Contemporary France: A Democratic Education (Europe Today) - Softcover

Sa'adah, Anne

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0742501981 ISBN 13: 9780742501980

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2003

Synopsis

This dynamic introduction to contemporary France analyzes the problems and possibilities of democracy in a globalizing world. France was present at the creation of modern democratic politics in the eighteenth century, yet democratic stability has often eluded the country. Now, as established and new democracies everywhere confront the challenges of globalization-cultural diversity, economic change, the erosion of state sovereignty-France's rich and varied experience contains valuable lessons about what works (democratically speaking) and what does not. Anne Sa'adah describes actors, beliefs, institutions, and policies; she also interprets democratic politics in France in general and explores why and with what political consequences so many people in France experience globalization as a harbinger of national decline. The author is especially attentive to the importance of historical legacies, especially of the centralizing logic of the Old Regime, the Revolution and the expansionary dynamic and internal instability it spawned, World War II, and decolonization. Pivotal chapters focus on France's often dysfunctional system of representation, state-society relations, group politics, social policy, and France's role in Europe and the world.

About this title

About the Author

Anne Sa'adah is Joel Parker Professor of Law and Political Science in the Department of Government at Dartmouth College.

Review

This well-informed and sympathetic interpretive essay employs an unusual topical arrangement but covers important themes of French history and culture, institutions and processes, and current problems. Highly recommended. (CHOICE)

Anne Sa'adah has penned a wide-ranging and highly readable textbook. Of particular value is the textbook's historical perspective. Sa'adah shows how the constituent pieces of France's historic identity―Republicanism, Gaullism, colonialialism, and statism―continue to structure political debates and struggles even in today's supposedly 'global,' 'post-national' era. (Jonah Levy, University of California, Berkeley)

I was very impressed with Contemporary France because it gives students a grounding in French history since the Revolution that explains the country's ongoing political divisions and attitudes. At the same time, it covers the institutions of the Fifth Republic and shows them at work, trying to resolve contemporary problems. Easy to follow without being patronizingly simple, it is a book that beginners can understand and the better-informed can appreciate. (Paul H. Lewis, Tulane University)

This book provides the perfect entry into French politics for undergraduates. Along with being beautifully written, it manages to convey complex ideas and trends in French society and history in a way that is appealing and accessible to undergraduates. (Janet Laible, LeHigh University)

Students will find her list of recommended readings, including novels and documents, quite helpful, while professors will appreciate her efforts to place the French experience in a global context. (H-France Review)

A remarkably adept analysis built on a wide array of primary sources, including speeches, memoirs, press clippings, and government reports. (W. Brian Newsome, Alfred University)

About this edition

• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 0742501981
• ISBN 13: 9780742501980
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 336