Modern France
1st Edition
Published on 18. October 2022
544 pages
978-1-4408-5549-8 (ISBN)
Available for download
Description
"e,A truly astonishing book of facts about France ... librarians will find this book useful for developing collections, preparing for instruction sessions, and writing library guides."e, - ChoiceThis volume offers perspective on contemporary France, exploring topics ranging from geography to popular culture.This encyclopedia is organized into thematic chapters covering numerous aspects of life in modern France. Each chapter contains an overview of the topic and alphabetized entries providing specific examples of the theme. Special appendices offer profiles of a typical day in the life of representative members of French society, a glossary, key facts and figures about France, and a holiday chart. The volume is an essential guide for readers looking for specific topical information and for those who want to develop an informed perspective on aspects of modern France.
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
ISBN-13
978-1-4408-5549-8 (9781440855498)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Content
- Cover
- Title Page
- Copyright
- Contents
- Series Foreword
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- Chapter 1: Geography
- Overview
- Administrative and Territorial Subdivisions
- Cities
- Climate
- Historical Sites
- Mountains
- Natural Resources and Environment
- North and South
- Overseas France
- Paris
- Population
- Regional Identities
- Rivers
- Transportation
- Selected Bibliography
- Chapter 2: History
- Overview
- Timeline
- Charlemagne and the Carolingian Dynasty
- Clemenceau (Georges) and World War I
- Clovis and the Merovingian Dynasty
- De Gaulle (Charles), World War II, and the Fifth Republic
- Ferry (Jules) and the Third Republic
- Francis I and the Renaissance
- Joan of Arc and the Hundred Years' War
- Louis IX and the Capetian Dynasty
- Louis XIV and the Absolute Monarchy
- Louis XVI and the End of the Ancien Régime
- Macron (Emmanuel) and the New Political Landscape of France
- Mitterrand (François) and France in the 1980s and 1990s
- Napoleon Bonaparte (Napoleon I) and the First Empire
- Napoleon III and the Second Empire
- Robespierre (Maximilien) and the French Revolution
- Sarkozy (Nicolas) and the Hyper Presidency
- Selected Bibliography
- Chapter 3: Government and Politics
- Overview
- Center
- Constitutional Council
- Counterterrorism
- Elections
- European Union
- Far Right
- Judicial System
- Left
- Military
- Parliament
- Presidency and Executive Branch
- Protests
- Republic
- Right
- Selected Bibliography
- Chapter 4: Economy
- Overview
- Agriculture
- Budget, Debt, and Taxes
- Energy
- Financial Sector
- Innovation and Startups
- Labor Relations
- Luxury Goods
- Major Industries
- Public Sector and Privatization
- Social Security and Healthcare
- Tourism
- Trade
- Unemployment
- Selected Bibliography
- Chapter 5: Religion and Thought
- Overview
- Catholicism
- Islam
- Judaism
- Laïcité
- Philosophy (Contemporary)
- Philosophy (Traditional)
- Protestantism
- Rationalism and Universalism
- Selected Bibliography
- Chapter 6: Social Class and Ethnicity
- Overview
- Arabs
- Blacks
- Bourgeoisie and Middle Class
- Immigration
- Income Distribution and Inequality
- Nobility
- Poverty and Homelessness
- Refugee Crisis
- Senior Citizens and Elderly
- Suburbs
- Working Class
- Selected Bibliography
- Chapter 7: Gender, Sexuality, Marriage, and Family
- Overview
- Attitudes toward Sex
- Child Raising Practices
- Feminism and Women's Rights
- Gender Equality and Sexual Harassment
- Kinship and Family Structures
- LGBTQ+ Community
- Marriage, Divorce, Civil Unions, and Cohabitation Today
- Marriage Traditions
- Selected Bibliography
- Chapter 8: Education
- Overview
- Early Childhood Education and Elementary Schools
- Erasmus and International Educational Exchange in France
- Grandes Écoles
- Private Schools
- Republicanism and Public Schools
- Secondary Schools
- Universities and Higher Education
- Selected Bibliography
- Chapter 9: Language
- Overview
- Académie Française
- Francophonie
- Language Laws and Policies
- Regional and Minority Languages, Dialects, and Varieties of French
- Sexism and Gender Bias in French
- Selected Bibliography
- Chapter 10: Etiquette
- Overview
- Formal vs. Informal Forms of Address
- Greeting Strangers, Acquaintances, Friends, and Family Members
- Hosting and Gift Giving
- Privacy and Personal Space
- Social Hierarchies
- Social Importance of Good Manners
- Table Etiquette and Dinner Parties
- Workplace Etiquette and Customer Relations
- Selected Bibliography
- Chapter 11: Literature and Drama
- Overview
- Eighteenth-Century Literature
- Houellebecq (Michel) and the Recent French Novel
- Literary Avant-Garde, 1950-1980
- Literary Criticism and French Theory
- Nobel Prize Laureates in Literature: J. M. G. Le Clézio and Patrick Modiano
- Novel in the Nineteenth Century
- Poetry (Modern and Contemporary)
- Reza (Yasmina) and Recent French Theatre
- Seventeenth-Century Theatre
- Twentieth-Century Literature through Mid-Century (Novel and Theatre)
- Selected Bibliography
- Chapter 12: Art and Architecture
- Overview
- Contemporary Architecture
- Contemporary Art
- Fashion
- French Cinema I (through the Nouvelle Vague)
- French Cinema II (since the Nouvelle Vague)
- Gothic Cathedrals
- Impressionism
- Loire Valley Châteaux
- Ministry of Culture
- Modern Architecture
- Modern Art and the School of Paris
- Versailles
- Selected Bibliography
- Chapter 13: Music and Dance
- Overview
- Chanson
- Classical Music
- Dance
- Fête de la Musique
- Folk Music
- Jazz
- Opera
- Rock, Pop, and Rap
- Selected Bibliography
- Chapter 14: Food
- Overview
- Bread
- Cheese
- Food Quality, Organic Products, and GMO Resistance
- Gastronomy
- Regional Culinary Traditions
- Shopping for Food
- Wine
- Selected Bibliography
- Chapter 15: Leisure and Sports
- Overview
- Books and Reading
- Cafés
- Holidays
- Movies
- Museums
- Outdoor Pastimes
- Sports
- Tour de France
- Vacations
- Selected Bibliography
- Chapter 16: Media and Popular Culture
- Overview
- Internet, Social Media, and Video Games
- Pop Culture Icons
- Press
- Radio
- Television
- Selected Bibliography
- Appendix A: A Day in the Life
- A Day in the Life of a Café Owner
- A Day in the Life of a High School Student
- A Day in the Life of a Winegrower
- A Day in the Life of a Working Mother
- Appendix B: Glossary of Key Terms
- Appendix C: Facts and Figures
- Appendix D: Holidays
- Index
- About the Author
