Chocolat

Course Description

Summary

Introduced in France after a complex trajectory from the New World, chocolate constituted, when it arrived in Paris, a medical and cultural catalyst on French seventeenth-century aristocracy and haute-bourgeoisie. In this course, students will explore the economic, historical, social, political, artistic and cultural legacy of chocolate production and consumption in French-speaking contexts to understand how the “food of the gods” has both shaped communities and revealed social crises throughout the world. Students will also hone their linguistic skills using visual representations such as ads, documentaries, and films (Vatel, Chocolat, Emotifs anonymes); literary excerpts (Madame de Sévigné, Proust) and theory (Barthes, Foucault); podcasts and a variety of articles. Written assignments, oral presentations will help develop students their listening and speaking, reading and writing as well as their critical skills. Conducted in French.