EAT,PRAY,LOVE:
SACREDSPACEANDTHEPLACEOFRELIGIONIN21STCENTURYFRANCE
Fall2016Wednesdays:Oct5,Oct12,Oct19,Oct26,Nov2,Nov9,Nov16,Nov30,Dec7
3:35-5:15pminCarlton209
Prof.LDRussellSeniorLecturerofReligiousStudiesDepartmentofReligiousStudiesSpencePavilion210,CampusBox2340(336)[email protected]:M3:00-4:30pm;F3:00-4:30pm
Dr.SarahGlascoAssociateProfessorofFrenchDepartmentofWorldLanguagesandCulturesCarlton324,CampusBox2125(336)[email protected]:M2:30-3:45pm;T11am-12:15pm;W1:30-3:00pm&byappointment
GBL1671s.h.Requiredpre-departurecourseforGBL267WinterTerminFrance.Course description:With time spent in Paris, in thevibrantmedieval cityofMontpellier, France, just tenminutes from the Mediterranean Sea, and in citiesand towns nearby, this course will explore bothhistorical and current notions of sacred space andperceptions of religious experience in French culturethrough the palate of gastronomy, art, architecture,andpopularmusic.Insodoing,studentswillexamineFrance’s paradoxical relationship to itself and studythis country’s shifts in national identity vis-a-visorganized religion due to decolonization andimmigration during the last century. Coursefacilitation will include cultural studies texts, journalarticles,French/Francophoneliteratureintranslation,video news reports and podcasts, films,documentaries, popular music, and on-site visits toplaces suchas restaurants, cafés, cathedrals, abbeys,castles, the Papal palace in Avignon, mosques, amedievalsynagogueandJewishghetto.
TheGreatMosqueofParis
FromtheHolyLandtoHagiaSophiaandMt.FujitoMecca,whydoweexperiencesomeplacesasmorespecialthanothers?
• Whatmakesasacredspacefeellikehallowedground?
• Whatpreciselydowemeanbyholy?• Howdovarioussubculturesexpresstheir
understandingofselfandworldinthelocationanddesignofcertainspacesthattheyconsidersacred?
FromParistoMontpellierBoth Paris and Montpellier afford a rich variety of ancientandcontemporarysites, Jewish,Christian,Buddhist,Muslimand prehistoric, where we can explore themeaning of thesacred as it is set forth in geographical and architecturalforms.Andyet,noteverylocationwevisitmaystrikeyouasreligious in the traditional sense. Imagine, if you will, leLouvre as a temple of visual art, le Stade de France as thehigh church of soccer, the Cordon Bleu as the cathedral ofhautecuisine.Parisbreathes intellectual air, ethnic and religiousdiversity,artisticappreciation,andculinaryexcellenceateverycorner:with its open-air markets, bistros, and boulangeries, itsmyriadofmuseums,historiclandmarksandcountlessplacesofworship–allthesespacesaredeemedsacredbydifferentpeople, and thus Paris embodies an ideal location to learnaboutculturalcohabitationsinamulti-ethnicandmulti-faithsociety.ThecityofMontpellier is located insouthcentralFrance10minutes fromtheMediterranean. Itwasestablishedaround985CE as a village of merchants importing spices from theLevant. With the imports came the medical uses of theirproductsfromtheknowledgeofArabicmedicine.By1000CE,many Arab and Jewish trading partners were teachingmerchants and students there. The school of medicinefounded at this time is the oldest in Europe and still aprestigious medical school today. Montpellier is a vibrant,animatedmedievalcitywithadiversepopulation.
WhyFrance?
IntheUS,Franceisbelovedbymany,despisedbysome, and all too often misunderstood. YetFrancehaslongbeenavaluablepartneroftheUS,politically and militarily, and its culture wieldsextensive influence over American arts, fashion,andfood.Studentsseeking tobecomeglobalcitizensstandto learn a great deal about their own culturalassumptionsfromfirst-handexperienceofFrenchpolitics,customs,andmores.Moreover, exposure to the history and currentstate of relations among the many and variedreligiouscommunitiesinFrancewillprovidearichsource of information and possible options forhow the United Statesmightmove forward intoanincreasinglymulti-culturalfuture.
TheCatacombs,Paris
Inthiscoursewewill:
• Expressourselvesinourownwordsonavarietyoftopics,someperhapscontroversialorquiteforeigntoourownculturalconditioning;
• ExploreFrenchpointsofviewonculture,space,place,privacy,andreligion,anddrawculturalcomparisons;
• Establishlinks/makeconnectionsbetweenthestudyofFrenchcultureandperspectivesandotheracademicdisciplines;
• ExtendthestudyofFrenchculture,French-Americanrelations,andtheconceptofsacredspacebeyondtheclassroomandintolargercommunities.
Courseexpectationsforstudentsandprofessor:Thestudentwill:
• cometoclasshavingcheckedtheMoodlesiteforassignmentsandannouncements.• cometoclasshavingreadandcompletedtheassignedwork.• cometoclasspreparedtoengageinactiveclassdiscussionandsmallgrouporpairactivities,volunteeringoften.• answerandaskquestionsfrequently.• demonstrateeffortthroughouttheterm.• adheretotheElonacademicandsocialhonorcodes.
Theprofessorswill:
• beenthusiasticandrigorousaboutteachingandlearning.• provideopportunitiesfordiscussion,reading,andwritingthroughoutthecourse.• makeeveryefforttoanswerstudentquestionsinatimelymanner.• beavailabletohelpstudentswhoarehavingdifficulty.• conductthecoursewithintegrityandbeexemplaryambassadorsabroad.
GrowthonManyLevelsStudyabroadoffersanamazingopportunitytogrowinvariousways.Pleaseseebelowforexamplesofourhighexpectationsforyourexperiencethissemester,whichwillultimatelyinformandenhanceyourtimeinFrance.ConsideraddingyourowngoalsbelowandexplorethissyllabusaswellastheWinterTermitinerarytostartplanninghowtoachievethem!
AcademicCourseGoals• Tostudy,questionandanalyze:a)thenatureofreligionanditsmanyculturalmanifestations;b)thehistoryand
currentstatusofreligiouscultureinFrance;c)howperceptionsofsacralityareembodiedandexpressedinartandarchitecturalstyles,andd)contemporaryreligiousexpressionsandactivitiesinnon-traditionalforms.
• Tostrengthensocio-linguisticawareness;• Toexperienceanddevelopwriting,speaking,reading,criticalthinkingandreflectionskills.
GlobalEngagementGoals2:30-3:45pm;T11am-12:15pm;• Criticallyevaluateone’sowncultureandbiases.
-StudentLearningOutcome:Thestudentwillconveyacomplexunderstandingofnationalself-identityin comparisonwithFrenchnationalidentity.
-Assessmentmedium:LearningJournalwithspecificprompts.• Understandthemultipledimensionsofhumanexperiencewithinandacrossculturesandenvironments(also
CoreCurriculumgoal#5). -StudentLearningOutcome:Thestudentwillconveyaninformedunderstandingoftheincreasingtensionsofa
staunchlysecularsocietyconfrontedbyissuesofreligionrootedinitscolonialpastasembodiedinalargely MuslimimmigrantpopulationprimarilyofNorthernAfricandescent.
-Assessmentmedium:Grouppresentationonparticularsacredsitesinthecourseitinerarywhileabroad. Otherglobalengagementgoalsforthiscourseincludea)analyzingtheinterconnectednessofglobalsystems,andb)
examiningone’sresponsibilitiesasanactiveglobalcitizeninformedbymultipleculturalperspectives.
Individualgoals
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CourseandUniversitypoliciesSuccess:Themostimportantthingyoumustdotosucceedintheclassistoinformusofanythingthatyoudonotunderstandimmediately.Youcanmeetwithusduringofficehoursorcontactusviae-mail.Wetrulyenjoythestudentcontactandareheretobehelpful.Pleaseletusknowinadvanceifyouplantocometoofficehoursorifyouwouldliketomeetatanothertime/day.Thewaytogetthemostoutofanycourseisbydoingassignmentstobepreparedforeachclasssession,andthenattendingclassandparticipatingactively.Butyouwillgetmoreoutofthecourseifyougoaboveandbeyondwithsuggestionsunder“UsefulResources”(seepage6).Thiscourseislargelydiscussionbasedandwillrevolvearoundassignedreadingsandpersonalexperiences.Itpromisestobeengaging,enlighteningandevenentertaining,buteveryonemustdohis/herpartinorderforthewholetofunctionatitsbest.Attendance:Attendanceismandatory.Attendanceistakenatthebeginningofclass.Astudentisexpectedtoarriveontimeandbepresentfortheentireclassperiodduringthefallsemester.Toallowforillnessorotherunforeseensituations,studentsinthisonceperweekpre--departurecourseareallotted1absencetotalnoquestionsasked.Twolatearrivalsortwoearlydepartures(oracombinationthereof)constitutesoneabsence.Showingupforclasses/eventsisnotsufficienttoreceivefullparticipationcredit.Itisonlyfairtoyourclassmatesthatyoudisplayapositiveattitudeandseriousinterestinwhatwearedoing.Complainingandothersuchbehaviorsspoilexperiencesforeveryone,sokeepapositiveattitudeandtrudgeonevenunderadverseconditions.Remember:we’reallinthisthingtogether!Technology:Pleaseturnoffandstoreallcellphones,tabletsandlaptopcomputerspriortoenteringclass(unlessIhaveaskedyoutouseyourlaptopforaparticularactivity).Havingthemonyourdeskorinyourlapisnotacceptable.Failuretocomplywiththispolicywillnegativelyimpactyourparticipationgrade.
GradingPolicy:FinalgradesareNOTroundedup.Pleasebeawareofthispolicy,andtakeresponsibilityforyourperformanceinthecourse.
A=93-100A-=90-92.99 “A”indicatesdistinguishedperformanceinacourse.
B+=87-89.99B=83-86.99B-=80-82.99
“B”indicatesabove-averageperformanceinclass.
C+=77-79.99C=73-76.99C-=70-72.99
“C”indicatesaverageperformanceinwhichabasicunderstandingofthesubjecthasbeendemonstrated.
D+=67-69.99D=63-66.99D-=60-62.99
“D”indicatespassingperformancewithdeficiencies.
F=59.99-0 “F”indicatesfailedperformance.Gradecalculation:Pre-departure
Pre-departure35% ActiveParticipationinpre-departurecourse45% 3LearningJournals20% GroupPresentationononecourseDestination100%
HonorCode:AnElonstudent’shighestpurposeisacademiccitizenship:Givingfirstattentiontolearningandreflection,developingintellectually,connectingknowledgeandexperiences,andupholdingElon’shonorcodes.ThiscourserecognizesandadherestotheprinciplesoftheElonAcademicHonorCode.Studentsareexpectedtobefamiliarwiththecodeandfollowitconsistently.Ifyouhave any questions about your responsibilities within this course, please do not hesitate to consult with me. You are alsoencouragedtorefertotheElonAcademicHonorCodeatthefollowingwebsite:http://www.elon.edu/eweb/students/conduct/violations.xhtml HONESTY:Betruthfulinyouracademicworkandinyourrelationships. INTEGRITY:Betrustworthy,fairandethical. RESPONSIBILITY:Beaccountableforyouractionsandyourlearning. RESPECT:Becivil.Valuethedignityofeachperson.Honorthephysicalandintellectualpropertyofothers.
NOTE:Thelegaldrinkingageis18inFrance.WineisanimportantpartofFrenchcultureandviticultureisasacredartandsciencethere.ThoughwewillbevisitingvineyardsandwinebarsaswellastastingwinesandconsumingsomewithmealswhileinFrance,excessivedrinkingisnotacceptable.Excessiveuseofalcoholresultsinaninabilitytomeaningfullyparticipateinscheduledactivitiesorassignments.Itposesarisktoyourownsafety(beitthroughaccidentsorincreasedvulnerability), and to the safety of others. It also poses a risk to the integrity of the course as inappropriate studentbehaviormayresultincancelingofagreementswithhotels,transportationcompanies,guides,guestlecturers,etc.Furthermore, as binge drinking is not common or acceptable in France, it reflects poorly on our own culture andprohibitsthedevelopmentofcross---culturalalliances.Studentsmaynotconsumealcoholbeforeorduringanycourse---related activities.Missing events due to alcohol---related illness or showing up hung---over orwith alcohol on one'sbreath is also unacceptable. Violation of these policieswill negatively affect your class participation grade. Repeatedviolationswillresultinalossofallengagedparticipationcredit(20%ofyouroverallWTgrade).Professorswillreportallbreaches of this policy or excessive use of alcohol outside of class time to the Isabella Cannon Centre for GlobalEducation.Anyalcoholusethatresultsinendangeringthewell-beingofthestudentorofotherstudents,oraffectsanycourseactivities,willresultinthestudentbeingsenthomeathis/herownexpenseandbeingterminatedfromthecoursewithagradeofF.StudentswhoviolatethispolicywillalsofacehonorcodeviolationchargesuponreturntoElon. Disabilities:Specialaccommodationscanbemadeforstudentswithadocumenteddisabilityormedicalcondition,providedthattheyinformtheinstructoreitheratthebeginningofthesemesterorwhentheconditionisdiagnosed(whichevercomesfirst).InformationabouttheElon’sservicesandpoliciesforstudentswithdisabilitiescanbefoundatthefollowingwebsite:http://www.elon.edu/e-web/academics/support/disabilities_services.xhtmlCounselingServices:ForElonstudents,faculty,andstaff,CounselingServicesisalwaysavailableasaresourceforconsultationatwww.elon.edu/e-web/students/counseling_services/or(336)278-7280duringbusinesshours.
UsefulresourcesYourclassmates:Itisoftenusefultomeetupwithaclassmateoutsideofclasstodiscussreadings,towatchFrenchfilms,toattendworshipservices,ortogetadditionalnotesifyouhavebeenabsent.Pleasemeetacoupleofclassmatesandnotetheirnameandphonenumbershereforyourfuturereference:Student:______________________________________Student:_________________________________________
FrenchatElon:Althoughclasstimeislimited,thereareotherwaystodevelopandmaintainyourcommunicativeskills.• LiketheAllThingsFrenchatElonFacebookpagetostayuptodateonopportunitiesoncampus.• Gettogetherwithpeersforreadinganddiscussiongroupsoutsideofclass!• JoinElon’sdynamicFrenchClub.• ParticipateintheweeklyTablefrançaiseforinformalconversationwithotherFrancophonesoncampuseachweek.• Checkoutthelanguageliving-learningcommunity,thePolyglotHouseintheGlobalNeighborhood.• Readmoreabout“Frenchoncampus”underour“quicklinks”athttp://www.elon.edu/french• AttendfilmshowingsatourannualFrenchFilmFestival.SeeMoodleforascheduleoffilms.• Ourlibraryhasmorethan600filmsinFrench.Checkthemout!• ListentoFrenchmusic!France’smusicisasdiverseasitspopulation.DidyouknowthatFranceisthe2ndlargestproducerof
RapandHip---hopmusicaftertheUS?Justtelluswhatgenresyoulike,andwe’llbehappytohelpmakeyouanintroplaylist!
ReligiousStudiesatElon:Therearemanyopportunitiestogetinvolvedinacademic,culturalandreligiouscommunitiesatElon.Howcanyoulearnmore?
• TakeREL110ReligioninaGlobalContext,whichsatisfiesoneofyourcivilizationrequirementsforGeneralStudies,oroneofthemanyothercoursesofferedbytheDepartmentofReligiousStudies.
• Attendreligiousservicesfromdifferentfaithswhetheronoroffcampus(seebelow).• Watchfilmsthatfeatureinterfaithconflictandunderstandingasthemes,manyofwhichwillbeshownoncampusthis
semester.http://www.elon.edu/e---web/students/religious_life/• Visitand/orvolunteerattheTruittCenterforReligiousandSpiritualLife.http://www.elon.edu/e---
web/students/religious_life/upcomingevents.xhtml• VisittheElonCenterfortheStudyofReligion,Culture,andSocietyintheNumenLumenPavilionoronline.
TheElonCenterfortheStudyofReligion,Culture,andSocietyhighlightsandpromotestheinterdisciplinarystudyofreligion,culture,andsociety.Thisfaculty-ledcenterdrawstogetherfacultyfromdisciplinesacrossElon’scampus,withstudents,staff,communitymembers,andexpertsfromtheregionandbeyond.TheCenterwillworktofosterresearch,teaching,anddialoguethatinformcommunityknowledgeandaction.http://elon.edu/e---web/academics/studyofreligion/default.xhtml
Pre-DepartureCourseCalendarThecoursecalendarbelowissubjecttochange.Itisthestudent’sresponsibilitytocheckemailandMoodlebeforeeachclassforallassignmentsandannouncements.Wed,Oct5
"Coffeewiththeprofs"inourclassroom(Carlton209)Why’dyousignupforthiscourse?Howwasthecourseborn?DiscussionofcourseidentityRead:FRENCHORFOECh1-2+SecretLanguageofSacredSpacesCh1-2Language:Greetingsandthe10MagicWordsBusiness:Itinerary/Syllabus/PASSPORTS/FeederspaceAssignmentofstudentpresentationsonitinerarydestinations(rubrictobepostedonMoodle)
Wed,Oct12 Intro:WelcometoFrance!Read:60millionFrenchmenintro+ch1-2andSheldrakech1(onMoodle)andReligionsinFrancearticle(onMoodle)DUE:LearningJournal1(promptpostedonMoodle)
Wed,Oct19 Stereotypes,studentperceptionsofFranceasacountry,Religioningeneral,IslamasareligionRead:60millionFrenchmench.3-4…+…..LivingReligionsIntroChapter(onMoodle)Language:Foodincafésandrestaurants(tipping,seating,timing,etc)Presentation1:SynagogueofAvignon
Wed,Oct26 FranceToday:TheColonialPast’sLinktothePresent--dayPopulationRead:60millionFrenchmench8+Watch:BattleofAlgiers(onMoodle)Language:FoodinstoresandopenairmarketsPresentation2:LerabLingBuddhistCenterDUE:LearningJournal2(promptpostedonMoodle)
Wed,Nov2 Culturalembeddednessandembodimentofreligion:France’sconventionalreligioustraditions:Catholicism,Judaism,Islam,Buddhism&theconceptofsacredspaceRead:SecularPilgrimage+UnMonumentDurableLanguage:Transportation,directionsandhelpPresentation3:StGuilhemleDésert
Wed,Nov9 Read:60millionFrenchmench20-21+TransnationalIslaminInterwarEurope(onMoodle)Presentation4:GreatMosqueofParisDUE:LearningJournal3(promptpostedonMoodle)
Wed,Nov16Wed,Nov30Wed,Dec7
JanellePapayvisitstopresentonissuesofmentalandphysicalhealth,personalsafety/security,etc.Language:healthandsecuritybasicsPresentation5:SacréCœurBasilicaRead:MaximizingStudyAbroad(onMoodle)Presentation6:PapalPalaceofAvignonLastdayofcourse:Essentiallanguage,cuisine,navigation,communicationAcademicandbehavioralexpectationsabroad+HonorCodeLogistics,FinalItinerary,Whattobring,nottobring,Q&A
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