This week we will begin to examine the history of immigration and integration in France. Coined in the aftermath of France's historic football World Cup victory over Brazil in 1998, the slogan 'black, blanc, beur' seems to encapsulate the demography of modern France. Yet despite the success of les bleus and the commercial success of Mathieu Kassovitz's 1995 film La Haine, immigration and integration remain highly-charged and emotive topics. In the lecture, we will examine the case studies of Kassovitz's 1995 film and the 1998 World Cup victory, while also considering the history of immigration to France. In the seminars, we will draw on Kassovitz's film as a way of examining how immigration to France was perceived in 1995- and whether such perceptions have changed subsequently.

Key questions:

• What has been the history of immigration in France?
• Why did the 1990s appear to offer new hope to the cause of the immigrant population in France?
• How did the two case studies of La Haine and the 1998 World Cup reflect the reality of immigrants (of all generations) living in France?

• To what extent did these case studies represent missed opportunities for immigrants in France?