In this episode, Laurent Dubreuil addresses the status of controversies and contradictory discussions in French society today.
The authoritarian structure of social media, the growing control favored by the governmental responses to the pandemic, as well as many societal changes affecting France have probably altered, and hurt, the social values of dissent. Still, even a simple comparison between the state of public debate in, say, Paris and NYC should be enough to convince observers that differences of opinion continueto be more easily acknowledged in France for what they are: a vital part of the democratic process. From race to gender, from Antisemitism to the aftermath of colonialism, this podcast series does not shy away from hot, complicated, topics and will invite its listeners to agree to disagree.
The host of Vive la Différence, Dr. Laurent Dubreuil is a Professor of Romance Studies, Comparative Literature, and Cognitive Science at Cornell University where he also serves as the Director of French Studies.