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First-Year Writing Seminar - European History (101-8-20)

Topic

Reinventing Paris, 1600-Present

Instructors

Haley Elisabeth Bowen

Meeting Info

University Hall 218: Mon, Wed 3:30PM - 4:50PM

Overview of class

Before the foundations for the Eiffel Tower were laid, or the City of Lights strung with a single streetlamp, Paris was a rough and tumble maze of crooked medieval streets, overflowing cemeteries, and dismal sanitation. Tracing Paris's transformation into the first modern metropolis in the West - one with broad boulevards, street lighting, public squares, a police force, and even public restroom facilities - this class will ask students to analyze and write about the city as an historical artefact. Using memoirs, songs, images, and films, we will examine how "ordinary" Parisians experienced the changing city, dwelling at length on the experiences of women and colonial citizens. We will examine how the creation of public spaces and amenities fostered novel urban experiences, but also reinforced racial and gendered inequalities among the city's residents. And, finally, we will reflect on how and why Paris came to hold such power over twentieth-century American writers and artists, using films and magazine articles as jumping-off points for our own written reflections.

Learning Objectives

This course satisfies the First-Year Writing Seminar requirement, and our main goal in this class is to engage meaningfully in different modes of historical and creative writing on the city of Paris. By the end of the quarter, you should be able to: identify and write critically about primary and secondary sources for an academic audience; build a sophisticated historical argument and mobilize evidence appropriately in support of that argument; practice proper citation methods; and be capable of providing constructive feedback on the written work of others. We will work to improve these skills over the course of the semester in frequent writing workshops that will complement our weekly readings on Parisian history.

Evaluation Method

Primary source analysis papers, a film critique, final research paper

Class Materials (Required)

Materials will be posted on Canvas

Class Notes

Concentration: European

Class Attributes

WCAS Writing Seminar