Sciences Po - 27 rue Saint-Guillaume 75007 Paris France T/ +33 (0)1 45 49 50 50 | http://www.sciencespo.fr/summer

COURSE OVERVIEW

The goal of this class is to provide a basic presentation of the main features of French political life and culture.

We will start by looking at the creation of the Fifth Republic, examining factors leading to its emergence and then

analysing its most salient characteristics. This will lead us to focusing on French Republicanism. We shall then

present French political parties that have shaped French political life, highlighting change and continuity as well

as pivotal moments in the history of the Fifth Republic. The class will conclude on a discussion of the main

challenges facing France today – we shall consider debates on immigration and national identity, meritocracy,

gender equality, wealth redistribution and France’s European commitment. All throughout the class, cross-

comparative analysis shall be used to pinpoint the specificity of French institutions and political life.

PROFESSOR BIOGRAPHY

COURSE ORGANIZATION

General introduction - The concept of French republicanism

Historical background to the Fifth republic

The Fifth republic

Key dates, institutions

Brief overview of main political players

Main political parties and figures

The ‘left’ and ‘right’ in France

Evolution of the extremes, recent electoral trends

French Republican meritocracy and corporatism

Elitism, Sciences Po, l’ENA

Laicité

Public / private sphere

Women and gender roles in French Politics

International relations. France and the world

France in the EU

Professor: Alicia-Dorothy Mornington

Session: June

Language of instruction: English

Number of hours of class: 24

Credits: 2

Alicia-Dorothy Mornington is a senior lecturer at Paris 1 – Panthéon Sorbonne University. She holds the French agregation teaching qualification in English and is a former student of Sciences Po (PhD, 2015). She has held various visiting research positions as Oxford University, the LSE, UCL, the University of York and Columbia University. Her research focuses mainly on political and legal theory, in particular liberal thought and the question of paternalism. She is very much interested in French as well as British politics.

Course Overview Introduction to French Politics