what's thesis in french

Welcome to the world of a French-loving, American couple

How to Write a Stellar Mémoire (French Master’s Thesis)

Pursuing graduate studies in France entails mastering all sorts of assignments, but perhaps none as daunting as the notorious mémoire , or master’s thesis. Writing and defending a master’s thesis is the cornerstone of many, though not all, French graduate degrees, making it a rite of passage for degree-seeking students in France. As part of my French master’s degree in Droit Public parcours Intégration Européenne et Gouvernance Globale , I was required to take on the infamous mémoire alongside my regular coursework during the final year of my studies.

Since I’m an international student at the Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne , I had to contend not only with the base-level difficulties of putting together a master’s thesis, but also with the reality of writing fully in my second language and following the unforgiving methodology and writing norms of French law school to a tee. Needless to say, my year-long research project entailed late nights spent reading, countless trips to the library, typing until my fingers were sore, and shedding a few more tears than I’d like to admit!

My master’s thesis experience wasn’t all bad, of course. I genuinely enjoyed learning everything I could about my topic, discussing my progress with my classmates, refining my French-language skills , and presenting a piece of work that reflected my academic rigor. To my delight, at the end of my defense, the jury awarded me an 18/20 for my mémoire , entitled Associer les inégalités sociales et le changement climatique : Une étude comparative des contextes et approches aux États-Unis et dans l’Union européenne . The jury highlighted the following assets of my work:

• Qualité de recherche (Research quality)
• Qualité rédactionnelle (Writing quality)
• Qualité de français (French-language quality)
• Problématique innovante (Innovative research question)
• Posture épistémologique intéressant (Interesting epistemological posture)
• Bon cadrage théorique (Good theoretical framework)
• Limitations justifiées (Justified limitations)
• Structure impeccable (Impeccable structure)

Managing to receive the highest honors on my mémoire as an American studying law in France was no easy feat. Throughout the lengthy process of crafting my master’s thesis and defense, I discovered what worked well for me and what held me back – that’s why, in this post, I’m sharing my expert tips to help you write an outstanding French master’s thesis.

Honor Your Interests

Completing a mémoire takes months of daily research, reading, and writing, so you can imagine how painful the whole operation can become if your topic doesn’t inspire you! For a certain amount of time, your master’s thesis content will likely be all you can think about as you attempt to find and consume every piece of relevant literature ever written about it. To avoid misery and increase your motivation, you need to reflect upon the subjects within your degree field that excite you, the themes you’d be delighted to learn more about, and the concepts you truly want to call yourself an expert in come the day of your defense.

• My research topic combined my enthusiasm for the themes of public policy and governance, social justice issues, environmental protection, the United States, and the European Union.

Favor Innovation

The goal of producing a master’s thesis is not to reiterate the conclusions that other researchers have already drawn, but to pull from existing knowledge in order to demonstrate something new. To elevate your mémoire and impress your jury, innovation is indispensable. Creating a research question that hasn’t already been exhaustively answered will also prevent you from simply regurgitating what you read and will allow you to write a master’s thesis that relies on the important work of those before you, but is, ultimately, entirely your own.

• In my case, the concept of linking social inequality and climate change is relatively new on the whole. Moreover, my comparison of the United States’ and the European Union’s approaches for dealing with this phenomenon is something that hadn’t been done before.

Survey Your Sources

Because a finished mémoire is the culmination of in-depth research and analysis, you’ll need to choose a topic that you can thoroughly explore. For example, if your desired subject is too cutting-edge, you may struggle to find sufficient existing material upon which to build your master’s thesis. If essential documents that you need to read are confidential, located far away, or otherwise inaccessible, you won’t be able to use them for your work. It is therefore essential to consider whether adequate sources are available before you set your heart on a specific theme.

• When finalizing my topic, I ensured that the sources I would need to study were either located online, at my university , or in libraries near me.

Create a Timeline

You know that you should start working on your master’s thesis at the beginning of the school year , and that you need to have it finished by the end, but what happens between those two events is much less clear! With the help of a trusted professor or independently, you should make a realistic schedule with self-imposed deadlines to help you conceptualize the amount of work that needs to be done by each date. Your timeline should include targets for things like finalizing your research question, gathering sources for your bibliography, writing the various sections of the manuscript, submitting your mémoire for review, and preparing for your defense.

• Using a holistic timeline helped me to know when I was on track, when I could take breaks, and when I needed to speed things along. It also enabled me to beat procrastination, as delaying tasks for too long would have thrown me completely off schedule.

Chat About Your Research

While a master’s thesis is definitely an individual project, you shouldn’t keep your thoughts and questions to yourself! Your professors, classmates, friends, and family are all valuable resources as you go through the mémoire process. Speaking with your professors (who have already successfully completed challenging research projects) and with your classmates (who are currently working on their own mémoires ) about things like methodological difficulties and research hardships can lead to helpful problem solving and sincere moral support. Moreover, explaining your research to friends and family (who are likely unfamiliar with your subject) will help you gauge how well you understand it yourself and how clearly you’re able to express your ideas.

• I personally checked in regularly with my classmates who always offered useful words of advice and encouragement. I also talked with my significant other, Jalen , frequently to get his feedback on my work.

Choose the Right Advisor

Selecting a directeur·rice de mémoire , or master’s thesis advisor, isn’t a decision to make lightly. To find the perfect fit, you need to be familiar with your potential advisors and know your own preferences very well. For example, asking a professor whose specialty has nothing to do with your research question is likely to be as uninteresting for them as it is unhelpful to you. Furthermore, if you’re a student who likes frequent and detailed feedback, choosing a professor with a tightly-packed schedule might not be the best idea. Take the time to weigh your options carefully before asking a professor to become your advisor.

• I made sure to pick an advisor who was familiar with the broad strokes of my topic and had a hands-off attitude so that I could work autonomously and at my own pace.

Write Meticulously

The quality of the content of your master’s thesis is crucial, but so is the quality of your writing. The most brilliant of ideas will still fall flat if your text is riddled with grammatical errors and spelling mistakes. Attempting to avoid all language blunders is especially vital when you’re writing in your second language – and even more so in a country like France where such mistakes are not looked upon kindly. If your manuscript is hard to understand, readers won’t be able to appreciate your analysis. Additionally, it’s tough for readers to take a piece of work seriously if they’re constantly distracted by careless errors. Try to compose every sentence with care in order to avoid these pitfalls.

• When writing my mémoire , I never hesitated to look up a word, phrase, or grammar rule when I was even the tiniest bit uncertain. I also double-checked for errors that I commonly make, like accidentally including a serial comma when I’m writing in French.

Perfect Your Formatting

You shouldn’t organize your master’s thesis like you would a novel, an essay, or a report. Depending on your field of study and your degree program’s requirements, you’ll likely have specific norms to apply and rules to follow for structuring your mémoire . Your acknowledgements, dedication, abstract, abbreviations, table of contents, references, and appendices can’t be placed just anywhere! You should also ensure that your work is pleasing to the eye, with an appropriate cover page, sensible headings, proper font sizes and line spacing, logical page breaks, and accurate citations. These details are what make the difference between a good master’s thesis and a great one.

• In French law school, for example, writing to a detailed, hierarchical outline, known as a plan , is often an absolute must. As such, the final version of my master’s thesis manuscript consists of an introduction, two chapters with three sections and eight sub-sections each, and a conclusion.

Prepare Your Defense

When you’re finally done writing your master’s thesis, it can be tempting to put it completely out of your mind. But once you conquer this first step, you still have one more challenge to tackle: your soutenance , or master’s thesis defense. To pass your defense, you need to do more than just prepare to present your research and findings to the jury. A quality presentation will also include explaining the reason you chose your topic, the sources you used, the problems you faced , the limitations of your work, any updates on your subject since you finished writing, and future research possibilities. Don’t forget to reread your mémoire with a critical eye to anticipate the jury’s critiques in advance. Going the extra mile to prepare your defense to the best of your ability is a recipe for triumph.

• I prepared for my defense one week in advance, and it consisted of a 20-minute presentation, a 25-minute question and answer session, and a 10-minute jury deliberation.

Take Your Work Seriously

It’s no secret that some degree programs are more rigorous than others, just as it’s true that some students take their studies more seriously than others. However, if you decide that writing a solid master’s thesis demonstrating your academic talents and integrity isn’t worth your time because you know that your program will accept work of lower calibre, you’ve effectively proven your degree to be a second-rate credential and yourself to be a substandard student. Would you rather throw together a mediocre mémoire that you’ll stuff away the moment it’s over, or compose a meaningful piece of work representing the best of your capacities that you’ll be excited to share with others for years to come? Taking your work seriously won’t steer you wrong, especially when it comes to an assignment as noteworthy as a master’s thesis.

• I know that my decision to do my absolute best played a large role in the jury’s attribution of my final grade, and I’m proud of myself for having done so.

Everyone’s master’s thesis journey is unique, but implementing these tips will put you on a path to success. Is writing a French mémoire in your future? Have you ever carried out a significant research project? Do you want to know more about my experience? Let me know in a comment!

Share this:

• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

You Aren't Doomed to Become an English Teacher in France

How to Run a Successful Blog: Our Techniques for Consistently Posting Content Every Week

You may also like.

Five Ways We Study for our Master’s Degrees in France

How to Extend a Student Residence Card in France: My Personal Experience

Studying in France as Americans: Rest, Relaxation, and Quality Time

Leave a reply cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

The Dissertation: Writing in French

Dissertation is a very specific way to write what we call a “paper.” In France, this style is used in academics and the professional world alike.

The Necessities

• Personal reaction: Be sincere, though not informal.
• Use examples to affirm your point. Using examples limits verbiage, generalities, and banalities.
• Be clear and coherent : A good paper should resemble a mathematical proof more than a lyrical flood of words. Be understandable and operate by the Law of Occam’s Razor (the simplest explanation tends to be the best one.)
• Outline : Getting your ideas on paper is harder than coming up with them in the first place. In order to convey your ideas effectively to the reader, outline!

The Schema of a Dissertation

In order to write a dissertation, you need a problem or problématique. Situate that problem within your topic or subject. Do not begin to write without these ideas in mind.

Introduction

• The introduction must rapidly situate and introduce the problem. Cite briefly.
• Give an idea of the movement of the paper, but do not announce each step of your work.
• Define key words.
• Attract the reader!  

The Body 

Separated into parts and paragraphs, where each part is a main point in the problem and each paragraph is one idea or one aspect of an idea.

• Thesis – often the predominant point of view (the most common analysis)
• Synthesis: Establish some nuanced truth in between the two arguments or overcome of the initial contradiction by bringing in additional information.
• “Problem-Cause-Solution” Plan: Introduce and define a problem, pinpoint its causes, and propose a solution.
• Separate your argument into parts (in this case, two: benefits and pleasures)
• Order your arguments within each part
• first element of comparison (one point of view on an issue, for example)
• second element of comparison (an opposing point of view)
• Meditation on the facts presented in the first two parts
• Explanation of the formula (definition, par ex.)
• Commentary on the formula, for example, expansion of a definition, comments on appropriateness

The Conclusion

A conclusion must be written in the spirit of synthesis and with logical rigor. Coming to the end of an argument, a conclusion must be concise and strong. If desired, it can situate the results or thesis a more general sense.

(Desalmand, Paul and Tort, Patrick. Du plan à la dissertation. Paris : 1977) 

Mailing Address

Pomona College 333 N. College Way Claremont , CA 91711

Get in touch

Give back to pomona.

Part of   The Claremont Colleges

• Bodleian Libraries
• Oxford LibGuides
• French Language and Literature
• Dissertations and theses

French Language and Literature: Dissertations and theses

French dissertations and theses.

There are a number of different resources available for finding French dissertations. 

• Atelier national de Reproduction des thèses Also known as tne National Center for the Reproduction of PhD theses
• SUDOC Le catalogue du Système Universitaire de Documentation
• Thèses en ligne (TEL): serveur de thèses multidisciplinaire Although multidisciplinary the majority of theses are in scientific disciplines.
• thèses.fr This research tool is maintained by ABES (Agence bibliographique de l'enseignement supérieur) and records titles of theses in preparation in French universities and higher education institutions

Belgian dissertations and theses

• Répertoire commun des thèses électroniques des universités de la Communauté Française de Belgique Portal to access French-language theses through relevant University repositories

General resources for dissertations and theses

• ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global The world's most comprehensive collection of full-text dissertations and theses. As the official digital dissertations archive for the Library of Congress and as the database of record for graduate research, PQDTGlobal includes millions of searchable citations to dissertations and theses from 1861 to the present day together with over a million full-text dissertations that are available for download in PDF format. Over 2.1 million titles are available for purchase as printed copies. The database offers full text for most of the dissertations added since 1997 and strong retrospective full-text coverage for older graduate works. It also includes content from PQDT UK & Ireland (aka Index to Theses).
• Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (NDLTD) an international organization dedicated to promoting the adoption, creation, use, dissemination and preservation of electronic analogues to the traditional paper-based theses and dissertations.
• DART-Europe E-theses Portal DART-Europe is a partnership of research libraries and library consortia who are working together to improve global access to European research theses.
• Top 100 Dissertation and theses references on the web
• << Previous: Databases
• Last Updated: Jan 23, 2024 3:50 PM
• URL: https://libguides.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/frenchresources

Website feedback

Accessibility Statement - https://visit.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/accessibility

Google Analytics - Bodleian Libraries use Google Analytics cookies on this web site. Google Analytics anonymously tracks individual visitor behaviour on this web site so that we can see how LibGuides is being used. We only use this information for monitoring and improving our websites and content for the benefit of our users (you). You can opt out of Google Analytics cookies completely (from all websites) by visiting https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout

© Bodleian Libraries 2021. Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence

French Language and Literature

• Pour débuter
• Guides et ouvrages de référence
• Bases de données
• Dictionnaires
• Bibliothèque numérique

Writing a Thesis

Theses and dissertations.

• Guides de recherche supplémentaires

If you are writing a graduate thesis ( mémoire  or thèse) don't forget to consult the Faculty of Graduate Studies' guide on   Dissertation and Thesis Preparation 

For further information about theses and dissertations, take a look at the Theses and Dissertations Guide. 

• ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global This link opens in a new window Includes millions of searchable citations to dissertations and theses from 1861 to the present day together with over a million full-text dissertations that are available for download in PDF format.
• Center for Research Libraries (CRL) Foreign Dissertation Database Search 800,000 doctoral dissertations (including those of Albert Einstein, Dag Hammarskjold, and other Nobel laureates) from universities outside the U.S. and Canada. CRL acquired the majority of the collection through deposit from member libraries. CRL continues to acquire about 5,000 titles per year from major universities through demand purchase and deposit.
• Dart e-Portal DART-Europe is a partnership of research libraries and library consortia who are working together to improve global access to European research theses. DART-Europe is endorsed by LIBER (Ligue des Bibliothèques Européennes de Recherche), and it is the European Working Group of the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
• Catalogue SUDOC (Système Universitaire de Documentation) The French collective catalogue created by libraries and resource centres in higher education and research. To find dissertations and theses, click Advanced .... Material selection... Dissertations [or in French: Recherche avancée ... Type de publication ... Thèses].
• L'Atelier national de reproduction des thèses (ANRT) The ANRT is a French public organization which has been reproducing and distributing doctoral theses since 1971.
• << Previous: Actualités
• Next: Guides de recherche supplémentaires >>
• Last Updated: Feb 12, 2024 12:29 PM
• URL: https://guides.library.ubc.ca/french

• French News
• Articles & Journals
• Primary Sources

Dissertations & Theses

• Citations & Bibliography
• ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Represents the work of authors from over 1,000 North American and European universities on a full range of academic subjects. Includes abstracts for doctoral dissertations beginning July 1980 and for Master's theses beginning Spring 1988. All dissertations published since 1997, and some from prior years, are available for free download; others may be requested via Interlibrary Loan.
• Dissertations & Theses (Georgetown-authored) This link opens in a new window Recent online theses and dissertations from selected Georgetown programs and departments. For access to Georgetown theses and dissertations authored prior to 2006, see the Georgetown catalog or refer to ProQuest's Dissertations & Theses database. Print copies of disserations may be requested using the Library's Library Use Only Materials Request. .
• EThoS: Electronic Theses Online This link opens in a new window The British Library's database of digitized theses from UK higher education institutions. Free registration and login is required.
• Open Access Theses & Dissertations The number of electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs) openly available via institutional repositories has grown dramatically in recent years, increasing the need for a centralized service to search for this unique material. Open Access Theses and Dissertations (OATD), launched in early 2013, is on the path to fulfill that need. Not as large as the commercial subscription service ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Database, OATD distinguishes itself by providing access to more than 1.6 million open-access theses and dissertations freely available from over 800 institutions worldwide. The simplified interface allows searching across all fields or, in advanced search, by specific field (Title, Author Name, Abstract, University/Publisher, or Subject/Keywords). In addition, users may limit searches to a specific language or date range. Search results may be sorted by relevance, author, university, or date. more... less... Depending on the search, results may be further limited by date, university, department, degree, level (e.g., doctoral vs. master's), or language. The number of hits for entries under each limit is conveniently displayed in the left column. Links to the full text residing on the home institution's site are provided for each record. In many instances, several pages of the thesis or dissertation are available for viewing. Though other sites cover similar material, e.g., PQDT Open http://pqdtopen.proquest.com and Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations, OATD focuses exclusively on open-access ETDs, and serves as an excellent resource for students and researchers. Its usefulness will continue to increase as more ETDs are made freely available.
• Theses.fr This link opens in a new window Provides access to more than 5000 theses on all subjects submitted in French to universities around the world, since 2006. Most are digitized and available in full text.
• Theses Canada Portal This link opens in a new window Index of Canadian masters theses and doctoral dissertations from 1965-present. Full text available from 1998 through August 31, 2002.
• << Previous: Websites
• Next: Citations & Bibliography >>
• Last Updated: Apr 19, 2024 12:23 PM
• URL: https://guides.library.georgetown.edu/french

You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser or activate Google Chrome Frame to improve your experience.

How to Write an Essay in French Without Giving Yourself Away as a Foreigner

Have something to say?

When it comes to expressing your thoughts in French , there’s nothing better than the essay.

It is, after all, the favorite form of such famed French thinkers as Montaigne, Chateaubriand, Houellebecq and Simone de Beauvoir.

In this post, I’ve outlined the four most common types of essays in French, ranked from easiest to most difficult, to help you get to know this concept better. 

Why Are French Essays Different?

Must-have french phrases for writing essays, 4 types of french essays and how to write them, 1. text summary (synthèse de texte).

• 2. Text Commentary (Commentaire de texte)

3. Dialectic Dissertation (Thèse, Antithèse, Synthèse)

• 4. Progressive Dissertation (Plan progressif)

And one more thing...

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

Writing an essay in French is not the same as those typical 5-paragraph essays you’ve probably written in English.

In fact, there’s a whole other logic that has to be used to ensure that your essay meets French format standards and structure. It’s not merely writing your ideas in another language .

And that’s because the French use Cartesian logic (also known as Cartesian doubt) , developed by René Descartes , which requires a writer to begin with what is known and then lead the reader through to the logical conclusion: a paragraph that contains the thesis. Through the essay, the writer will reject all that is not certain or all that is subjective in his or her quest to find the objective truth.

Sound intriguing? Read on for more!

Before we get to the four main types of essays, here are a few French phrases that will be especially helpful as you delve into essay-writing in French:

Introductory phrases , which help you present new ideas.

Connecting phrases , which help you connect ideas and sections.

Contrasting phrases , which help you juxtapose two ideas.

Concluding phrases , which help you to introduce your conclusion.

FluentU takes authentic videos—like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks—and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.

You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download the iOS app or Android app.

P.S. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)

Try FluentU for FREE!

The text summary or synthèse de texte  is one of the easiest French writing exercises to get a handle on. It essentially involves reading a text and then summarizing it in an established number of words, while repeating no phrases that are in the original text. No analysis is called for.

A  synthèse de texte  should follow the same format as the text that is being synthesized. The arguments should be presented in the same way, and no major element of the original text should be left out of the  synthèse.

Here is an informative post about writing a synthèse de texte , written for French speakers. 

The text summary is a great exercise for exploring the following French language elements:

• Synonyms , as you will need to find other words to describe what is said in the original text.
• Nominalization , which involves turning verbs into nouns and generally cuts down on word count.
• Vocabulary , as the knowledge of more exact terms will allow you to avoid periphrases and cut down on word count.

While beginners may wish to work with only one text, advanced learners can synthesize as many as three texts in one text summary. 

Since a text summary is simple in its essence, it’s a great writing exercise that can accompany you through your entire learning process.

2. Text Commentary  (Commentaire de texte)

A text commentary or commentaire de texte   is the first writing exercise where the student is asked to present an analysis of the materials at hand, not just a summary.

That said, a  commentaire  de texte  is not a reaction piece. It involves a very delicate balance of summary and opinion, the latter of which must be presented as impersonally as possible. This can be done either by using the third person (on) or the general first person plural (nous) . The singular first person (je) should never be used in a  commentaire de texte.

A commentaire de texte  should be written in three parts:

• An introduction , where the text is presented.
• An argument , where the text is analyzed.
• A conclusion , where the analysis is summarized and elevated.

Here is a handy in-depth guide to writing a successful commentaire de texte,  written for French speakers.

Unlike with the synthesis, you will not be able to address all elements of a text in a commentary. You should not summarize the text in a commentary, at least not for the sake of summarizing. Every element of the text that you speak about in your commentary must be analyzed.

To successfully analyze a text, you will need to brush up on your figurative language. Here are some great resources to get you started:

• Here’s an introduction to figurative language in French.
• This guide to figurative language  presents the different elements in useful categories.
• This guide , intended for high school students preparing for the BAC—the exam all French high school students take, which they’re required to pass to go to university—is great for seeing examples of how to integrate figurative language into your commentaries.
• Speaking of which, here’s an example of a corrected commentary from the BAC, which will help you not only include figurative language but get a head start on writing your own commentaries.

The French answer to the 5-paragraph essay is known as the  dissertation .  Like the American 5-paragraph essay, it has an introduction, body paragraphs and a conclusion. The stream of logic, however, is distinct.

There are actually two kinds of  dissertation,  each of which has its own rules.

The first form of  dissertation  is the dialectic dissertation , better known as  thèse, antithèse, synthèse . In this form, there are actually only two body paragraphs. After the introduction, a thesis is posited. Following the thesis, its opposite, the antithesis, is explored (and hopefully, debunked). The final paragraph, what we know as the conclusion, is the  synthesis , which addresses the strengths of the thesis, the strengths and weaknesses of the antithesis, and concludes with the reasons why the original thesis is correct.

For example, imagine that the question was, “Are computers useful to the development of the human brain?” You could begin with a section showing the ways in which computers are useful for the progression of our common intelligence—doing long calculations, creating in-depth models, etc.

Then you would delve into the problems that computers pose to human intelligence, citing examples of the ways in which spelling proficiency has decreased since the invention of spell check, for example. Finally, you would synthesize this information and conclude that the “pro” outweighs the “con.”

The key to success with this format is developing an outline before writing. The thesis must be established, with examples, and the antithesis must be supported as well. When all of the information has been organized in the outline, the writing can begin, supported by the tools you have learned from your mastery of the synthesis and commentary.

Here are a few tools to help you get writing:

• Here’s a great guide to writing a dialectic dissertation .
• Here’s an example of a plan for a dialectic dissertation , showing you the three parts of the essay as well as things to consider when writing a dialectic dissertation.

4. Progressive Dissertation ( Plan progressif)

The progressive dissertation is slightly less common, but no less useful, than the first form.

The progressive form basically consists of examining an idea via multiple points of view—a sort of deepening of the understanding of the notion, starting with a superficial perspective and ending with a deep and profound analysis.

If the dialectic dissertation is like a scale, weighing pros and cons of an idea, the progressive dissertation is like peeling an onion, uncovering more and more layers as you get to the deeper crux of the idea.

Concretely, this means that you will generally follow this layout:

• A first, elementary exploration of the idea.
• A second, more philosophical exploration of the idea.
• A third, more transcendent exploration of the idea.

This format for the dissertation is more commonly used for essays that are written in response to a philosophical question, for example, “What is a person?” or “What is justice?”

Let’s say the question was, “What is war?” In the first part, you would explore dictionary definitions—a basic idea of war, i.e. an armed conflict between two parties, usually nations. You could give examples that back up this definition, and you could narrow down the definition of the subject as much as needed. For example, you might want to make mention that not all conflicts are wars, or you might want to explore whether the “War on Terror” is a war.

In the second part, you would explore a more philosophical look at the topic, using a definition that you provide. You first explain how you plan to analyze the subject, and then you do so. In French, this is known as  poser une problématique  (establishing a thesis question), and it usually is done by first writing out a question and then exploring it using examples: “Is war a reflection of the base predilection of humans for violence?”

In the third part, you will take a step back and explore this question from a distance, taking the time to construct a natural conclusion and answer for the question.

This form may not be as useful in as many cases as the first type of essay, but it’s a good form to learn, particularly for those interested in philosophy. Here’s an in-depth guide  to writing a progressive dissertation.

As you progress in French and become more and more comfortable with writing, try your hand at each of these types of writing exercises, and even with other forms of the dissertation . You’ll soon be a pro at everything from a synthèse de texte to a dissertation!

FluentU has a wide variety of great content, like interviews, documentary excerpts and web series, as you can see here:

FluentU brings native French videos with reach. With interactive captions, you can tap on any word to see an image, definition and useful examples.

For example, if you tap on the word "crois," you'll see this:

Practice and reinforce all the vocabulary you've learned in a given video with learn mode. Swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you’re learning, and play the mini-games found in our dynamic flashcards, like "fill in the blank."

All throughout, FluentU tracks the vocabulary that you’re learning and uses this information to give you a totally personalized experience. It gives you extra practice with difficult words—and reminds you when it’s time to review what you’ve learned.

Start using the FluentU website on your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes or Google Play store. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)

Enter your e-mail address to get your free PDF!

We hate SPAM and promise to keep your email address safe

The Sheridan Libraries

• French Language and Literature
• Sheridan Libraries
• Finding Dissertations
• Information on an AUTHOR
• Information on a WORK
• Information on a THEME
• Research in Archives
• Niche Collections of Primary Sources at MSE Library
• Language Tools
• Using the Library

Access to Dissertations

• ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global Includes more than 2 million entries.The single, central, authoritative resource for information about doctoral dissertations and master's theses.
• EBSCO Open Dissertations
• Interlibrary Loan the Library does not routinely purchase dissertations from other institutions. However, many are available through InterLibrary Services. Search in WorldCat for easiest ordering.
• Request a purchase for the library If you would like the Library to purchase a dissertation, contact the Librarian for the Department.

BNF : thèses et écrits académiques.

Système Universitaire de Documentation (SUDOC): l'ensemble des thèses produites en France.

ABES Thèses . Accès à près de 6000 thèses de doctorat soutenues depuis 2006, de surcroît en texte intégral pour 4000 d’entre elles.

TEL (thèses-en-ligne) a pour objectif de promouvoir l'auto-archivage en ligne des thèses.

Cyberthèses : L'Université Lyon 2

Archive ouverte de l'Université de Lorraine

Helveticat . The Swiss National Library has a copy of all dissertations written in the country. Add the word “diss” to your search terms in order to retrieve dissertations.

EthOs : British Library dissertations

Buy Your Own

As a last resort, you can purchase dissertations directly.

Dissertation Express : US, from ProQuest

• Verify using the tools listed above that the document is not otherwise available to you free before ordering.
• If Interlibrary Loan can't locate a copy to borrow.
• Use a credit card or fax payment.
• Orders are shipped directly to you.

Atelier National de Reproduction des Thèses: in France

• All doctoral students deposit a copy with the "Atelier national de reproduction des thèses".
• Who in turn provides microfilms for libraries.
• And also paper copies on demand (you can pay by bank card).

Submitting your dissertation

• Guidelines at JHU
• Graduate Board formatting details
• << Previous: How to Find....
• Next: Essential Tools >>
• Last Updated: Dec 5, 2023 4:50 PM
• URL: https://guides.library.jhu.edu/french

French translation of 'thesis'

Browse Collins English collocations thesis

Examples of 'thesis' in a sentence thesis

Trends of thesis

View usage for: All Years Last 10 years Last 50 years Last 100 years Last 300 years

In other languages thesis

• American English : thesis / ˈθisɪs /
• Brazilian Portuguese : tese
• Chinese : 论点
• European Spanish : tesis
• French : thèse
• German : These
• Italian : tesi
• Japanese : 主張
• Korean : 논지
• European Portuguese : tese
• Latin American Spanish : tesis
• Thai : ข้อสมมุติ, ข้อวินิจฉัย

Browse alphabetically thesis

• THESE shoes
• these things happen
• These trousers don’t fit me.
• they are famously ignorant about ...
• they are not geared to meet the needs of ...
• All ENGLISH words that begin with 'T'

Related terms of thesis

• central thesis
• doctoral thesis
• academic thesis

Quick word challenge

Quiz Review

Score: 0 / 5

Wordle Helper

Scrabble Tools

• Skip to main navigation
• Skip to main content
• Skip to search
• Arts and Humanities
• Health sciences
• Science and Engineering

Doctoral studies

[CHAPO] At the crossroads of higher education and research, doctoral studies provide candidates with both research training and professional research experience. After successfully defending their thesis, candidates are awarded a doctoral degree, which is the highest university degree in higher education.

Published on 30/06/2023 - Updated on 30/06/2023

Undertaking doctoral studies

Undertaking a PhD entails a personal and original research work, carried out in the communal setting of a research unit and a doctoral school, thus ensuring that the doctoral project of every young researcher runs smoothly. Doctoral students generate knowledge using innovative scientific methods and tools, while undertaking an ambitious professional project. Education through research enables doctoral students to develop scientific expertise and acquire a wide range of skills, which are not limited to academic research and can be applied to other fields. Thus, after defending their thesis, doctors will be able to access high-level management positions in all socio-economic sectors, anywhere in the world. Becoming a doctor means becoming a leading professional in a given discipline, able to manage complex projects and to grasp and understand the challenges of an ever-changing, globalised world. Thanks to their skills and scientific expertise, PhD holders will be able to provide innovative answers to the main issues of our world. Doing a PhD programme at Sorbonne University allows students to be trained in and through research at one of the best universities in the world, and to be mentored by renowned researchers to become a scientific expert with a wide array of generalist skills. It also means building a strategic vision of the world, allowing doctors to become key players in society.

Application process

The preparation of a PhD is based on a doctoral research project. This project defines the framework and contents of the training of doctoral students and specifies the conditions of completion. The project must enable doctoral candidates to aquire high-level scientific and professional skills. In order to apply for a PhD, applicants must hold a master's degree, an engineering degree or an equivalent qualification, and need to submit a doctoral research project. To start building a doctoral research project, you can:

• visit the websites of the doctoral schools related to the scientific field you are interested in,
• look up our doctoral programmes,
• get in touch with a researcher or professor at Sorbonne University who is working in your field of interest.

Once you have defined a doctoral research project, it needs to be validated by a researcher or professor (your future thesis director) from the Faculty of Arts and Humanities. Then, you need to submit all the documents necessary to build your application file on the ADUM website. Doctoral admission procedures follow an open, fair and transparent recruitment process. It is a priority for Sorbonne University to recruit excellent and motivated doctoral candidates who will commit themselves to an original scientific research project offering the best career prospects. Once your application has been accepted, you will need to proceed with your administrative registration, first on the ADUM platform, and then on the IAWEB platform (the common administrative registration platform for all students at the Faculty of Arts and Humanities).   The full procedure is described on the webpage dedicated to registration procedure for doctorate candidates .

Envoyer cette page à un ami

• An unforgettable adventure
• Educational excellence in France
• Study at the heart of Europe
• Enjoy numerous benefits
• Industrial dynamism and French innovation
• The art of living à la française

• French system
• Higher education institutions
• French degrees, LMD system and equivalences
• Cost of studies
• Quality of degrees and institutions
• Online or distance programme
• Scholarships programmes
• Scholarships for French students or students living in France
• Welcoming of students and researchers in exile

• Student and Campus Life Contribution (CVEC)
• Reception services in your city
• Prepare your budget
• Bank account
• Working while studying in France
• Learning French
• Finding a student sponsor
• Organising your stay as a scholarship holder
• Being a student with a disability in France

• French regions
• French language
• Getting around
• Join the France Alumni network
• Finding work in France
• How to start a company in France

• Le séjour de recherche
• The role of Campus France
• The tools of Campus France for international researchers
• Research Labs
• Mapping French research
• Outstanding French researchers
• Overview of French research by field
• Excellence of French research in videos
• Accueil des étudiants et des chercheurs en exil

• What is involved in a Doctorate in France?
• Doctoral Schools directory
• PhD subjects
• Pre-Doctorate programmes
• How to enrol in a Doctorate
• How to finance your Doctorat (PhD)
• Use the "Research" portal
• FAQ – Doing my Doctorate in France

• Study in a Post-Doctorate in France
• Join a summer school
• Come to France with the status of invited professor

• Reception programmes and doctoral student associations
• Apply for your visa / Validate your residence permit
• Prepare for your arrival in France
• Finding accommodation in France
• Social Security for doctoral students and researchers
• Living in France

• Programs with Sub-Saharan Africa countries
• Programs with Asian countries
• Programs with European countries
• Programs with Oceania countries
• Programs with American countries

• Campus France missions
• Campus France organisation
• Campus France activities by geographic area
• Events organised by Campus France
• Public procurement
• Mobile applications

• Operation and governance
• Joining the Forum
• Member benefits
• Committees and workshops
• Updating your information online

• France Alumni network
• European projects
• Choose France, La stratégie d'attractivité des étudiants internationaux
• The French+Sciences program

• Campus France expertise
• Make Our Planet Great again
• Le programme « Partenariats avec l’enseignement supérieur africain »
• Le programme de bourses IsDB-France
• Scholarships program for Syrian students in exile in France
• Pakistan: Higher Education Commission scholarships programmes
• Les bourses pour les étudiants français ou résidant en France

• L'accueil des étudiants internationaux
• Label Bienvenue en France
• Nos événements
• Le réseau des responsables de l'accueil
• L'accueil des étudiants réfugiés et en exil
• L'accueil des étudiants en situation de handicap
• Les mémos de Campus France
• Afrique du Sud
• Burkina Faso
• Congo - Brazzaville
• Côte d'Ivoire
• République Démocratique du Congo
• Corée du Sud
• Ouzbékistan
• Philippines
• Territoire de Taïwan
• Biélorussie
• République tchèque
• Royaume-Uni
• Arabie Saoudite
• Émirats arabes unis
• République dominicaine
• Resources center

What is involved in a Doctorate in France

The Doctorate involves training through research, in a research laboratory, and is organised by one of the 270 doctoral schools. The work is completed with a viva voce of a thesis in front of a jury.

Doctorate or Thesis?

In French, the word "thesis" ( thèse ) is often mixed up with the word "Doctorate" ( doctorat ).

The Doctorate is the name of the degree that you obtain. It is the highest degree awarded by the universities and internationally recognised. In French, the period spent preparing the Doctorate is often called the " thèse "; people talk about enrolling for a " thèse ", which means enrolling for a Doctorate.

The thesis refers to the document that you have to write and present before a jury to obtain your doctoral degree. There is a tendency to say " faire une thèse " (doing a thesis) instead of doing a Doctorate, as the thesis is the biggest part!

And you have to do your Doctorate under the supervision of a "Thesis Supervisor", who will guide you throughout your Doctorate. You must have selected a thesis supervisor, who must accept to supervise you, before you start your Doctorate.

Where to do your Doctorate

A Doctorate can be done in all of the universities as well as in most engineering, management and even art Grandes Ecoles, which are generally associated with a university. The Doctorate is the highest international degree and is awarded after 3 years (in the natural and technological sciences) to a maximum of 6 years (in social sciences and the humanities).

In a research laboratory, with a thesis supervisor

The Doctorate in the natural and technological sciences takes place full time in a research laboratory, in daily conjunction with your colleagues.

In the arts and humanities, the work is often more individual, and does not require a daily presence in a research laboratory. You will often be working from home, but will be able to meet your thesis supervisor on a regular basis and work in the university or school library.

Nearly 15,000 Doctorates are conferred in France each year: 46% in science and technology, 20% in Biology-Medicine, 20% in the humanities and 14% in the social sciences.

The Doctoral schools

The Doctorate is organised by "Doctoral schools". There are 270 Doctoral schools attached to 2,500 public research laboratories throughout the entire country. Each Doctoral School has several research laboratories.

The Doctoral Schools organise and supervise the doctoral students, in particular with additional classes in methodology, communication, writing scientific papers, starting a company, intellectual property, etc. These additional classes correspond to approximately 150 hrs of classes spread over the total duration of the Doctorate.

The Doctoral schools also organise your enrolment in a Doctorate, and, in collaboration with your thesis supervisor, monitor your progress.

You will find the list of Doctoral schools in our directory.

Writing and defending your thesis

In addition to experiments and studying, you will have to write a thesis, which is a document at least 200 pages long. In your thesis, you can also include articles that you have published in technical journals. Writing it proves that you have acquired a certain number of skills: deductive reasoning, critical ability, scholarship, etc.

Once the thesis is finished, it must be approved by 2 examiners, and you will then have the right to "defend" your thesis, meaning that you will have to present it orally before a jury. In this oral examination you present your research method and results before debating them with the members of the jury. The viva voce examination, or thesis defence, is generally public.

The viva voce, and the thesis itself, will be published by the university and on the site www.theses.fr .

The different types of Doctorates

The single doctorate.

This is the most common way of doing a Doctorate, involving 3 to 6 years in the same research laboratory. At the end, you will obtain a French degree. Enrolment and the viva voce take place in a single establishment, and the thesis is written under the direction of a single supervisor.  

The co-supervised Doctorate

The co-supervised Doctorate means that you have 2 thesis supervisors. One thesis supervisor in the main laboratory, in the establishment in which you are enrolled, and one other thesis supervisor, generally in another establishment, in France or in another country.

You enrol and have the viva voce only in the main thesis supervisor's institute, which means that you will be awarded the degree by this university.

It is an interesting and easy approach that lets you do your Doctorate in the framework of international collaboration.  

The joint Doctorate

The joint Doctorate is a co-supervised Doctorate that means you receive a degree from each of the universities of the 2 thesis supervisors.

It is done within a French establishment and a foreign establishment, and results in two degrees conferred by each establishment (and sometimes a single joint degree, with the name of the 2 establishments).

You enrol in both establishments through a degree proposal establishing how the joint Doctorate will function.

Everything must be stated in this document: in which of the two establishments will the viva voce take place? Who will pay the jury's travelling expenses?

Each year, the doctoral student must enrol in both establishments, but only pays in one. This must also be stated in the joint Doctorate document.  

The in-company Doctorate (CIFRE)

Doing a Doctorate in a company is an excellent opportunity to enter the world of employment. The CIFRE ( Convention Industrielle de Formation par la Recherche - the Industrial Agreement for Training through Research) lets you do your Doctorate in a company, in conjunction with a public university. In this case, a bit like with co-supervision, you will have a thesis supervisor, a university professor, and a supervisor from the company. You are employed by the company, which receives a grant from the State, and you receive a degree from the university.

Some subsidies for nationals of other countries, such as India and Morocco, and some specific programmes like EIT Digital encourage the in-company Doctorate.  

The European Joint Doctorate

The European Joint Doctorate was established in Horizon 2020 , a 2014-2020 European Union programme for financing research and innovation, as part of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions.

It is open to all foreign students, and lets them obtain a 3-year Doctorate. The Doctorate is done at 3 European establishments in 3 different countries.

Doing a Doctorate in English

In the natural and technological sciences, you will not be required to have a particular level of French when doing a Doctorate. Discussions with the research supervisor take place in English. The doctoral student can take French classes while in France, but the thesis can be written and defended just in English. Only the abstract must be translated into French.

In the social sciences and humanities, a good level of French is often required (generally level B1 or B2). As for commerce, marketing, political science, communication and law, it is sometimes also possible to write your thesis in English, but that depends on the institute.

Related contents

Recommended items

Follow the main steps to come study in France

• Free Resources
• 1-800-567-9619
• Subscribe to the blog Thank you! Please check your inbox for your confirmation email. You must click the link in the email to verify your request.
• Explore Archive
• Explore Language & Culture Blogs

Defending My Thesis In French Posted by John Bauer on Sep 21, 2016 in Culture

Last week j’ai passé ma soutenance de mémoire (I defended my thesis). After working hard on mon mémoire , everything came down to un exposé (a presentation) in front of mes professeurs (my professors).

“ no comments ” by Mónica Pinheiro on Flickr. Licensed under BY-NC 2.0.

La soutenance is the last step in completing un master (a master’s). Finding a concise way to present all la recherche et la problématiqu e can be un vrai casse-tête (a real headache).

On top of fighting l’angoisse de la page blanche , there is all the usual stress leading up to l’exposé . De plus (what’s more) it’s hard to know what sounds right when you’re not un locuteur natif (a native speaker).

When I finally walked into the room and begin talking, j’étais tellement fatigué (I was so tired) that I didn’t have any energy left to be nervous.

I started mon exposé by excusing any mistakes I might make:

Madames, Messieurs, bonjour. Je suis conscient du fait que j’ai un accent. Si jamais vous ne me comprenez pas, n’hésitez pas de me le dire et je peux répéter ce que j’ai dit. Ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon. I am aware of the fact that I have an accent. If you cannot understand me, don’t hesitate to let me know and I can repeat what I have said.

I had practiced ma soutenance plus de cinquante fois (more than fifty times). Once I started I did not stop until l’exposé was finished.

When mes professeurs started asking me questions, les heures de recherche (the hours of research) paid off when I knew how to answer every question they asked.

C’était terminé It was over

I had once last thing to say before leaving:

Thank you for your attention

A few days later I was happy to learn that j’ai validé mon master (I successfully completed my master’s) !

Build vocabulary, practice pronunciation, and more with Transparent Language Online. Available anytime, anywhere, on any device.

About the Author: John Bauer

John Bauer is an enthusiast for all things language and travel. He currently lives in France where he's doing his Master's. John came to France four years ago knowing nothing about the language or the country, but through all the mistakes over the years, he's started figuring things out.

Bonita Christianson:

Félicitations!

John Bauer:

@Bonita Christianson Merci ! 😀

Nancy Shalen:

Felicitations! (excuse le manque d’accent – c’est l’ordinateur)

@Nancy Shalen Merci !

Myles Genest:

Mes felicitations aussi. Malgre mom nom francais, I am not fluent in French, and I very much appreciate votre messages.

@Myles Genest Merci ! I’m glad you liked it!

Congratulations!

@Errol Merci Errol ! 😀

can you please share your knowledge about tips of thesis defense in another post.

@Taghreed Merci Taghreed ! That sounds like a good topic! Thanks for the idea 😀

• Directories
• Topics, Keywords, and Search Tips
• Dictionaries/Encyclopedias
• Comics and Graphic Novels (Bandes Dessinées)
• Book Recommendations (In French and in translation)
• Full List of Related Databases
• French-language News
• French-language Films & TV
• Primary Sources
• Literary & Critical Theory This link opens in a new window
• History of Printing and Publishing in France
• Learn French This link opens in a new window
• Open Educational Resources for Language Learning: French
• Collection Guidelines: French & Italian Studies This link opens in a new window
• Start Your Research
• Research Guides
• University of Washington Libraries
• Library Guides
• UW Libraries
• French Studies

French Studies: Topics, Keywords, and Search Tips

From topic to research focus.

Strategy A) To narrow your topic to a researchable question or statement, complete the following statements:

1)  I am researching ________________________ (topic) 2)  because I want to find out ____________  (issue/question) 3)  in order to ________________________ (application/significance).

Strategy B) Making Connections. Complete this worksheet to make scholarly connections between a primary text and related themes.

• Making Connections Worksheet from Duke University's Library 101 Toolkit

These are just two strategies, get more help by making at appointment with a writing tutor at the OWRC.

Find more suggestions from:

• The Odegaard Writing and Research Center Handouts
• Purdue's Online Writing Lab

Understanding Keywords

Keywords  are the essential elements that describe complex ideas and topics; the important, descriptive nouns and verbs. Do not try to search phrases or sentences—find keywords.

Focus on the concepts at the heart of your question first . Using these core concepts you will generate several relevant keywords that will better focus your search results.

5 Steps to Generating Keywords

• Have a well-formed research question
• Extract core terms from this research question
• Brainstorm a list of alternative terms or phrases for each core term
• Organize the list of terms and phrases by creating a hierarchy, indicating broader and narrower terms for each core term
• Identify which terms you would combine to conduct a search

Sample Keyword Brainstorm

Le thème de l' identité dans Moi, Tituba, sorcière-- : noire de Salem de Maryse Condé

Using UW Libraries Search to Find Books and Articles

• Use French keywords to find French-language titles:   français AND identité AND québec.
• By Title  - search for a specific book by title. Type in the first few words of the book title in quotations.  For example:  "language citizenship and identity in quebec  " . 
• By Author  - search for books written by a specific author. Type in the last name followed by the first name of the author in quotations. For example:  "oakes leigh" . 

On the results screen use the "Resource Type" options on the left toolbar to limit your results to print books, eBooks, articles, etc. Note down the library name and call number for books -- you need this information to locate the book.  For articles, click for online access, or request a scan.

Recreate your search in Worldcat to find more if you need to be comprehensive, and request items that we don't own from there.

Evaluating your Sources

• FAQ: How do I know if my sources are credible/reliable?
• ACT UP: Evaluating Sources The ACT UP methods helps to critically evaluate sources. Author, Currency, Truth, Unbiased, Privilege. Infographic by Dawn Stahura.

Organize your Research

• Research Log Template Use Google Docs (or your preferred note-taking tool) to create a research log. Include your search strategies, keywords, databases you’ve tried, as well as citations, quotes and page numbers. It will help you stay organized as you get ready to write your paper.
• Manage your Citations Use Zotero or another tool to store, organize, and share your research citations.

Citing Sources

• MLA Syle MLA (Modern Language Association) Style is widely used in French & Italian Studies and the humanities.
• MLA Style: Citation Examples by Format Example citations for five basic source types, using the MLA's template of core elements.
• Citation Styles & Tools Quick help on citing sources and tools for storing and organizing sources.
• Citation Politics By Dawn Stahura at Salem State University.
• << Previous: Home
• Next: Dictionaries/Encyclopedias >>
• Last Updated: Apr 26, 2024 4:26 PM
• URL: https://guides.lib.uw.edu/research/french

> Thesis Network > Selection of sites

Selection of reference sites

Guides and documentation.

• Contractual framework of the educational exception : how to use and quote works in your thesis?
• Documentation for doctoral students (provided byAbes): understanding the national repository for doctoral theses; reporting your thesis subject; using the theses.fr search engine
• Guide to the doctorate : 23 practical sheets proposed by the National Association of Doctors (ANDès) for doctoral students, doctors, institutions, doctoral schools, etc.
• Guide to Copyright (2017) : this guide deals with legal issues arising in intellectual property law .
• Open Science - Codes and software : this booklet looks at the specific issues involved in opening up the codes and software produced and used in scientific research. 
• Sharing scientific publication data - A guide for researchers : the aim of this guide is to familiarize researchers with the steps involved in sharing publication data.
• Carnet Questions éthique et droit en SHS : a guide to good ethical and legal practice in the dissemination of SHS data.

French doctoral schools

• Campus France directory of doctoral schools : consult the list of doctoral schools
• Campus France : finding a research laboratory
• ScanR : consult the directory of French research and innovation

Doctors and PhD students

• Ma thèse en 180 secondes : organised in France since 2014 by the CNRS and the CPU - Conférence des présidents d'université, this competition, inspired by the 3 Minute Thesis launched by the University of Queensmand (Australia), aims to make people understand their research in three minutes and to the greatest number.
• MESR - doctorate
• MESR - doctoral training
• MESR - doctoral funding
• MESR - professional integration of doctoral students
• ANDès - National Association of Doctors
• Campus France - French agency for the promotion of higher education, hospitality and international mobility
• CGE - Conférence des Grandes écoles - "publications" section  
• CJC - Confederation of Young Researchers   
• Kastler Foundation  
• Intelli'agence - Bernard Gregory Association
• HCERES - High Council for Research and Higher Education

Search for a thesis

• An extraction of all data relating to doctoral theses defended since 1985 is available online at data.gouv.fr: https: //www.data.gouv.fr/fr/datasets/theses-soutenues-en-france-depuis-1985/  
• Catalogue Sudoc : national bibliography of theses. Consult the help page dedicated to thesis research in the Sudoc

Access the full text of the theses

Numerous open archives and distribution platforms have been set up by doctoral-accredited institutions and/or IST operators such as CCSD (Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe).

• HAL theses : open archive managed by the CCSD for the open access distribution of doctoral theses
• AURORE : platform for student work at the University of Limoges (doctoral theses, practice theses, dissertations)
• CITHER : INSA Lyon thesis portal
• ENS - Institut Français de l'Éducation : portal to theses defended in France since 2003 in the fields of education and training.
• OATAO : Open Archive Toulouse Archive Ouverte
• PASTEL : ParisTech online theses / HAL ParisTech portal collection
• PEPITE : the University of Lille's institutional archive provides access to doctoral theses, practice theses, teaching resources and speech therapy dissertations.

On the international scene

• ADT : theses defended in the 22 largest Australian universities
• BASE - Bielefeld Academic Search Engine: meta-search engine referencing and providing access to over 120 million full-text academic documents, including theses 
• BICTEL : common directory of electronic theses of the universities of the French community of Belgium
• DART-Europe : full-text theses from 28 European countries
• Dialnet : portal of Spanish theses in SHS
• DissOnline : Database of German electronic theses
• DIVA : database of theses and research papers from 28 Scandinavian universities
• EThOS : UK electronic theses database
• NDLTD : Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
• OATD : Open Access Theses and Dissertations , a portal set up by the library of Wake Forest University (USA), which harvests several international directories of electronic theses in open access
• RERODOC : electronic library of the RERO network (network of French-speaking Switzerland) including books, theses, dissertations in full text
• Shodhganga : reservoir of Indian theses.
• Teseo : catalogue of doctoral theses defended in Spanish universities
• Theses Canada : catalog of theses and dissertations produced in Canadian universities
• Toubk@l : national catalogue of theses and dissertations of Morocco

Access to current thesis topics

• Otrohati : reporting on theses being prepared in Moroccan doctoral study centres.
• theses.fr : listing of theses being prepared in French higher education institutions.

Buy a reproduced thesis

From 1986 to 2016, theses deposited in printed form were reproduced on microfiche by the ANRT - Atelier National de Reproduction des Thèses . The mission of the ANRT was initially to ensure the reproduction of theses on microfiche and their distribution to institutions. Following the decree of 25 May 2016 , which established the transition to electronic filing for all French doctoral theses, the ANRT ceased this national mission.

On the other hand, the ANRT offers the "Thèse à la carte" service : theses for which a contract has been signed between the ANRT and the author are digitised and reproduced in their entirety, without reworking. These theses are listed in the "Thèse à la carte" catalogue and are available for sale to individuals (teachers, researchers, students ....) and/or organisations (bookshops, libraries, etc.) who request them.

• Arabesques n°78 (April-May-June 2015): Dossier "The thesis in all its states: filing, reporting, promoting". 
• Valorization of academic production - Collection, conservation, dissemination - Mennessier Anne-Laurence ; Daubernat Séverine ; Giloux Marianne ; Mauger Perez Isabelle - BBF, 2011, n°1 
• New thesis repository, new positioning for libraries? - Feedback from the common documentation services of Lille 2 and Valenciennes - Bihan Solenn ; Cambier-Meerschman Perrine ; Granger Sabrina - BBF, 2011, n°1

Studies and reports

• L'état de l'Enseignement supérieur et de la Recherche en France (The state of higher education and research in France ) - annual figures published by the MESR (Ministry of Higher Education and Research)
• The French Open Science Barometer - annual statistical monitoring of French doctoral theses available in open access.
• A more favourable integration and employment conditions of PhDs for 2016 graduates compared to 2014 graduates - Note d'information du SIES (September 2021)
• Doctors of engineering: the choice of a professional insertion in the private sector - Note d'information du SIES (September 2020)
• The doctorate in France: from choice to career pursuit - report by the General Inspectorate of Education, Sport and Research (July 2020)
• International mobility of young employed PhDs - Note d'information du SIES (October 2019)
• L'état de l'emploi scientifique en France - biennial statistical publication by MESRI (2018 edition)
• Repères et références statistiques - MESR annual publication
• CIFRE PhD - article by Romain Perronnet (UPEC) and Nahla Salameh Bchara (École des Mines de Saint-Etienne)
• Young doctors; profile, career path, integration - APEC quantitative study (January 2015)
• The professional future of young PhDs: what path, what insertion 5 years after the thesis ? - qualitative study by APEC (October 2014)  
• The University and the professional world: what are the challenges for the doctorate? - Labex Hastec conference (January 2013) 
• Doctors: a long march towards stable employment

History of the doctorate and the deposit of theses

• Becoming scholars: theses and doctorates of letters in the 19th century: virtual exhibition
• Carnet Es lettres - Les thèses de doctorat ès lettres en France au XIXe siècle : this notebook contains posts and actions linked to the "Es lettres" project, whose aim is to study the corpus of doctoral theses in literature defended in the 19th century.
• Theses and other academic writings: identification and location: despite some obsolete information, this guide published by the BnF in 2005, contains interesting information on the history of the doctorate as well as a chronology of legislative texts on the deposit of theses from 1923 to 1985
• Françoise Huguet, Les thèses de doctorat ès lettres soutenues en France de la fin du XVIIIe siècle à 1940 (Doctor of Letters theses defended in France from the end of the 18th century to 1940 ), November 2009 - LARHRA - Laboratoire de recherche historique Rhône-Alpes, UMR CNRS 5190 - online
•  Edouard Des Places, Cent cinquante ans du doctorat es lettres (1810-1960), Bulletin de l'Association Guillaume Budé , 4e série, 2, juin 1969, p.209-228 - online

• Request Info

Waidner-Spahr Library

• Do Research
• About the Library
• Dickinson Scholar
• Ask a Librarian
• My Library Account

French : Popular Research Topics

• Reference Sources
• Books and Films
• Scholarly Articles
• Newspapers & Magazines
• Language & Linguistics
• Publications on the French Language
• MLA Citations in French
• FR240: French Identity

Studying French at Dickinson crosses many other disciplines.  See the pages here to get yourself started searching for topics in:

You can also consult any of the librarians for these subject areas or directly with the librarian for French .

• << Previous: Websites
• Next: Literature >>
• Last Updated: Apr 26, 2024 2:08 PM
• URL: https://libguides.dickinson.edu/french

• Bibliography
• More Referencing guides Blog Automated transliteration Relevant bibliographies by topics
• Automated transliteration
• Relevant bibliographies by topics
• Referencing guides

Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'French poetry Sea in literature'

Create a spot-on reference in apa, mla, chicago, harvard, and other styles.

Consult the top 50 dissertations / theses for your research on the topic 'French poetry Sea in literature.'

Next to every source in the list of references, there is an 'Add to bibliography' button. Press on it, and we will generate automatically the bibliographic reference to the chosen work in the citation style you need: APA, MLA, Harvard, Chicago, Vancouver, etc.

You can also download the full text of the academic publication as pdf and read online its abstract whenever available in the metadata.

Browse dissertations / theses on a wide variety of disciplines and organise your bibliography correctly.

Armstrong, Robert A. "Gleanings in French Fields: A Formal Approach to the Translation of French Poetry." Ohio University Honors Tutorial College / OhioLINK, 2020. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ouhonors1587646850156205.

Vilain, Robert Leon. "The poetry of Hugo von Hofmannsthal and French symbolism : tradition and inhibition." Thesis, University of Oxford, 1994. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.320987.

Ruck, Elaine Heather. "An index of themes and motifs in twelfth century French Arthurian poetry." Thesis, University of Reading, 1989. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.328882.

Frendo, Maria. "T.S. Eliot and the music of poetry." Thesis, Durham University, 1999. http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/4565/.

Mateata-Allain, Kareva. "Bridging our sea of islands French Polynesian literature within the Oceanic context." Saarbrücken VDM Verlag Dr. Müller, 2006. http://d-nb.info/989099768/04.

Arnould, Elisabeth. "L'extase de la poesie : la contestation de la litterature dans l'oeuvre de Georges Bataille /." Diss., Connect to a 24 p. preview or request complete full text in PDF format. Access restricted to UC campuses, 2000. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/ucsd/fullcit?p9961756.

Gironce-Evrard, Marie-Anne. "La symbolique des saisons dans la poésie lyrique, en Italie, en Espagne et en France, 1465-1645 un prétexte pour dire le temps /." Villeneuve d'Ascq, France : Presses Universitaires du Septentrion, 2000. http://books.google.com/books?id=Wk9ZAAAAMAAJ.

Breitenstein, Renée-Claude. "La rhétorique encomiastique dans les éloges collectifs de femmes imprimés de la première Renaissance française (1493-1555) /." Thesis, McGill University, 2008. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=115600.

Ford, John. "From poésie to poetry : remaniement and mediaeval techniques of French-to-English translation of verse romance." Thesis, University of Glasgow, 2000. http://theses.gla.ac.uk/2690/.

Williams, Erin L. "Literature as a tool of social control: The poetry of the French-Canadian intellectual elite, 1838-1859." Thesis, University of Ottawa (Canada), 1995. http://hdl.handle.net/10393/9461.

Cohoon, Nikkita Dolores. "We Used Clothespins." Bowling Green State University / OhioLINK, 2011. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1307981173.

Stump, Jessica Leann. "Moon Man." Bowling Green, Ohio : Bowling Green State University, 2010. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc%5Fnum=bgsu1269252095.

Latowsky, Anne Austin. "Imaginative possession : Charlemagne and the East from Einhard to the Voyage of Charlemagne /." Thesis, Connect to this title online; UW restricted, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/1773/8309.

Mitchell-Foust, Michelle. "The five dreams of the body /." free to MU campus, to others for purchase, 1996. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/mo/fullcit?p9821345.

Moreno, Christine M. "Secrecy and Fear in Confessional Discourse: Subversive Strategies, Heretical Inquisition, and Shifting Subjectivities in Vernacular Middle English and Anglo-French Poetry." The Ohio State University, 2012. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1354665293.

Young-Studer, Noémie. "La chanson d'Yde et Olive: A Parable of a Medieval Self-Made Man." PDXScholar, 2003. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/4668.

Culpepper, Abigail. "Towards an Ethic of the Lyric: Taking on the Other in “La Mort de Cleopatre” by Marie Krysinska." Miami University / OhioLINK, 2019. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1564684012184959.

Alonso, Maria Luisa. "Poetry for young people and cultural imbalances : a postcolonial approach to the current situation in Spain and France." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 2016. https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/269710.

Dorais, David 1975. "Le corps érotique dans la poésie française du seizième siècle /." Thesis, McGill University, 2005. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=100351.

Meirelles, Ricardo. "Les fleurs du mal no Brasil: traduções." Universidade de São Paulo, 2010. http://www.teses.usp.br/teses/disponiveis/8/8146/tde-18102010-102721/.

Desbiens, Isabelle. "Ravel lecteur de Mallarmé /." Thèse, Chicoutimi : Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, 2001. http://theses.uqac.ca.

Georges, Richard William Ethan. "Charting the sea in Caribbean poetry : Kamau Brathwaite, Derek Walcott, Dionne Brand, Alphaeus Norman, Verna Penn Moll, and Richard Georges." Thesis, University of Sussex, 2017. http://sro.sussex.ac.uk/id/eprint/66040/.

Baril, Joselle. "Quatre poètes au jardin des Oliviers." Thesis, McGill University, 2003. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=79822.

Filho, Genival Teixeira Vasconcelos. "Traduzindo os jogos no espaço de Saint-Denys Garneau. Uma poética do olhar em Regards et jeux dans l\'espace." Universidade de São Paulo, 2015. http://www.teses.usp.br/teses/disponiveis/8/8146/tde-31072015-104759/.

Auger, Peter. "British responses to Du Bartas' Semaines, 1584-1641." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2012. http://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:be0f89c2-c2e4-482d-ac8f-e867985ff72e.

Canvat, Raphaël. "On Mad Geniuses & Dreams In the Age of Reason in French Récits Fantastiques ." Miami University / OhioLINK, 2012. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1343124370.

Majeed, Masnoon. "Environmental Consciousness in Joachim du Bellay's Divers jeux rustiques and 'Au fleuve de Loire'." Miami University / OhioLINK, 2018. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1533077251523474.

Ryan, Natasha. "The poetics of glass in France, 1850-1900." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2016. https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:ad30dccb-4017-461d-8785-810ff3312d4d.

Lago, Flavia Togni do. "Manuel Bandeira e Jules Laforgue: Dor, ironia." Universidade de São Paulo, 2012. http://www.teses.usp.br/teses/disponiveis/8/8149/tde-26102012-123505/.

Lord, Jocelyn. "Rimbaud : entre le Parnasse et la prose : parcours du signifiant." Thèse, Chicoutimi : Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, 1995. http://theses.uqac.ca.

Paixao, Grace Alves da. "Natureza e artificialidade nas mulheres das poesias de Victor Hugo e Charles Baudelaire." Universidade de São Paulo, 2010. http://www.teses.usp.br/teses/disponiveis/8/8146/tde-12112010-161229/.

Hofmann, Anne. "Parnassische Theoriebildung und romantische Tradition : Mimesis im Fokus der ästhetischen Diskussion und die "Konkurrenz" der Paradigmen in der zweiten Hälfte des 19. Jahrhunderts : ein Beitrag zur Bestimmung des Parnasse-Begriffs aus dem Selbstverständnis der Epoche /." Stuttgart : F.Steiner Verl, 2001. http://catalogue.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/cb38809002q.

Simmons, Sandra. "Perceiving Matter in Notes on Space, Undated (Log 3) by André du Bouchet, Fontfroide-le-Haut, Fata Morgana, 2000." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2003. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc4389/.

Lucas, Fabio Roberto. "O poético e o político: últimas palavras de Paul Valéry." Universidade de São Paulo, 2018. http://www.teses.usp.br/teses/disponiveis/8/8151/tde-02102018-103227/.

Sofronidou, Foteini. "Les traductions grecques de la littérature française : contribution à l’inventaire et à l’étude de leur présence dans les lettres grecques de 1900 à 2010." Thesis, Montpellier 3, 2014. http://www.theses.fr/2014MON30049.

Pelland, Roland Guy. "Mort et renaissance dans la poésie néo-nationaliste acadienne de 1970 à 1980." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1997. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk3/ftp05/mq27076.pdf.

Simpson, Pablo. "Rastro, hesitação e memoria : o lugar do tempo na poesia de Yves Bonnefoy." [s.n.], 2006. http://repositorio.unicamp.br/jspui/handle/REPOSIP/270023.

Oliveira, Aline Aimée Carneiro de. "Canções sem metro e Missal: as primeiras veredas do poema em prosa brasileiro." Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, 2010. http://www.bdtd.uerj.br/tde_busca/arquivo.php?codArquivo=2113.

Malfait-Dohet, Monique. "Morphologie du héros épique des chansons de geste de langue d'oïl "écrites" au XIVe siècle." Doctoral thesis, Universite Libre de Bruxelles, 1998. http://hdl.handle.net/2013/ULB-DIPOT:oai:dipot.ulb.ac.be:2013/212000.

Malnoë, Céline. "Paul Louis Rossi : une poétique du temps et de la mémoire." Thesis, Tours, 2012. http://www.theses.fr/2012TOUR2025.

Thompson, Martha. "George Canning, Liberal Toryism, and Counterrevolutionary Satire in the Anti-Jacobin." BYU ScholarsArchive, 2013. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/3714.

Nakhaeï, Bentolhoda. "Critical Analysis of the Stylistic Transformations in the 19th and 20th-century English and French Translations of Omar Khayyám’s Rubáiyát : exploring the Common Quatrains in FitzGerald, Arberry, Nicolas, and Lazard." Thesis, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 2016. http://www.theses.fr/2016USPCA144.

Cohen, Julien. "Esthétique et politique dans la poésie de Charles Maurras." Doctoral thesis, Universitat de Barcelona, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10803/285491.

Forsyth, E. C. (Elliott Christopher) 1924. "La justice de Dieu : Les Tragiques d'Agrippa d'Aubigne et la Reforme protestante en France au XVIe siecle / Elliott Forsyth." Paris : H. Champion, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/2440/38642.

Jehl, Florian. "« – À la fin jaillira l’homme de pure lumière. » Pour une anthropologie d’André Frénaud." Thesis, Paris 4, 2017. http://www.theses.fr/2017PA040097.

Augais, Thomas. "Trait pour trait : Alberto Giacometti et les écrivains par voltes et faces d’ateliers." Thesis, Lyon 2, 2009. http://www.theses.fr/2009LYO20064/document.

Xiang, Zheng. "La poésie française moderne (Baudelaire, Rimbaud, Lautréamont) et son influence sur la nouvelle poésie chinoise dans les années 1920-1930." Phd thesis, Ecole normale supérieure de lyon - ENS LYON, 2012. http://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-00713100.

Murakami, Yumi. "De la critique à la création poétique : l'importance du ballet dans l'écriture de Mallarmé." Thesis, Sorbonne université, 2019. http://www.theses.fr/2019SORUL094.

Jalabert, Romain. "Les vers latins en France au XIXème siècle." Thesis, Paris 4, 2015. http://www.theses.fr/2015PA040111.

Issaiyan, Mokhtar. "Les poètes iraniens du XXe siècle devant la littérature française." Thesis, Strasbourg, 2014. http://www.theses.fr/2014STRAC010.

Advertisement

Supported by

‘Infested’ Review: Bugging Out

An apartment building in Paris is overrun by murderous arachnids and unsubtle allegory in this fleet and efficient debut feature.

• Share full article

By Jeannette Catsoulis

There are no fresh ideas in the French creepy-crawler “Infested,” yet this first feature from Sébastien Vanicek scurries forward with such pep and purpose that its shortcomings are easily forgivable. Add a handful of eager young actors, a sociopolitical slam and a claustrophobic location swarming with venomous spiders and you’ll be hunting for the DEET long before the credits roll.

Set in a low-income housing block in a Paris suburb, the action — and there’s plenty of it — is led by Kaleb (Théo Christine), an industrious youth who sells black-market sneakers and fusses over his illegal collection of small critters. His latest acquisition is a spider that, unbeknown to Kaleb, was smuggled from a Middle Eastern desert after rendering one of its captors agonizingly kaput. In less time than it takes to say “arachnophobia,” it will escape, reproduce like a bandit and send its deadly progeny scampering into every unsealed nook and cranny. Woe betide anyone not wearing a hoodie.

On one level, “Infested” is a well-worn, thoroughly efficient creature feature with sleek effects and pell-mell pacing. While not especially scary, the movie gains traction from a script (by Vanicek and Florent Bernard) that finds ways to add a smidgen of back story to its panicked characters. So as the building becomes a giant, web-draped cocoon, the rapid-fire squabbling among Kaleb, his sister (Lisa Nyarko) and his onetime best friend (Finnegan Oldfield) feels entirely authentic. As do the labyrinthine corridors, the constantly failing lighting (props to Alexandre Jamin’s stuttering photography) and Kaleb’s kindhearted concern for his neighbors.

A police lockdown cues social commentary that, while glaringly obvious, is also apt in a movie whose French title translates as “vermin” and whose gun-and-gas-toting authorities may have their own ideas about the term’s definition.

Infested Not Rated. Running time: 1 hour 46 minutes. Watch on Shudder .

Explore More in TV and Movies

Not sure what to watch next we can help..

Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell speak about how “Anyone but You” beat the rom-com odds. Here are their takeaways after the film , debuting on Netflix, went from box office miss to runaway hit.

The vampire ballerina in the new movie “Abigail” has a long pop culture lineage . She and her sisters are obsessed, tormented and likely to cause harm.

In a joint interview, the actors Lily Gladstone and Riley Keough discuss “Under the Bridge,” their new true-crime series  based on a teenager’s brutal killing in British Columbia.

The movie “Civil War” has tapped into a dark set of national angst . In polls and in interviews, a segment of voters say they fear the country’s divides may lead to actual, not just rhetorical, battles.

If you are overwhelmed by the endless options, don’t despair — we put together the best offerings   on Netflix , Max , Disney+ , Amazon Prime  and Hulu  to make choosing your next binge a little easier.

Sign up for our Watching newsletter  to get recommendations on the best films and TV shows to stream and watch, delivered to your inbox.

• Asia - Pacific
• Middle East - Africa
• Apologetics
• Benedict XVI
• Catholic Links
• Church Fathers
• Life & Family
• Liturgical Calendar
• Pope Francis
• CNA Newsletter
• Editors Service About Us Advertise Privacy

Prosecutor dismisses case against French priest who said homosexual relations are a sin

By Walter Sánchez Silva

ACI Prensa Staff, Apr 29, 2024 / 18:00 pm

French priest Matthieu Raffray disclosed that the Paris prosecutor’s office has dismissed a case initiated against him for stating that homosexual relations are a sin and for calling homosexuality a “weakness.”

In a legal document addressed to the priest and shared by him April 26 , it stated that “on March 19, the interministerial delegation for the fight against racism, anti-Semitism, and anti-LGBT hatred went to the Paris prosecutor’s office” regarding “two posts made on your X (Twitter) and Instagram accounts” in January and March.

The priest of the Institute of the Good Shepherd — created in 2006 in Rome for “the defense and dissemination of Catholic tradition in all its forms,” according to the website of this society of apostolic life — had posted in late January a comment on X about “conversion therapies.”

“The LGBT Corner” had asked in a Jan. 28 mocking post on X whether “a person can get conversion therapy for 10 euros in France. That’s what Father LeCoq implies whom I contacted to help my son suffering from ‘homophile tendencies.’ He directed me to the retreat ‘Be a Man’ to be held again in Annecy.”

In response Raffray wrote: “Every spiritual retreat is conversion therapy. Since the beginnings of Catholicism, Christians have withdrawn from the world to find themselves before the Lord in order to become better” and criticized the “gross ignorance” and modus operandi of the LGBT lobby.

On March 15, the priest posted a video on Instagram in which he encouraged the faithful to fight against their weaknesses.

In a March Instagram video, Raffray encouraged the faithful to fight against their weaknesses, among others homosexuality, and commented that each person has his or her own weapons with which to fight, but the devil convinces people that the fight “is too hard” and therefore it’s useless to resist.

The legal notice stated that “after a careful examination of the comments” of the priest “it does not appear that there is any infraction sufficiently characterized to justify any criminal procedure against him.”

“Therefore,” the document concluded, “this process is being dismissed.”

Raffray pointed out that “the comments I made do not fall within the scope of the law.”

“I pray for my enemies and I thank everyone who has supported me,” he added.

Who is Father Matthieu Raffray?

Raffray is a well-known French priest who has a growing apostolate on the internet and social media aimed especially at young French-speaking people.

He has more than 60,000 followers on Instagram , more than 22,000 on YouTube , and more than 21,000 on X .

He is a pro-life and pro-family advocate and has published French-language books such as “Myths and Lies of Progressivism” (2020) and more recently “ The Greatest of Combats ,” with which he seeks to answer the fundamental and existential questions of life.

Raffray, 45, was born in 1979 and is one of nine children. He studied mathematics before being ordained a priest in 2009.

He holds a doctorate in philosophy and teaches at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) in Rome.

More in Europe

Spanish bishop to Biden: Invoking Jesus Christ in support of abortion is a sacrilege

According to the publication European Conservative , he rose to fame in 2020 after an interview with French YouTuber Baptiste Marchais in which he defended the return to a “virile Catholicism” and patriotic sentiment among the Catholic faithful. 

What does the Catholic Church teach about homosexuality?

Catholic teaching on homosexuality is summarized in Nos. 2357, 2358, and 2359 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

The Church teaches that men and women with same-sex attraction “must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided.”

The catechism notes that homosexual inclination is “objectively disordered” and constitutes for those who experience it “a trial.”

Based on sacred Scripture, the catechism states that “homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered” and “they do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity.” Consequently, “under no circumstances can they be approved.”

“Homosexual persons are called to chastity. By the virtues of self-mastery that teach them inner freedom, at times by the support of disinterested friendship, by prayer and sacramental grace, they can and should gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection,” the catechism explains.

(Story continues below)

Subscribe to our daily newsletter

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

• Catholic News ,
• Catholic teaching ,
• Hate Speech ,
• Catholic Church in France

Our mission is the truth. Join us!

Your monthly donation will help our team continue reporting the truth, with fairness, integrity, and fidelity to Jesus Christ and his Church.

You may also like

French government cracks down on priest who said homosexual relations are sinful

The French government has initiated a series of legal measures against Father Matthieu Raffray for calling homosexual relations sinful.

French court sentences Cardinal Ouellet, religious community to fines after expelling nun

A French court has fined Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet, PSS, and others for the wrongful dismissal of Sabine Baudin de la Valette, formerly Mother Marie Ferréol.

French bishops condemn Macron’s assisted suicide bill

Several French Catholic bishops this week roundly condemned a recently announced proposal by the Macron government to legalize the practice of assisted suicide.

Books | How a French Ph.D. dissertation became a…

Share this:.

• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
• Click to print (Opens in new window)
• Food & Drink
• Amusement Parks
• Home & Garden

Things To Do

Books | how a french ph.d. dissertation became a southern california beach read, after coming to study at ucla, paris-born elsa devienne spent years working on her book, 'sand rush: the revival of the beach in twentieth-century los angeles.'.

Originally from Paris, Elsa Devienne spent a year studying at UCLA in the late ‘00s. With a gig as a dog sitter in Santa Monica, she had affordable rent and the chance to visit the local beaches .

“I remember, first of all, being wowed by this incredible landscape, the beauty of the Pacific Ocean ,” Devienne, now based in Manchester, U.K., recalls on a recent video call. But she says the heavily built-up areas around the beaches “shocked” her. “You could find parking lots, freeways, houses, buildings.”

SEE ALSO : Sign up for our free Book Pages newsletter about bestsellers, authors and more

Devienne, who had never visited Los Angeles before her year at UCLA, was most perplexed by the parking lots that are ubiquitous along the otherwise gorgeous landscape: Who, she wondered, had envisioned the landscape this way – and why?

The winners of the Mr. Muscle Beach Contest in 1951. (Credit Los Angeles Herald Examiner Collection, University of Southern California Digital Library /Courtesy of Oxford University Press)

A parking lot built in 1950 on the newly expanded Venice Beach. (Credit California Coast Aug. 1950, Water Resources Collections & Archives, University of California, Riverside / Courtesy of Oxford University Press)

Employees of a real estate company do group calisthenics at Playa Del Rey in the 1920s. (Credit Fritz Burns Papers William H. Hannon Library, Loyola Marymount University / Courtesy of Oxford University Press)

Santa Monica Harbor as seen from above in 1949. (Credit Los Angeles City Archives / Courtesy of Oxford University Press)

The lack of facilities and popularity with teenagers caused some consternation of the beach lobby. (Credit California Coast Aug. 1950, Water Resources Collections & Archives, University of California, Riverside / Courtesy of Oxford University Press)

A scene from Muscle Beach, circa 1947. (Photo credit Los Angeles Daily News Negatives, Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, University of California, Los Angeles / Courtesy of Oxford University Press)

Abbye “Pudgy” Stockton with her admirers at Muscle Beach, circa 1947. (Photo credit Los Angeles Daily News Negatives, Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, University of California, Los Angeles / Courtesy of Oxford University Press)

A 1936 diagram from California Beaches Association for a project to develop the beach and highway along Santa Monica. (Credit Water Resources Collections & Archives, University of California, Riverside / Courtesy of Oxford University Press)

Historian Elsa Devienne is the author of “Sand Rush: The Revival of the Beach in Twentieth-Century Los Angeles,” out from Oxford University Press. (Courtesy of Oxford University Press)

Experiencing the sand first-hand

These questions launched her upon a years-long investigation into the history of the beaches that line the western edge of Los Angeles County. Originally researched for her Ph.D. dissertation at Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales, Devienne continued to work on the material, which was then translated by Troy J. Tice, for her nonfiction book, “Sand Rush: The Revival of the Beach in Twentieth-Century Los Angeles,” which is out May 1 on Oxford University Press.

The book tracks the development of the coastline from the 1920s – when the beaches ​w​ere more polluted and difficult to access – through the midcentury and beyond as a so-called “beach lobby” worked to develop, clean and expand the coastline, often with the goal of making it a bastion of the White middle-class. As well, Devienne examines the landscape from its real estate significance to its ascendance as a place to celebrate physical beauty.

However, as well as research, Devienne says it’s important to experience the landscape you’re writing about.

“You have to observe how people behave at the beach and who goes to what beach for what reason,” she says. For her year in L.A., Devienne immersed herself in the city. She took a class led by the historian Eric Avila at UCLA and worked with people who had been writing about the city for years. She spent time at Santa Monica Public Library , Santa Monica History Museum , Long Beach Historical Society and Los Angeles Public Library .

“I was a library rat,” she says, but talked to plenty of locals. “The lifeguards, surfers, people who hung out at the beach in the ‘60s, anybody who was ready to talk to me about beaches.”

She later returned to L.A., this time as a Fulbright Scholar for a six-month stint at USC, and interviewed Venice High School and Santa Monica High School alumni. She also took a deep dive into beach reading.

“I read some really, really interesting, funky, wonky, crazy, pornographic ‘50s books about the L.A. beach culture, which, in some cases, I was able to use in the book,” she says.

Devienne would return to Los Angeles again during her time teaching at Princeton. For that trip, she brought students and toured Malibu with them, using the Our Malibu Beaches app to locate entrances to the sand. It was a way of applying her research with people who were largely from the East Coast, where beaches can be harder to access than they are in California.

“That’s basically because the law about what part of the beach is public or private has been interpreted differently in different states,” Devienne explains. “In some states, this has been interpreted strictly and other states much more expansively. The main idea is that the beach that is always wet – that is covered by tide – should always be public, should always be accessible, but the part that is dry can be privatized.”

She adds that some states had more ambitious programs to buy back beaches than others. “In some places, like on the East Coast, there’s such a large history of implementation and establishment of settlements that it was very difficult to buy back the beaches,” says Devienne. “Because California has a history of the presence of Anglo Americans that is a bit less old, there were possibilities to buy back bigger lands that hadn’t yet been broken up into smaller properties.”

Throughout her research, Devienne traces a history of L.A.’s beach life filled with ironies. It’s a history steeped in making the coast accessible, yet marred by racist restrictions. While it’s a human-engineered landscape, the beach has also spawned environmentalist movements.

Climate change and the coastline

Devienne writes that local activism has led to beaches that are “cleaner, more accessible, and more inclusive than they have been in over a century,” but that, as a result of our changing climate, the beaches still face a precarious future.

“It’s so important to keep on pushing for these places to be accessible to all people, to be easily accessible. But also for them to continue existing,” says Devienne. “For this to happen, we need to continue pushing for climate change legislation, for reducing our carbon emissions.”

She adds, “Literally, this is a question of survival. My children could see the end of California beaches as we know them within their lifetime.”

SEE ALSO : Read Laylan Connelly’s coverage of Southern California’s beaches and coastline.

Ultimately, “Sand Rush” took a turn that Devienne didn’t anticipate when she began looking at L.A. beach history. “I didn’t realize when I started writing that this is how I would conclude it,” says Devienne of the discussion of climate change. “As I was writing, the scientific evidence became more and more clear that we could lose something so incredibly wonderful as a beach.”

Next up for Devienne is the history of beach cleanups. She came across the stories of women in Oregon and Texas who began organizing cleanups in the 1980s where volunteers categorized the trash that they found.

“That, for me, is an important chapter and milestone in the history of the anti-plastic movement, which I intend on writing about in my second book,” she says.

• Newsroom Guidelines
• Report an Error

More in Books

Books | 10 Independent Bookstore Day tips to find books, authors and giveaways

Books | This week’s bestsellers at Southern California’s independent bookstores

Books | Why Rachel Khong says novel ‘Real Americans’ explores issues society still faces

Embarking on a cultural odyssey: unveiling the charms of France culture

Inspiration

Paris Burgundy Côte d'Azur - French Riviera Cultural Heritage Shopping and French Savoir Faire Food and Wine

Reading time: 0 min Published on 3 August 2023, updated on 16 April 2024

As a hub of sorts including fashion, cuisine, art and architecture, Paris is what many people think of when it comes to French culture. Yet that is a rookie mistake… because life outside of the City of Lights is very different and varies by region. Prepare to set sail on a wondrous journey through the enchanting realm of France culture, where each step uncovers a dazzling tapestry of customs and traditions that have shaped this exquisite nation. From the iconic streets of Paris to the quaint countryside, every corner of La Belle France beckons with its own unique allure, inviting you to immerse yourself in its rich heritage.

Language in France: a melodic blend of voices

As you step foot on the cobblestone streets, the symphony of France culture begins, and at its heart lies the melodious French language. The language of love and romance, it flows like a gentle river through the conversations of over 70 million residents, weaving a harmonious medley of words that bind the nation together.

But listen closely, and you'll hear a delightful fusion of dialects and languages from every corner of the world. German, Flemish, Arabic, Italian, Chinese, Vietnamese, Creole, and Breton add vibrant hues to the cultural canvas, celebrating the nation's diversity and openness to the world.

Nevertheless, when you go, it pays to know some basic French phrases as locals often appreciate the efforts put in by visitors who try to speak their language. Just don’t confuse faire la tête (to sulk) with faire la fête (to party)!

French Cuisine: a gastronomic ballet

France is a foodie capital for a reason.

Prepare to be enchanted by the culinary ballet that unfolds in France, for this is the land where food becomes art, and dining is a celebration of life. France culture embraces gastronomy with a passion, elevating every meal to a symphony of flavors and textures that dance upon the taste buds.

French cuisine speaks of expression and passion; and much socialising is done around lengthy meals and is completelly part of the French culture and traditions.

From the sumptuous boeuf bourguignon , where tender beef melds with velvety wine sauce, to the savory coq au vin, where chicken and red wine unite in a harmonious duet, each dish is a masterpiece of culinary creativity. Savor the richness of ratatouille , a sun-kissed melody of vegetables that transports you to the idyllic gardens of Provence.

Over the years, cooking styles have evolved from the heavier, saucier and more complicated dishes to what is now a reflection of a modern yet still highly sophisticated society.

French food and cooking are generally considered the backbone of many cuisines across the Western world. A beloved tradition, the French Gastronomic meal is classified as a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage of humanity. Let’s go back in time and see its diverse journey…

Fashion in France: A Haute Couture Symphony

Behold the elegance that graces the boulevards of Paris, where the world of fashion becomes a symphony of style. France culture boasts a legacy of haute couture, with Paris reigning as the unrivaled fashion capital of the globe. Locals exude sophistication effortlessly, their outfits a work of art that combines classic elegance with contemporary chic.

The streets become a catwalk, where demure flowy dresses, well-cut suits, and stylish long coats waltz in harmony with scarves and berets. Embrace the enchanting magique of French style, and let your own fashion sense dance to the rhythm of Parisian glamour.

As a fashion capital , Paris __ is home to numerous high-end fashion houses including Chanel, Christian Dior, Hermes and Louis Vuitton .

You will notice that many locals have a distinct sophisticated style, which seems effortlessly thrown together. That’s the French magique! Typical outfits include demure flowy dresses, well-cut suits, long coats, scarves and berets.

Art and Architecture and culture in France

As you venture through the heart of France culture, prepare to be awestruck by the timeless beauty of art and architecture that adorn the cities and towns. Paris, a living art gallery, showcases a breathtaking array of cultural and architectural styles, each reflecting a different chapter in the nation's history. Marvel at the soaring Gothic cathedrals that touch the heavens, their majestic spires reaching for the divine. Embrace the graceful facades of Renaissance palaces, where opulence and refinement unite in a harmonious symphony. Each building tells a story, a testimony to the artistic brilliance that has shaped the nation.

The French LOVE their art . And we love that about the French! Art is everywhere and you simply cannot escape from it, particularly in Paris and other major cities. As you explore the cities and towns, you will no doubt appreciate the many different cultural and architectural styles that decorate the cities’ interior and skylines.

Gothic, Renaissance, Romanesque Rococo and Neoclassic influences can be seen in many churches and public buildings, mixed in with somef modern architecture.

As for some of history's most renowned artists such as Claude Monet, Edgar Degas and Camille Pissarro , Paris was a major source of their inspiration, which gave rise to the Impressionism movement in the 19th century. When you visit, you must make it a point to visit the Louvre Museum in Paris. It is among the world's largest museums and is home to many famous works of art, including the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo.

Cinema is also a big part of the French Culture .

Cinema: A Love Letter to Life

France culture holds cinema in its heart, for it is through this magical art form that stories come alive and emotions find their voice. As you step into the world of French cinema, you'll be swept away by a love letter to life, where every frame is a canvas that paints the complexities of human emotions. Dive into the depths of French cinema, where drama and comedy intertwine, leaving audiences captivated by the magic of storytelling.

In the realm of French culture, cinema is an art form that holds a special place in the hearts of the French people. It is more than just entertainment; it is a powerful medium that offers a window to the soul of the nation. The French film industry has a rich and storied history, dating back to the birth of cinema itself. From the pioneering works of the Lumière brothers in the late 19th century to the avant-garde movements of the 20th century, French cinema has been a trailblazer in shaping the language of cinema worldwide.

Every year, the Alliance Française organizes the highly anticipated French Film Festival, a celebration of the finest cinematic treasures that France has to offer. With a carefully curated lineup of films spanning a diverse range of genres, from thought-provoking dramas to heartwarming comedies, the festival provides a captivating showcase of the art of storytelling. These films transport audiences to the heart of French culture, offering a glimpse into the intricacies of human emotions and experiences that resonate across borders and cultures.

At the French Film Festival, viewers are invited to embark on an exquisite journey through the lives of characters who grapple with love, loss, joy, and hope. The films delve into the complexities of human relationships, reflecting the nuances of French society and the human condition. The artful cinematography, evocative soundtracks, and compelling performances by some of France's most talented actors create an immersive experience that leaves a lasting impression on the audience.

French cinema is not confined to the glitz and glamour of mainstream productions; it also embraces the world of independent and art-house films. These often push the boundaries of storytelling, exploring themes that are thought-provoking and unconventional. The French filmmakers' unyielding commitment to artistic expression has earned them accolades and recognition at prestigious international film festivals, solidifying France's place as a powerhouse in the global film industry.

For cinephiles and enthusiasts alike, the French Film Festival is a cineaste's dream come true. It provides an opportunity to discover the works of emerging filmmakers and rediscover the masterpieces of legendary directors. Audiences can witness the evolution of French cinema over the decades, observing how it has mirrored and shaped society's changing values and aspirations.

Tip: Grab a Paris Pass to get access to over 50 of Paris’ cultural and art attractions.

For more travel inspiration and information on France Rail Passes and tickets, head to www.raileurope.com.au , where you can use the destination guide and interactive map to help with the trip planning.

By Redaction France.fr

The magazine of the destination unravels an unexpected France that revisits tradition and cultivates creativity. A France far beyond what you can imagine…

The important players in France's history

Culture and Spirituality

5 museum exhibitions to visit from home

See the world from home

Northern France

French gastronomy throughout the centuries

Handiplage, accessible beaches in France

An Emily in Paris inspired itinerary!

Côte d'Azur - French Riviera

The Most Beautiful Golf Courses in France

Dreamy Wedding Destinations in France