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FR20220

Academic Year 2026/2027

World War 2 in French Culture (FR20220)

Subject:
French
College:
Arts & Humanities
School:
Languages, Cultures & Linguis
Level:
2 (Intermediate)
Credits:
5
Module Coordinator:
Assoc Professor Manu Braganca
Trimester:
Autumn
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

This module will examine how the Second World War has been remembered in France from 1945 to the present. It is aimed at students interested in memory studies, history, and French culture. This module will first explore the cultural legacies of the 'Franco-Prussian' War of 1870-71 and the First World War. After a historical overview of France during WWII, it will focus on how and why memories of the Second World War have evolved in France since 1945, using a wide range of sources, including propaganda posters, songs, films, political discourses, mainly in the French language. Special attention will be given to: the individual and collective difficulties of remembering traumatic events; the emergence of Holocaust memories in the 1960s; the major historiographical change in the 1970s which demonstrated that, to some extent and for complex reasons, the French wartime government of Vichy collaborated willingly with Nazi Germany during the war; and the high-profile trials of French collaborators that took place in the 1990s.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

On completion of this module students should be able to:
- present an informed view of the history of France during WWII;
- identify how and why memories of this conflict evolved in France since 1945;
- engage critically with primary sources;
- assess the workings of individual and collective memory.

The United Nations identified seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as core to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and UCD contributes in general to SDG 4 Quality Education. Further SDGs explored within this module if relevant are listed below. A scale of 1 - 5 indicates the extent to which the SDG is covered.


 

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Specified Learning Activities

40
Autonomous Student Learning

60
Lectures

11
Seminar (or Webinar)

11
Total

122

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
-Online interactive lectures, seminars and group work.
-Individual or group meetings, face-to-face or online (ad hoc basis).

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations
Learning Recommendations:

Most primary sources, lectures and discussions will be in French. A CEFR B1 level or above is therefore required.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Pre-requisite:
FR10070 - French Grammar & Expression

Additional Information:
Most primary sources will be in French. A CEFR B1 level or above is therefore required.


 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade Component repeat (in-module) Offered
Exam (In-person): end of trimester exam End of trimester
Duration:
2 hr(s)
 Graded No
70
 No
Participation in Learning Activities: Participation in group activities and discussions during the seminars. Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8, Week 9, Week 10, Week 11, Week 12 Graded No
10
 No
Participation in Learning Activities: Weekly submissions (c.7, throughout the trimester).
Late submissions will not be taken into account.		 Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8, Week 9, Week 10, Week 11 Graded No
20
 No

As part of UCD's student support, under the Additional Consideration policy, extensions may be available for the following assessments in the module: Assignment (including essay/poster), Portfolio, Reflective Assignment, Report(s), and Individual Project.


Carry forward of passed components
No
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Spring Yes - 2 Hour
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, on an activity or draft prior to summative assessment
• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Feedback will be provided during the lectures and seminars as well as post-assessment.

Name Role
Dr Siobhan Donovan Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Assoc Professor Douglas Smith Lecturer / Co-Lecturer

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 Tues 11:00 - 11:50
Autumn Seminar Offering 2 Week(s) - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 Thurs 12:00 - 12:50
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