Civilisation

COURS DE CIVILISATION 2025-2026

COURS DE MAJEURE L1

L1 S1 - UE 2 : DL21EM04 – Introduction à la civilisation S1 / Introduction to British and Irish History S1

Enseignants : M. Mc Inerney, M. Bethmont, M. Holland

Dans ce cours, nous aborderons les moments fondateurs de l’histoire du Royaume-Uni et de l’Irlande, en examinant comment les événements passés ont façonné ces deux États européens modernes. Ce cours vise à développer les compétences d’analyse de textes historiques et de rédaction de commentaires historiques. Il pose les bases des cours d’histoire britannique et irlandaise en L2 et L3, et enseigne les compétences clés en rédaction et analyse en L2 et L3.

In this class, we will explore some of the foundational moments in the history of the United Kingdom and of Ireland, examining how past events have shaped both modern European states. The course aims to develop skills in analysing historical texts and composing historical commentaries. It lays the foundations for the British and Irish history courses in L2 and L3, as well as teaching key skills for composition and analysis in L2 and L3.

 Bibliography :

- Tuttle, Elisabeth. Les Iles britanniques à l’âge moderne, Paris, Larousse, 2001.
- Frison, Danièle, et al. Expansion of the Anglo-American World 1688-1900), Paris, Ellipses, 1995.

L1 S2 - UE 6 : DL22EM05 – Introduction à la civilisation S2

Enseignants : Bertrand Van Ruymbeke, Hend Jabeur, Anne-Marie Libério

Histoire de l’Amérique coloniale des XVIIe et XVIIIe siècle

 Ce cours a pour but de familiariser les étudiants avec les problèmes de méthode propres au domaine de la civilisation, en étudiant le monde anglophone pendant la période de la fin du XVIIe au début du XIXe siècle. Seront abordés : la Glorieuse Révolution et les origines du système parlementaire, et les débuts de l’industrialisation. 

 Les étudiants seront initiés à la méthodologie du commentaire du document et devront fournir un travail régulier au cours du semestre pour valider cet E.C. Les évaluations se feront sous forme d’examens en classe et de travail à la maison.

BIBLIOGRAPHY :

- Bertrand Van Ruymbeke, L’Amérique avant les États-Unis. Une Histoire de l’Amérique anglaise, 1497-1776, Paris, Flammarion, collection "Au fil de l’histoire", 2013.

COURS DE MAJEURE L2

L2 S3 - UE 9 : DL23EM02 – Civilisation des pays anglophones S3 - The British World in the 19th century

Enseignants : Tim Mc Inerney, Bernard Cros, Rémy Bethmont

Dans ce cours, nous aborderons les moments fondateurs de la Grande-Bretagne, de l’Irlande et de l’Empire au XIXe siècle, notamment la révolution industrielle, la réforme démocratique et l’expansion impériale. Ce cours développe les compétences d’analyse de textes historiques et de rédaction de commentaires historiques. Il pose les bases des cours d’histoire britannique et irlandaise de L3 et enseigne les compétences clés en rédaction et en analyse nécessaires pour accéder au niveau Master.

In this class, we will explore some of the foundational moments for Britain, Ireland, and the Empire during the 19th century, including the industrial revolution, democratic reform, and imperial expansion. This course develops skills in analysing historical texts and composing historical commentaries. It lays the foundations for the British and Irish history courses in L3, as well as teaching key skills for composition and analysis required at Master’s.
 

Bibliography : (The books are available at the BU)

- Laurent Bury, Civilisation britannique au XIXe siècle, Hachette, 2001.
- Bernard Cottret, Histoire de l’Angleterre, Tallandier, 2007.
- Theodore K. Hoppen, The Mid-Victorian Generation 1846-1886, Oxford University Press, 2000.

L2 S4 - UE 13 : DL24EM02 – Civilisation des pays anglophones S4

Enseignants : Juliette Bourdin, Bertrand Van Ruymbeke

General US History : from the Revolution to the end of the Frontier

 
Course overview :

This course is extremely important in understanding the United States of America as it exists in the world today. Through this course, students will study the fundamental principles and moral values of American democracy as expressed in the U.S. Constitution and other essential documents of American democracy. A great deal of focus will be placed on the social, political, and economic changes that have shaped the country. 

The course will be taught chronologically with an emphasis placed on major themes as they unfold throughout the nation’s history. Topics will begin with the US Revolution and continue through the American experience to the end of the Frontier. The course will emphasize themes in United States history including cultural diversity, cultural development and identity, immigration, religion, slavery, demographic transformations, economic transformations, politics and citizenship, sectionalism, war and diplomacy, and reform.

In addition, the course will deal extensively with learning how to read, understand, analyze and interpret a wide variety of primary documents together with the maps, graphs and pictorial materials associated with them. The course also aims to help students to put the knowledge and understanding they are gaining into practice through sharpening their oral and written communication skills. This will be achieved in different ways, notably through regular class discussions and occasional assigned oral presentations that require both knowledge and analytical and interpretive skills. 

 
Course goals :

• Familiarity with key events, dates, and figures that have shaped American history from the Revolution to the end of the nineteenth century ;
• Using historical evidence to defend and support basic arguments and position ;
• Interpreting and drawing conclusions from various pieces of historical information and understanding and evaluating history through the use of primary and secondary sources of information (such as documentary videos for the latter) ;
• Producing written and oral analyses of key primary sources and their significance to American history.

 COURS DE MAJEURE L3

L3 S5 - UE 17 : DL25EM02 – Civilisation des pays anglophones S5

Enseignante Groupe 1 : Juliette Bourdin

• General U.S. History : from the Age of Imperialism to the present day

This course is intended as a general survey of the social, cultural, economic, and political currents that have shaped American history from the Reconstruction era and the age of imperialism in the late 19th century up to the present day. Taught chronologically, the course will emphasize certain key themes, such as progressivism, America’s response to wars abroad, the Great Depression, cultural diversity, race and race relations, American Imperialism, and economic growth and political development. By the end of the semester, students will understand how the United States grew from a relatively weak and divided agricultural nation into a cohesive military and industrial superpower by the beginning of the twenty-first century.

Modalités d’évaluation : Classes are built around brochures, wherein the student will study, examine, and interrogate 20th-century documents. Students are expected to master the methodology of the commentary by the end of this L3 course and will be given both in-class exams and homework.

Recommended textbook :

- Norton, et al., A People and a Nation, Boston, New York, Houghton Mifflin (various editions). - L’ouvrage existe en deux volumes (jusqu’à 1865, et de 1865 à nos jours), ou un seul volume. Diverses éditions sont disponibles, et la bibliothèque dispose de plusieurs exemplaires, à consulter sur place ou à emprunter. - Les étudiants devront lire avant chaque cours le(s) chapitre(s) correspondant aux périodes étudiées en classe.

Enseignante Groupe 2 (orienté CAPES) : Ana Artiaga

• American Society in the 1920s

This course explores the major social, cultural, and political transformations that shaped the United States during the 1920s, from the enactment of Prohibition to the 1929 stock market crash. Through the study of various sources, students will examine key developments such as the rise of mass consumer culture, nativism and immigration restriction, the Harlem Renaissance, shifting gender and sexual norms, and the growing urban/rural divide. Special attention will be given to developing skills required for passing the CAPES Bac+3 competitive exam : the course is designed primarily (but not exclusively) for the students who want to take the new concours.

Bibliography

- Miller, Nathan. New World Coming : The 1920s and the Making of Modern America (2003).

- Chollier, Christine, et Gérard Préher. CAPES Anglais 2026 - Bac + 3 - "The Great Gatsby" de Francis Scott Fitzgerald (1925) et la société des années 1920 aux États-Unis. Paris : Editions Ellipses, 2025.

L3 S6 - UE 21 : DL26EM02 – Introduction à la Civilisation S6 / British History in the 20th and 21st centuries

Enseignant : M. Cros, M. Bethmont

Ce cours a pour objectif de permettre aux étudiants d’analyser les grandes questions relatives à l’histoire sociale, politique, diplomatique et culturelle du Royaume-Uni depuis le début du XXe siècle et d’enrichir leurs connaissances de la période à partir de sources variées (textes, sources visuelles et audiovisuelles). Il s’appuiera tout particulièrement sur l’analyse de discours, permettant de comprendre les différents points de vue sur des événements ou phénomènes socioculturels et politiques.

This course covers the social, political, diplomatic and cultural history of Britain from 1900 to the present time. It allows students to effectively address source-based questions and to develop their knowledge using a variety of sources (written, visual and/or audio). Particular attention is given to the question of why commentators differ in their analysis of sociopolitical and political events.

Bibliographie

- Sarah Pickard, Civilisation britannique, dernière édition, 2025.