Rationalization and the Banlieue
Date of Award
2005
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelors
Department
Social Sciences
First Advisor
Fitzgerald, Keith
Keywords
Urbanism, France, Modernity
Area of Concentration
Social Sciences
Abstract
What is the unique experience of modernity in France? This thesis explores this question by examining the built environment of the banlieue, both exploring the historical production of that terrain and how that space is represented in film. Max Weber's typology of rationalization is utilized as a way to conceptualize the broad, historical sociocultural processes operating in France that shaped the development of and are embodied in the banlieue. The dominance of one form of rationality -- formal. The dominance of formal rationality in French society and its implications are explored, using the banlieue as a focal point for discussion. The historical production of the banlieue provides ready examples of the growing dominance of formal rationality within French society, while the films -- which use the banlieue metaphorically to critique the dominance of formal rationality itself -- show its implications. This project, then, explores the unique experience of (formally rationalized) modernity in France.
Recommended Citation
Claeys, Brian, "Rationalization and the Banlieue" (2005). Theses & ETDs. 3502.
https://digitalcommons.ncf.edu/theses_etds/3502
Rights
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