood report (oral and written) (10%)

In groups of three or four students maximum, choose one cluster of addresses below and pick three addresses to visit within the cluster. The places you visit may be large or small, the employees and / or volunteers may or may not speak English, some may be friendlier than others, but this is part of the discovery activity—to gather information in an environment with which you are totally unfamiliar. If you do not have a Paris street guide, there is a map of the immediate area at each metro stop which will allow you to find the streets indicated. At each location, look for written materials to take along with you and do not be afraid to ask questions or to explain to those on-site what the goal of your course is. You will write up your findings in TWO pages and your group will also present your discoveries (and adventures) to the class.

Cluster 1: The Maghreb (North Africa)

Centre Culturel Algérien (Algerian Cultural Center)

171 rue de la Croix-Nivert, metro : Felix-Faure, Mon. – Sat. 9-17h30 or evenings with special exhibits

Nina Bazar

35 boulevard de Belleville, metro : Belleville, Tues – Sat. 9h30 to 19h30 (Arab market)

Maison Franco-Orientale

19 rue Daubenton, Metro : Censier-Daubenton or Monge

Food Products from North Africa and the Middle East

Le 404 and Andy Wahloo

69 rue Gravilliers, Metro: Arts-et-Métiers

Restaurant and club run by a family of Moroccan brothers. Has gained the attentions of all trendy Parisians. Open for lunch and Sunday for brunch. Open evenings, of course!

Cluster 2: The Mashrek: representative countries: Egypt, Lebanon, and Syria (if you choose this cluster, do not make all three visits to Egyptian sights alone)

Egypt :

Centre Culturel d’Egypte (Egyptian Cultural Center)

111 boulevard Saint-Michel, metro : Luxembourg, Mon. – Fri. 10-19h

Quartier de la Foire au Caire

Place, passage, et rue du Caire, rue d’Aboukir, rue de Domiette, metro: Réamur-Sebastopol, weekdays and Saturday from 11-2 p.m.

(entire Eygptian-influenced neighborhood from 1798—although the neighborhood is no longer Egyptian, it will not take you long to discover its Egyptian roots—in particular, look at the facade at 2, place du Caire and enter the passageway)

Maison d’Egypte (Egypt House)

132 ave du Maine, metro: Gaité, Mon. – Sat. 10-2 and 3-7

Lebanon :

Eglise Maronite Notre-Dame du Liban

15-17 rue d’Ulm, metro : Luxembourg

Syria :

Centre Culturel arabe syrien (Arab-Syrian Cultural Center)

12 rue de Tourville, metro : Ecole Militaire, Mon. – Thurs. 10-6, Friday, 10-3

Maison Franco-Orientale

19 rue Daubenton, Metro : Censier-Daubenton or Monge

Food Products from North Africa and the Middle East

Cluster 3 : Kurdistan, Turkey, and Armenia :

Kurdistan :

Institut Kurde (Kurdish Institute)

106 rue LaFayette, back courtyard, metro : Poissonière, Mon-Fri. 9h30-6:30 and Sat. 2-6.

Centre culturel kurde Ahmet Kaya

16 rue d’Enghien, metro : Strasbourg-Sain-Denis, everyday 10-19h

Turkey:

Eglise du Saint-Esprit

186 avenue Daumesnil, metro: Daumesnil (replica of the Aya Sofia mosque in Istanbul)

Ottomania

14 rue Charles V, metro: Saint-Paul, Tues-Fri. 11-19h, Saturday 14h-19h (Turkish bazaar)

Armenia:

Maison de la culture arménienne (House of Armenian Culture)

17 rue Bleue, metro : Cadet (various activities and hours)

Cluster 4: Iran:

Centre Culturel Pouya

48 bis quai de Jemmapes, metro: République, everyday from 10-22h (independent, secular center for Persian arts)

Centre culturel iranien (Iranian cultural center)

6 rue Jean-Béart, metro : Saint-Sulpice, Mon.-Sat. 15h-19h Artisanat d’Iran (Iranian artistic goods)

28 rue Gay-Lussac, metro : Luxembourg, Mon-Sat. 10h-19h30.

Cluster 5 : Sub-Saharan Africa:

Notre Dame des Buttes-Chaumont

80 rue de Meaux, metro : Bolivar, every day with special Kimbangu services on Sundays from 15h-17h

(Kimbangu is an African Christian group originating from Congo-Kinshasa and Angola)

As-Art

3 Passage du Grand-cerf, Metro: Etienne Marcel AND 35 rue Saint-Paul, Metro : Saint-Paul

Tues. – Sat. 11h30-19h30 (African furniture and housewares)

Xuly Bet

Espace Créateurs in Les Halles Shopping Mall, Metro: Les Halles

11 a.m.- 7 p.m. Tues.—Sat. (Monday from 2-7 p.m.)

One of the first African fashion designers to gain acclaim in Paris.

CSAO

3 (boutique) and 15 (art gallery) rue Elzévir, metro :Saint-Paul, Mon.-Sat. 11-19h and Sunday 14-19

(boutique only)

Espace Reine de Saba (Cultural Center of Yemen and Ethiopia)

30 rue Pradier, metro: Buttes-Chaumont or Pyrénées, Tues. thru Sunday 14h-19h, opens at 11 on Saturdays

Maison d’Ethiopie (Ethiopia House)

19 rue Copreaux, Metro: Volontaires, Tues. to Sun. From 11 to 19h Mam’bia

9 bis cours des Petites Ecuries (passageway intersecting at 63 rue du Faubourg Saint-Denis, Metro : Strasbourg-Saint

Denis (Restaurant, bar, music, and dancing from Cap-Vert)

Cluster 6: Tibet:

Bureau du Tibet et Maison du Tibet (Official office of Tibetan government in exile and Culture center)

84 boulevard Adolphe Pinard, metro : Malakoff-Plateau de Vanves

La Maison de l’Indochine (Cultural Center for Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia)

76 rue Bonaparte, Metro : Saint-Sulpice, Mon. to Sat. from 10-19h

Galerie de la Maison du Viêt-nam (Vietnamese art market)

28 rue des Bernardins, metro : Maubert-Mutualité, Mon. to Sat. 11-19h

Cluster 7: India, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan:

Sri Manika Vinayakar Alayam (Very friendly Hindu temple—you must leave shoes at the door)

72 rue du Philippe-de-Girard, metro : Max Dormoy, everyday from 9h30-20h30

Centre Mandapa (Indian cultural center)

6 rue Wurtz, metro : Glacière, Mon. to Sat. 11-19h

New Shamina Super Market (Indian bazaar)

184 rue du Faubourg Saint-Denis, metro : La Chapelle, Mon-Sat. 10h-20h.

VT Cash and Carry (Indian supermarket)

15 rue Cail, metro: La Chapelle, 9-9 p.m everyday but Monday

Ganesha Corner (Indian and Sri Lankan bakery, snackshop, and restaurant)

16 rue Perdonnet, Metro: La Chapelle

Note : The Pakistani neighborhoods can be found in the Rue de Jarry (metro: Gare de l’Est) and the Passage Brady (metro: Strasbourg Saint-Denis). You may also choose one or both of these sites for this cluster.

Latin / South America:

Oba—Mercado General (artsy and trendy store featuring items only from Brazil

83 Quai de Valmy, Metro: Jacques Bonsergent (overlooking the Canal Saint-Martin)
Mexi et Co.

10 rue Dante, Metro : Cluny-La Sorbonne

VERY tiny and VERY popular Mexican cantina run by a Mexican woman in Paris for 26 years. Cheap food if you want to come for lunch or dinner.

Maison de l’Amérique Latine
217 boulevard Saint-Germain, Metro: Solferino

Art exhibits, conferences, restaurant

Mission Latino-Americana

123 rue de la Santé et 122 rue de la Glacière, Metro : Glacière

Church and parish known by all Latin-Americans in Paris

Duo Style

168 bis rue de Charonne, Metro: Alexandre Dumas (located at the very end of the passageway)

Elaborate costumes for those interested in Salsa, Tango, Rhumba, and Mambo

La Boutique d’Amérique Latine

64 and 68 boulevard Pasteur, Metro: Pasteur

The largest Latin American traditional craft and clothing store in Paris