Rennes - Master 1

Northern Irish Politics and Society
This course provides an overview of Northern Irish politics and society since the contested partition of the island of Ireland in 1921. It focuses on some of the major events in the region’s history, notably the civil rights movement of the Catholic/nationalist community in the 1960s, the 30-year violent conflict known as the Troubles, including Bloody Sunday, the republican hungerstrikes, and the 1998 peace deal (Good Friday Agreement). Despite the Good Friday Agreement and subsequent St Andrew’s Agreement of 2006, the two major communities or ‘traditions’ within Northern Ireland, nationalists (mainly Catholic) and unionists (mainly Protestant) continue to live in a largely polarised society: peace brokered at the elite level has not translated into a breakdown of segregation and a coming-together at grass-roots level. The impact of Brexit on Northern Irish politics and the economy will also be discussed. The course examines the interconnections between politics, identity and territory and will conclude by looking at the forces in favour of – and obstacles to – reunification of the 32 counties of Ireland.

Circulations and Cultural Transfers in Britain and its Colonial Empire - 02DF824

This course explores the modalities of circulation of knowledge, ideas and fashions during the long eighteenth
century (1650-1850). It analyses the effect of trade, communication, travel and exploration on their diffusion in
the colonial world. The concept of ‘cultural transfer’ (theorized in the 1980s by historians M. Espagne and
M. Werner) promotes a dynamic historical perspective, by allowing us to better understand the interactions
between cultures and societies, namely between the metropole and the colonies.
Through a diversity of primary sources, students will be introduced to the contexts and factors of Britain’s
colonial expansion and the shaping of colonial identities. The course will especially investigate the role of
individuals, groups and networks in the circulation and transmission of British values and practices in the
American colonies, through the prism of British club sociability.
Thanks to the readings, discussions and assignments in this course, students will learn about the issues of cultural
imitation, adaptation and ‘hybridization’ at stake in the process of cultural transfer. They will also get a deeper
understanding of historiographical debates on colonization and imperialism, national identity, cultural, racial and
gender ascendency.

02DMI812 - “Gender and Society in Eighteenth-Century Britain”

Course description
This course will introduce students with the place of gender in eighteenth-century British society. The period from the Restoration to the Romantic era was marked by major economic, political, social and cultural transformations, which had a deep impact on the definition, construction and representation of gender roles in British society. Students will engage with key concepts and issues regarding gender and learn about the changing historically-determined constructions of gender across the period of the long-eighteenth century.
Through a wide range of primary sources, they will become familiar with various aspects of the everyday lives of eighteenth-century men and women (education, fashion, leisure, politics, etc.) as well as with emerging debates on gendered norms and practices (social performance, male hegemony and female agency). Through the readings, discussions and assignments in this course, students will also gain a deeper understanding of the traditions of women’s history and its relationship to histories of masculinity and gender.
Selected bibliography
 BARKER, Hannah & Elaine CHALUS (eds.), Gender in Eighteenth-century England: Roles, Representations and Responsibilities, London, New York: Longman, 1997.
 BUTLER, Judith, Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity, 2nd (1999). New York and London: Routledge, 1990.
 CARTER, Philip, Men and the Emergence of Polite Society, Britain 1660-1800, London: Longman, 2001.
 COHEN, Michèle & Tim HITCHCOCK (eds.), English Masculinities 1660-1800. London & NY: Longman, 1999.
 FLETCHER, Anthony, Gender, Sex and Subordination in England, 1500-1800, London, 1987.
 HARVEY, Karen, The Little Republic: Masculinity and Domestic Authority in Eighteenth-Century Britain, Oxford University Press, 2012.
 SHOEMAKER, Robert B., Gender in English Society 1650-1850: The Emergence of Separate Spheres?, London: Longman, 1998.
 SCOTT, Joan W., “Gender: A Useful Category of Historical Analysis”, American Historical Review 91 (1986): 1053–1075.
 VICINUS, Martha, Separate Spheres, Bloomington, 1974.
 VICKERY, Amanda, The Gentleman's Daughter. Women's Lives in Georgian England, New Haven-London, Yale University Press, 1998.

Support du cours de Maîtrise de la langue : Linguistique du Master 1 MEEF anglais + Informations générales sur le MEEF et le concours du CAPES/CAFEP

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Ce cours est destiné aux MEEF1 (8 séances) et aux MEEF 2 (4 séances).
Photo : Copyright Martin Parr

This course charts the development of Irish literature from the 18th to the early 20th century.
Through selected texts, it will address how authors using various literary genres (pamphlets,
fiction, poetry) address the emergence of the Irish nation and shape a national tale. Specifically,
it will examine how the wit and satire of Anglo-Irish literature (Swift) offers a critical insight
into blatant social injustices and develop strategies that counter censorship. It will move on to
examine the development of the “big house” novel of the early 19th century (Edgeworth) and
the motifs and varieties of the Irish gothic novel (Maturin). Finally, the study of selected poems
by W.B. Yeats will lead to an overview of the Irish Revival as Ireland moves into war, and
independence in the early 20th century.