Week 4: Introduction to French Cultural Policy
This week we will consider the role of French Cultural Policy in shaping diverse aspects of culture in France, from the television, newspapers and cinema (all touched on previously this term) to more 'highbrow' forms of culture, including the theatre, along with more 'mainstream' culture including popular music.
Key questions:
- How has French cultural policy developed since de Gaulle's return to power in 1958 and the appointment of his Culture Minister André Malraux?
- What was the role of Mitterrand in shaping French cultural policy and what was the role of his Culture Minister Jack Lang?
- Why does cultural policy matter in France today, and how has it shaped the state of th French media and other forms of culture?
Reading
In advance of the seminars, try to read as much as possible of this article by Augustin Girard, which gives a brief history of French cultural policy between from Malraux to Lang by the head of research at the Ministry of Culture between 1963 and 1999. Follow the hyperlink to access the article (you will need to sign in using your Warwick user name and password) 'French Cultural Policy from André Malraux to Jack Lang: A Tale of Modernisation', International Journal of Cultural Policy, 4/1 (1997), pp. 107-25
You may also find it helpful to read these edited extracts from Jeremy Ahearne's French Cultural Policy Debates: A Reader (London: Routledge, 2002):
Part I: From Malraux to Lecat (Minister of Culture under Giscard d'Estaing;Part II: the Lang years