Comparative Literary and Cultural Studies (CLCS)
The Comparative Literary and Cultural Studies (CLCS) major at Franklin offers an interdisciplinary look at the complex, dynamic workings of culture across a number of settings and contexts. We seek to understand cultural phenomena and processes as they unfold under the pressure of historical, social and economic forces, paying particular attention to the manner in which power intersects with race, gender, sexuality, and class. Our approach is both theoretical and problem-based: we study for example how collective memory is shaped in the wake of slavery or apartheid; how unresolved collective trauma haunts contemporary media production and industry; how queer solo-performance functions as a counter-normative response to crises in the international LGBTQIA+ community.
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French Studies (FRE)
The ability to think internationally and across cultures is the core mission of the University. With this in mind, French Studies is conceived and designed to support and strengthen students' abilities to think, read, and write in French and about French literature, culture, and the Francophone world. Students will begin the French sequence according to prior experience and continue through advanced courses devoted to French literature with a particular focus on the writing of the self and Maghrebi-French literature, French cinema (the New Wave, Beur and post-Beur cinema), French culture, and contemporary society. As part of their program of study, students may spend one semester at a French-speaking university or complete a series of courses in related disciplines.
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Italian Studies (IS)
The Italian Studies major expects students to critically engage and communicatively interact with the local culture. To do this, students in Italian Studies complete a three-year sequence of language courses, the principal goal of which is the acquisition of advanced competency in Italian speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills. Once the students' language-specific requirements are fulfilled, they are invited to explore a variety of topics in Italian culture, with an emphasis on Italian literature and film studies. Included in the menu of possible classes which count towards the fulfillment of a major in Italian Studies are courses dealing with topics in Communication, European History, Art History, Film Studies, and Comparative Literary and Cultural Studies. Prior to enrolling in a final, required Senior Seminar in Italian Studies, majors will be strongly encouraged to complete at least two Academic Travel courses to Italy.
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Literature (LIT)
The major in Literature is perfectly suited for students who love to read, analyze and create texts. Students seeking a bachelor's degree in Literature will encounter canonical literature, including poems, plays and novels, as well as films, oral storytelling, song, journalism, comics, digital media and so much more. In addition to acquiring a broad knowledge of literary history, criticism and theory, students will learn the skills to create some of the forms they study. The major thus produces critical readers and writers.
Central to the major in Literature is the notion that literature has a vital relationship to culture and society. As the major offers students a traditional grounding in literary study and, at the same time, opens up connections to professional pathways, our students learn to think critically about the ways in which literary culture operates in the global sphere. Our topics-based courses are taught by faculty who publish internationally and have connections with the creative industries. Our offerings are particularly strong in the fields of postcolonial studies, travel writing, ecocriticism, media studies and modern literature and culture.
Students who pursue a Literature major graduate prepared and inspired to pursue careers in fields such as journalism, publishing, researching, non-profit or government agencies and the media. Many students go on to further education in literary studies.
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