Rap ta France: Narratives of National Identity in French Rap
| Module title | Rap ta France: Narratives of National Identity in French Rap |
|---|---|
| Module code | MLF2075 |
| Academic year | 2023/4 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | Dr Eleanor Hodgson (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 16 |
|---|
Module description
Since its emergence in the late 1980s, rap and hip-hop culture has taken France by storm, generating the second largest hip-hop market outside the USA. Artists from different backgrounds have used the genre to express their thoughts on subjects including politics, the music industry, and, for many, their identity within and attitude towards modern French society. This module invites you to explore narratives of national identity, as presented in musical and literary works by French rappers. By comparing artists and engaging with critical discourse relating to them, you will develop your understanding of differing dialogues of identity in contemporary France.
Module aims - intentions of the module
This module aims to introduce you to contemporary French rap and hip-hop culture, and to increase your awareness of and ability to reflect upon contrasting narratives of identity within this genre. You will develop skills of close reading and critical analysis as you respond to a range of written texts, and you will hone your employment-related skills of independent research and preparation. You will learn about different theoretical and personal approaches to issues of race, identity, and culture, and will expand your inter-cultural competence by increasing your understanding of the historical and social contexts that shape individuals’ attitude towards and identity within modern French society.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Demonstrate a good general understanding of the set texts and the genre of French rap. This includes understanding the place of individual works with reference to the historical, literary, and cultural context of contemporary France.
- 2. Demonstrate a competence in reading and analysing the salient features of literary and musical rap texts. This primarily involves analysis of literary features within song lyrics, however also extends to basic analysis of key musical features, such vocal rhythm, style, and instrumentation.
- 3. Evaluate and apply a range of critical approaches (including textual analysis, application of critical theory, and use of interviews and reviews) to the material covered and the key concepts discussed, with specific reference to rap music and hip-hop culture in France.
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 4. Demonstrate an ability to compare and relate features of the set texts and recommended reading.
- 5. Mount a detailed argument in the appropriate register of English, mustering a range of textual evidence in its support, presented in appropriate academic form.
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 6. Undertake independent research on the basis of a taught course, managing learning time and asking for guidance when necessary.
- 7. Adopt a critical approach to the selection and organisation of material in order to produce, to a deadline, a written or oral argument.
- 8. Following references provided and working autonomously, research, plan and write an essay on a chosen aspect of the subject, to a specified length and deadline.
Syllabus plan
While the syllabus may vary from year to year, the following is an indicative outline of the main topics:
- Introduction to French rap and hip-hop culture, with an overview of main rap artists to be studied in the course (such as Abd Al Malik, Youssoupha, Gaël Faye, IAM, Bigflo et Oli, Orelsan, and MC Solaar).
- Approaches to exploring identity in contemporary France, including discussion of urban culture, immigration, race, and ‘négritude’.
- Discussion of key concepts of postcolonial theory and their influence on the set texts and artists studied in the module.
- Reflections on France as a multicultural and postcolonial society.
- An exploration of the role of rap within modern Francophone culture, engaging with critical discourse surrounding the genre.
- Lectures and seminars will provide an opportunity to explore set texts (literary works, lyrics, and critical reading) and to engage in discussion of your independent reading and listening linked to the module.
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 16 | 134 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching | 5 | Lectures. Tutor-led presentation of key themes of the module |
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching | 10 | Seminars. Student-led discussion facilitated by tutor. Preparation to be given a week in advance |
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching | 1 | End-of-term conclusion hour |
| Guided Independent Study | 134 | Preparation for seminars; reading of set texts; preparation of formative assignment; preparation of summative assessment |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mini-essay or commentary | 500 words | 1-8 | Written |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | 100 | 2500 words | 1-8 | Written |
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | Essay | 1-8 | Referral/deferral period |
Re-assessment notes
Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.
Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
- Bocquet, J., and P. Pierre-Adolphe, Rap ta France: Histoires d’un mouvement (Paris: Table Ronde, 2017)
- Bourderionnet, O., ‘A ‘Picture-Perfect’ Banlieue Artist: Abd Al Malik or the Perils of a Conciliatory Rap Discourse’, French Cultural Studies (2011) Vol. 22, 151-61
- Bourderionnet, O., ‘Regard sur les musiques actuelles: nostalgie, métissage et mondialisation’, in France in the twenty-first century: new perspectives, ed. by M. Weidmann Koop and R. Vermeette (Birmingham, Ala: Summa Publications, 2009), pp. 355-370
- Césaire, A., Discours sur le colonialisme (Paris: Présence Africaine, 1955)
- Forsdick, Charles, and David Murphy (eds.), Francophone Postcolonial Studies: A Critical Introduction (London: Arnold, 2003)
- Gibson, Nigel C., Fanon: the Postcolonial Imagination (Cambridge: Polity, 2003)
- Hargreaves, Alec, Multi-ethnic France: immigration Politics, Culture and Society (London: Routledge, 2007)
- Hargreaves, Alec, and Mark McKinney, (eds.), Post-Colonial Cultures in France (London: Routledge, 1997)
- Huq, R., Beyond Subculture: Pop, Youth, and Identity in a Postcolonial World (London: Routledge, 2006)
- Knights, V. and I. Biddle., Music, National Identity and the Politics of Location between the Global and the Local (Aldershot: Ashgate, 2007)
- Malik, Abd Al, Qu'Allah bénisse la France (Paris: Albin Michel, 2004)
- Malik, Abd Al, Le dernier Français (Paris: Le Cherche Midi, 2012)
- McLeod, J, The Routledge Companion to Postcolonial Studies (London: Routledge, 2007)
- Perrier, J., Le rap français dix ans après (Paris: Table Ronde, 2010)
- Said, Edward, Orientalism (London: Routledge, 1978 – many reprints)
- Vicherat, M., Pour une Analyse textuelle du rap français (Paris: Harmattan, 2001)
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
- ELE:
- Denis, Jacques, ‘Rap domestiqué, rap révolté’, Le Monde Diplomatique (September 2008), accessible via www.monde-diplomatique.fr/2008/09/DENIS/16290
- Provot, Karine Marie Christine, ‘La France est sa banlieue: L’identité française et sa périphérie urbaine à travers le cinéma, les médias et la musique’ (unpublished doctoral thesis, University of Cincinnati, 2007) accessible via http://etd.ohiolink.edu/view.cgi?acc_num=ucin1184688497
Indicative learning resources - Other resources
- Discography to be provided in class
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | MLF1001 or MLF1052 or equivalent |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 5 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 07/02/2020 |
| Last revision date | 04/05/2020 |
