La banlieue parisienne / The Parisian Banlieue
As a peripheral space often deprived of historical prestige and classified as a hybrid space of cultural transition, the banlieue (suburb) of Paris has always developed its own culture since the industrial revolution. From the 19th century, when it became a space of entertainment, inspiration and recreation, to the often problematic and ignored urban zone that it has become in the last 30 years, the banlieue is a space of creolité and diaspora par excellence. This seminar welcomes papers that explore the linguistic, cultural, historic, literary and filmographic hybridities that came out of the banlieue over the course of the past century. Above all, presentations should focus on the interactions of different cultures within the banlieue and the attempt to construct pockets of cosmopolitan spaces.
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Paper topics may include:
- The historical banlieue: coexisting with the landmarks
- Reinventing gender division
- The beur culture as a re-exploration of the Enlightenment
- Escaping the banlieue: mission impossible
- Feminine voices of the banlieue
- Dynamics of hybrid spaces
- Creolités: the codification of language in the banlieue
- The other ‘banlieue’: Paris in competition with Marseille
- Vivre en contre: the banlieue vs. Sarkozy
- Filming the banlieue
- French hip-hop from the banlieue as a planetary phenomenon
- The metissage as the new norm/form of resistance?
Participants may present their papers in English or French.