French Studies Research Articles

Francophone and French Studies: Film Studies

Francophone and French Studies: Film Studies

Francophone and French Studies: Literature, 2000 to the Present Day

Francophone and French Studies: Literature, 2000 to the Present Day

Francophone and French Studies: The Romantic Era

Francophone and French Studies: The Romantic Era

Case management interventions seeking to counter radicalisation to violence and related forms of violence: A systematic review.

Increasingly, counter-radicalisation interventions are using case management approaches to structure the delivery of tailored services to those at risk of engaging in, or engaged in, violent extremism. This review sets out the evidence on case management tools and approaches and is made up of two parts with the following objectives. Part I: (1)Synthesise evidence on the effectiveness of case management tools and approaches in interventions seeking to counter radicalisation to violence. (2)Qualitatively synthesise research examining whether case management tools and approaches are implemented as intended, and the factors that explain how they are implemented.Part II: (3)Synthesise systematic reviews to understand whether case management tools and approaches are effective at countering non-terrorism related interpersonal or collective forms of violence. (4)Qualitatively synthesise research analysing whether case management tools and approaches are implemented as intended, and what influences how they are implemented. (5)Assess the transferability of tools and approaches used in wider violence prevention work to counter-radicalisation interventions. Search terms tailored for Part I and Part II were used to search research repositories, grey literature sources and academic journals for studies published between 2000 and 2022. Searches were conducted in August and September 2022. Forward and backward citation searches and consultations with experts took place between September 2022 and February 2023. Studies in English, French, German, Russian, Swedish, Norwegian and Danish were eligible. Part I: Studies had to report on a case management intervention, tool or approach, or on specific stages of the case management process. Only experimental and stronger quasi-experimental studies were eligible for inclusion in the analysis of effectiveness. The inclusion criteria for the analysis of implementation allowed for other quantitative designs and qualitative research.Part II:Systematic reviews examining a case management intervention, tool or approach, or stage(s) of the case management process focused on countering violence were eligible for inclusion. Part I: 47 studies were eligible for Part I. No studies met the inclusion criteria for Objective 1; all eligible studies related to Objective 2. Data from these studies was synthesised using a framework synthesis approach and presented narratively. Risk of bias was assessed using the CASP (for qualitative research) and EPHPP (for quantitative research) checklists. Part I: Eight reviews were eligible for Part II. Five reviews met the inclusion criteria for Objective 3, and seven for Objective 4. Data from the studies was synthesised using a framework synthesis approach and presented narratively. Risk of bias was assessed using the AMSTAR II tool. Part I: No eligible studies examined effectiveness of tools and approaches. Seven studies examined the implementation of different approaches, or the assumptions underpinning interventions. Clearly defined theories of change were absent, however these interventions were assessed as being implemented in line with their own underlying logic. Forty-three studies analysed the implementation of tools during individual stages of the case management process, and forty-one examined the implementation of this process as-a-whole. Factors which influenced how individual stages and the case management process as a whole were implemented included strong multi-agency working arrangements; the inclusion of relevant knowledge and expertise, and associated training; and the availability of resources. The absence of these facilitators inhibited implementation. Additional implementation barriers included overly risk-oriented logics; public and political pressure; and broader legislation. Twenty-eight studies identified moderators that shaped how interventions were delivered, including delivery context; local context; standalone interventions; and client challenges.Part II: The effectiveness of two interventions - mentoring and multi-systemic therapy - in reducing violent outcomes were each assessed by one systematic review, whilst three reviews analysed the impact that the use of risk assessment tools (n = 2) and polygraphs (n = 1) had on outcomes. All these reviews reported mixed results. Comparable factors to those identified in Part I, such as staff training and expertise and delivery context, were found to shape implementation. On the basis of this modest sample, the research on interventions to counter non-terrorism related violence was assessed to be transferable to counter-radicalisation interventions. The effectiveness of existing case management tools and approaches is poorly understood, and research examining the factors that influence how different approaches are implemented is limited. However, there is a growing body of research on the factors which facilitate or generate barriers to the implementation of case management interventions. Many of the factors and moderators relevant to countering radicalisation to violence also impact how case management tools and approaches used to counter other forms of violence are implemented. Research in this wider field seems to have transferable insights for efforts to counter radicalisation to violence. This review provides a platform for further research to test the impact of different tools, and the mechanisms by which they inform outcomes. This work will benefit from using the case management framework as a way of rationalising and analysing the range of tools, approaches and processes that make up case managed interventions to counter radicalisation to violence.

Hemorrhoidal disease: Epidemiological study and analysis of predictive factors for surgical management

There are very few French studies on hemorrhoidal disease and its management. Prospective single-center study from July to December 2021 including 472 patients. Bleeding, prolapse and pain were the main reasons for consultation. Treatment modalities were medical (44%),±instrumental (72%), and surgical (17%). After treatment, the bleeding score and prolapse score decreased significantly (P=0.002 and P≤0.0001, respectively), but improvement was more marked in the surgery group with a better rate of "very good satisfaction" (73% vs. 54%, P=0.003). Factors associated with likelihood of surgical treatment were: age>44years, hypertrophic perianal skin tags, high scores (Bristol>5, bleeding>5, prolapse>2), severe impact on quality of life, smoking and reading during bowel movements. We have developed an online application, which aims to assess the risk of requiring hemorrhoidal surgery. Less than 20% of patients who present with hemorrhoidal disease require surgical treatment, but it is associated with better effectiveness despite more complex postoperative consequences that sometimes motivate patient refusal. We have highlighted factors associated with surgical management, which can guide the practitioner in their therapeutic choices.

End-to-end simulations to optimize imaging spectroscopy mission requirements for seven scientific applications

CNES is currently carrying out a Phase A study to assess the feasibility of a future hyperspectral imaging sensor (10 m spatial resolution) combined with a panchromatic camera (2.5 m spatial resolution). This mission focuses on both high spatial and spectral resolution requirements, as inherited from previous French studies such as HYPEX, HYPXIM, and BIODIVERSITY. To meet user requirements, cost, and instrument compactness constraints, CNES asked the French hyperspectral Mission Advisory Group (MAG), representing a broad French scientific community, to provide recommendations on spectral sampling, particularly in the Short Wave InfraRed (SWIR) for various applications.This paper presents the tests carried out with the aim of defining the optimal spectral sampling and spectral resolution in the SWIR domain for quantitative estimation of physical variables and classification purposes. The targeted applications are geosciences (mineralogy, soil moisture content), forestry (tree species classification, leaf functional traits), coastal and inland waters (bathymetry, water column, bottom classification in shallow water, coastal habitat classification), urban areas (land cover), industrial plumes (aerosols, methane and carbon dioxide), cryosphere (specific surface area, equivalent black carbon concentration), and atmosphere (water vapor, carbon dioxide and aerosols). All the products simulated in this exercise used the same CNES end-to-end processing chain, with realistic instrument parameters, enabling easy comparison between applications. 648 simulations were carried out with different spectral strategies, radiometric calibration performances and signal-to-noise Ratios (SNR): 24 instrument configurations × 25 datasets (22 images + 3 spectral libraries).The results show that spectral sampling up to 20 nm in the SWIR range is sufficient for most applications. However, 10 nm spectral sampling is recommended for applications based on specific absorption bands such as mineralogy, industrial plumes or atmospheric gases. In addition, a slight performance loss is generally observed when radiometric calibration accuracy decreases, with a few exceptions in bathymetry and in the cryosphere for which the observed performance is severely degraded. Finally, most applications can be achieved with a realistic SNR, with the exception of bathymetry, shallow water classification, as well as carbon dioxide and methane estimation, which require the optimistic SNR level tested. On the basis of these results, CNES is currently evaluating the best compromise for designing the future hyperspectral sensor to meet the objectives of priority applications.

Postcolonial Studies Meets Global History

Abstract In the aftermath of the French Revolution, Georg W. F. Hegel labeled it a “world-historical” event. Just a few decades later, Karl Marx was equally fascinated by this Revolution, contributing to the notion that it served as a global turning point that would bend European society toward a post-feudal, modern world. Though scholars of postcolonial studies have long scrutinized these nineteenth-century thinkers’ narratives of progress, they played a large part in cementing the French Revolution's place in world history. Scholars of French studies have recently challenged long-held notions of French exceptionalism. This article explores the relationship between postcolonial studies and global history, both tenuous and complementary, as they relate to the emerging field of global French studies. Providing a reading of these intersecting methods in the historiography of both the French Revolution and 1968 in France, I contend that postcolonial studies is a form of global history.

Adapted physical activity interventions and motivational levers: What benefits for type 2 diabetics? A systematic review.

Scientific research continues to advance and improve the medical management of type 2 diabetes. However, the importance of lifestyle management remains invaluable in treatment and tertiary prevention of this disease. Day-to-day sedentariness is the fourth most important risk factor for mortality in France. Numerous studies have demonstrated that physical activity is beneficial to people with type 2 diabetes and various recommendations have been made to encourage it. However, it is universally agreed that interventions that promote physical activity, while they may enhance its practice in the short term, do not impact on it over longer periods. It therefore seems essential to focus interventions on an individual's capacity to persist with physical activity in the long term. By looking at the literature, the aim of this review is to synthesize group and supervised physical activity interventions for people with type 2 diabetes using variables based on the following levers: motivation and self-efficacy. The PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses) methodology examined studies in English or French that are registered in the PubMed, PsycINFO, and SportDiscus databases and were published between 2005 and 2023, according to the following keywords: Motivation OR self-efficacy AND physical activity AND type 2 diabetes AND intervention. Seven studies out of 1207 were included. Despite the pertinence of the concepts of motivation and self-efficacy and their complementarity in physical activity management programs, few studies have yet proposed a combined intervention for people with type 2 diabetes.

The point of view of children in residential and foster care on their health: A comparative study

Although it is a major issue, the health of children and adolescents in care is still mainly explored on the basis of information provided by adults in French studies. This study therefore aims to make up for the lack of studies integrating the young people’s own point of view and to explore certain aspects of health, as reported by the children and adolescents themselves, by comparing the health of children in care with that of children in the general population. The sample consists of 477 children in care (versus 23,672 who are not). The data were collected through a cross-sectional survey conducted by UNICEF France between October 2020 and March 2022 among 25,300 children and adolescents aged 6 to 18 who responded to a paper or online self-administered questionnaire. The main results of this study confirm the existing findings concerning the much greater health care needs of children and adolescents placed outside their homes (foster families, children’s homes) compared to their peers. In particular, they underline greater psychological suffering linked to their life histories, health risk practices, sexual violence, and suicidal risk. The discussion addresses the complexity of the issues associated with their health and underlines the importance of taking into account the child’s own point of view.

Social participation experiences of older adults with an early-onset physical disability: a systematic review protocol.

The objective of this review is to assess and synthesize the available qualitative evidence on the experiences of social participation of older adults with an early-onset physical disability. Understanding the experiences of social participation among older adults with a physical disability acquired earlier in life can guide the development of interventions and policies. It will also help with fostering meaningful community participation and aid in improving the quality of their social participation. This review will consider primary studies that explore the experiences of social participation of older adults with an early-onset physical disability. The review will focus on qualitative data, including methods such as phenomenology, grounded theory, ethnography, action research, and feminist research. Studies in French or English will be considered for inclusion, and there will be no limitation on publication dates. A keyword search strategy will be carried out in MEDLINE (Ovid), PsycINFO (Ovid), CINAHL (EBSCOhost), Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses (ProQuest) will be searched for unpublished articles. Two independent reviewers will perform the screening and inclusion process, assess the quality of the evidence, and complete data extraction. The JBI approach to critical appraisal, study selection, data extraction, and data synthesis (meta-aggregation) will be used. The ConQual approach will be used to establish confidence in the synthesized findings. PROSPERO CRD42022371027.

In all seriousness: Laughter in the German Reichstag, 1871–1914

ABSTRACT The ideal of parliamentary debate is often construed in terms of a disimpassioned exchange of arguments. Yet in actual practice, emotions play a key role. As recent studies of French, British, and other parliaments have shown, a closer look at the uses of laughter in the plenary debates can provide a useful entry point for a better understanding of the atmospheric dimension of debates. Focusing on the early decades of the German Imperial Reichstag, this article considers the varying modes of parliamentary humour, laughter and ridicule and their significance in the context of rhetorical struggles and processes of political in- and exclusion. In comparative dialogue with research on other parliaments, it contributes to a more precise characterization of the internal dynamics of an institution still very much in flux. While contemporaries made a sharp distinction between exclusionary laughter and inclusionary mirth (Heiterkeit), a closer look at the plenary interactions shows that while parliamentary laughter performed many different functions, on the whole, it primarily constituted a mechanism of de-escalation. As such, parliamentary humour did not stand in opposition to (rational) debate, but played a key role in the management of difference and conflict that the parliament was created to facilitate.

Nurses' and Nursing Students' Perceptions Toward People Living with Obesity: A Scoping Review Protocol

<p>Introduction: There is significant and pervasive weight bias, weight stigma, and weight-based discrimination everywhere today, even in healthcare settings. Studies have shown that health care professionals (HCPs) hold negative perceptions toward people living with obesity (PLO), which results in heightened health risks for patients. Nurses play a central role in health promotion and the health management of PLO. Thus, identifying nurses' and nursing students' perceptions toward PLO within healthcare practice or educational contexts is paramount to consider further exploratory and intervention studies.</p><p>Objective: We aim to review and map nurses' and nursing students' perceptions toward PLO from available literature.</p><p>Method: A search of MEDLINE via PubMed, CINAHL Plus with Full Text (EBSCOhost), and PsycINFO (OVID) will be conducted to identify relevant studies in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, or Italian on nurses' and nursing students' weight bias. The period covered will be from January 1, 2005, onward, including those available up until our scheduled search in January 2024. Two independent reviewers will conduct screening, study selection, and data extraction. Data will be charted according to the study design, the research setting, years and regions of publication, concepts, and use of theoretical models. The results will be summarized and reported, identifying implications for nursing research and practice.</p><p>Discussion and Research Spin-offs: This scoping review will inform nursing research and facilitate the development of educational and clinical tools aimed at preventing and reducing weight bias among nurses to promote nursing and interdisciplinary care that upholds principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion.</p>

French Studies and the Medical Humanities

French Studies and the Medical Humanities

Antimicrobial resistance and genetic diversity of Klebsiella pneumoniae strains from different clinical sources in horses.

Klebsiella pneumoniae is a major cause of infections and reproductive disorders among horses, ranked in recent French studies as the sixth most frequently isolated bacterial pathogen in equine clinical samples. The proportion of multidrug-resistant (MDR) K. pneumoniae is therefore significant in a context where MDR K. pneumoniae strains are considered a major global concern by the World Health Organization. In this study, we used a genomic approach to characterize a population of 119 equine K. pneumoniae strains collected by two laboratories specialized in animal health in Normandy (France). We describe the main antibiotic resistance profiles and acquired resistance genes, and specify the proportion of virulence-encoding genes carried by these strains. The originality of our panel of strains lies in the broad collection period covered, ranging from 1996 to 2020, and the variety of sample sources: necropsies, suspected bacterial infections (e.g., genital, wound, allantochorion, and umbilical artery samples), and contagious equine metritis analyses. Our results reveal a remarkable level of genomic diversity among the strains studied and we report the presence of 39% MDR and 9% hypervirulent strains (including 5% that are both MDR and hypervirulent). These findings clearly emphasize the importance of improving the surveillance of K. pneumoniae in routine equine diagnostic tests to detect high-risk MDR-hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae strains. The circulation of these worrisome strains reveals that they are not being detected by the simple K1, K2, and K5 serotype approach currently implemented in the French horse-breeding sector.

Code-Switching in French and Francophone Studies Classrooms in a Ghanaian Public University: Exploring Perceptions and Motivations

Code-switching in language classrooms is a contentious topic of debate, with some experts advocating for the monolingual use of the target language as the medium of instruction, while others support a bilingual approach such as code-switching and translanguaging. This paper examines the motivations for code-switching and the perceptions of both lecturers and students on bilingual practices in French and Francophone Studies classrooms. The study adopted a mixed research design, gathering data through interviews, classroom observation and an online questionnaire using a Google Form interface. The questionnaires were distributed to students via their WhatsApp platforms. A total of 120 French students filled out the questionnaires and 5 lecturers were selected for the interview session. The findings revealed that lecturers employ code-switching to address the linguistic needs of both Anglophone and Francophone students in the classrooms. The reasons for code-switching included students’ limited language background, low proficiency in the French language, inadequate teaching materials, situational factors, and the relevance of other languages in French classrooms. Overall, the majority of the lecturers and students expressed a positive perspective towards code-switching use in the classroom stating that such code choices facilitate the understanding of concepts and contribute to interactive classroom experiences. There was, however, the caution against its pervasive use as it hinders the ability to learn and speak the French language.

L’Adjectif qualificatif : étude Contrastive en Français et en Arabe

The Adjective: Contrastive Study in French and in Arabic
 The lexical morpheme, variable in gender and number through linguistic agreement (AGR) or declension, holds a crucial position in the two inflected languages under examination: Arabic, an Afro-Asiatic language of the Semitic family, and French, a Romance language with synthetic characteristics. This study draws inspiration from the works of eminent linguists, including Blachère and Gaudefroy-Demombynes (1975), Béchade (1994), Al-Hakkak (1996), and others. It also incorporates insights from contrastive studies, a linguistic branch that emerged in the 1950s to enhance the teaching and learning of foreign languages by addressing language interference through the exploration of inter-linguistic structural differences. This study, designed to assist learners and translators in comprehending the affinities and deviations between French and Arabic, delves into the use of adjectives in context. It particularly focuses on the qualifying adjective as a discourse component falling within the class of apparent nouns, in contrast to implicit nouns. This lemma or lexical unit serves to describe, characterize, specify, and indicate certain properties of animate or inanimate beings. It represents the grammatical class bestowing identity upon a person, animal, or object, attaching a positive, negative, or neutral label that imparts a value judgment. In French, the qualifying adjective encompasses various types, including relational, nominal, compound, verbal, and syntagmatic. In Arabic, it takes on verbal and denominative forms, assimilated to the verb. Morphologically, French features prefixed, suffixed, and unsuffixed adjectives, while Arabic presents adjectives crafted from a multitude of forms. Regardless of the linguistic context, the qualifying adjective, matching in gender and number the noun or pronoun to which it refers, can assume multiple functions within morphosyntactic structures. It can act as an epithet, whether anteposed or postposed, with graphic, phonic, strict, or floating agreement or concord (instances of inflection), serve as an attribute linked to the subject by a copular verb, or be affixed. Additionally, qualifying adjectives can convey varying degrees of intensity using phrasal adverbs or adverbs of comparison.

The Construction of a Different Fantasmatic Body – Post-Cinematic Experience Between ASMR and Multi-Vocality

This essay will explore how in a post-cinematic environment, the voice introduces new forms of subjectivity that are distinct from those of the traditional cinematic discourses. According to Mary Ann Doane, to an audience, the “body reconstituted by technology and practices of the cinema is a fantasmatic body, which offers a support as well as a point of identification for the subject addressed by the film.” (see: M.A Doane, Yale French Studies , 1980, No. 60, Cinema/Sound (1980), pp. 33/34.) The voice, the dialogue and the sound are part of this fantasmatic body together with the image, the space and spectator in the cinema. But what happens when the framework of image production and image perception radically changes, creating a post-cinematic condition? A post-cinematic state – a condition of streams and networks that is the status quo of today’s digital culture. A state that not only affects aesthetics, but also changes the relationship between viewers, images, screens – and the very idea of subjectivity. It is here that the voice emerges in new forms. Here it plays an important role in our perception and understanding of the world and of ourselves. By examining various post-cinema phenomena such as ASMR or Networked Voices, as seen in recent experimental films by artists such as Ryan Trecartin and Lizzy Fitch, this essay will demonstrate how the voice in post-cinema creates a multiplicity of perspectives that play a key role for new technologies that constitute a subject very differently.

A FRANCIA NYELVŰ EGYETEMI SZÍNJÁTSZÁSRÓL: AZ ÉCOLE DES BOUFFONS

At the University of Debrecen, French-language student acting began with the drama courses held by Judit Lukovszki at the Department of French Studies. As a result of the growing interest the group, whose members were mainly French major students, was given a name in 1985: École des Bouffons. The Bouffons set at least one play on stage every year, made guest appearances at domestic and foreign theatre festivals, and undertook the organization of four theatre meetings between 1998 and 2002 in Debrecen. The Bouffons, apparently at the height of its success, ceased to exist in 2002, the year of the last theatre meeting, due to the lack of the students’ interest. In addition to an outline of the group's history, this paper intends to commemorate the former players

‘Pour constituer une “Bibliothèque de Littérature Nègre”’

Arthur Barnett Spingarn (1878–1971) was a Jewish American lawyer who during the early twentieth century built an extensive personal library of books by authors of African descent. In 1937, Spingarn delivered a speech in Washington, DC entitled ‘Collecting a Library of Negro Literature’, which sought to expand his audience’s understanding of black literature beyond the United States. The following year, Spingarn’s address was published in anonymous French translation by the Haitian literary and political journal La Relève (1932–1939). This article is an enquiry into how this translation, entitled ‘Pour constituer une “Bibliothèque de Littérature Nègre”’, was used by editors Jacques Carméleau Antoine, Jean Fouchard, and Jules Blanchet to feed into the cultural debates taking place in Haiti during the 1930s. I focus on two key aspects of Spingarn’s text: firstly, his vision for a transnational and transhistorical ‘bibliothèque de littérature nègre’, the broad scope of which corresponded to two related, yet ultimately divergent, cultural ideologies prevalent in post-occupation Haiti, namely, the cultural syncretism of the Indigenists and the ethno-nationalism of the Noirists. Secondly, I assess Spingarn’s schema for the individuals involved in building an archive of black literature, revealing parallel ‘bourgeois public literary spheres’ (Stieber, 2020, p. 13) in Haiti and the United States. The inter-American trajectory of Spingarn’s address reveals a transatlantic interest in collecting practices associated with black literature. A close reading of its republication in La Rèleve offers new directions for French postcolonial studies by demonstrating the value of periodicals as literary sites which juxtapose competing cultural visions and raise important questions regarding the collection and commodification of Africana.

Nursing home nurses' opinions on the potential evolution of their role in antibiotic stewardship: A French national cross-sectional survey.

To assess French nursing home nurses' opinions on the potential evolution of their antibiotic stewardship role, facilitators and barriers, and nurses' characteristics associated with their opinion toward new roles regarding antibiotic prescribing. We conducted a cross-sectional study in French nursing homes with ≥20 beds and for which an email address was available in a national database managed by the French government between May and June 2022. A self-administered internet-based questionnaire of 43 closed-ended Likert items was sent to directors of eligible nursing homes by email asking them to forward the link to the questionnaire to the nurses and head nurses of their institution. Data analysis included descriptive statistics and χ2 tests. 7215 nursing homes were sent the online questionnaire; 1090 participants completed it partially or totally and 923 fully filled in the questionnaire. A majority of nurses supported strengthening and expanding their antibiotic stewardship role. Regarding new roles, over 70% agreed that nurses could collect urine samples to perform a urine culture on their own initiative, prescribe microbiological laboratory tests, and change the drug formulation or the administration route of the antibiotic prescribed by the general practitioner. One-third declared that they could initiate antibiotics for some infections and/or change the empirical antibiotic treatment prescribed by the general practitioner. Nurses from public nursing homes with connection to a hospital (27.5% vs. >35% for other status) and with recent experience in nursing homes (31% for <5 years of practice vs. 41% for 10 years or more) were less likely to agree to prescribe antibiotics. This quantitative questionnaire survey identified potential new nurses' roles in antibiotic stewardship that seem to be acceptable and feasible for participants. These new nurses' roles need to be explored in future experimentations before considering implementation. The study adhered to relevant EQUATOR guidelines and followed the STROBE reporting guidelines. A self-administered internet-based questionnaire was sent to directors of eligible nursing homes by email asking them to forward the link to the questionnaire to the nurses and head nurses of their institution. Nurses and head nurses who were interested and willing could complete the questionnaire online partially or fully. This study is not a clinical trial and is not eligible for trial registration. We used another suitable study registration site, the Center for Open Science.