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SoSe 19: ‘Francophonie’ and ‘Lusofonia.’ (Post-) Imperialism, Culture, and Globalization

Christoph Kalter

Comments

This seminar takes the history of the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF, founded in 1970) and of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP, created in 1990) as a starting point for a broader inquiry into the ambiguity of European imperialism and its afterlives. Languages like French and Portuguese were tools of empire in the attempted subjugation of the colonized. They were, however, also used for organizing the resistance against European rule across linguistic borders. This ambivalence was carried into the post-imperial era: On the one hand, initiatives like the OIF and the CPLP tried to salvage a ‘positive’ linguistic and, it was argued, cultural heritage of imperialism by promoting cooperation in a world where the former metropoles continued to imagine themselves as the center. On the other hand, Brazil dwarfs Portugal demographically and economically, and French and Portuguese are used in a broad variety of cultural practices across the globe. Enduring global inequalities notwithstanding, this francophone or lusophone connectivity makes any story of European origins, and even more so any notion of Paris or Lisbon as the clear intellectual centers of these phenomena, seem obsolete. Unabashedly presentist in its overall approach, this class will trace the emergence, diffusion, appropriation, and contestation of francophone and lusophone concepts from the 1950s into the 21st century. Through a conceptual history in action that looks at a variety of actors and sites of articulation, we will trace the uses of ‘Francophonie’ and ‘Lusofonia’ via concrete examples. These examples may hail from fields as varied as imperial, post-imperial, and anti-imperial ideologies and politics; international relations; cultural diplomacy; development and cooperation; migrations; music, literature and the arts. This class loosely builds on some of my prior interests and competences but is essentially a venture into a new field of thinking and research for me. I would love you to join me in what promises to be an exciting, very open-ended exploration (please excuse this colonialist metaphor). Course Requirements: In order to successfully complete the course, you must meet the following requirements: A. Regular and active participation; B. preparation and introduction of the discussion for one of our classes; C. weekly responses to the readings uploaded to Blackboard; D. seminar paper (optional, depending on your module). Please note: Knowledge of French and/or Portuguese is an asset, but not a requirement. close