LEGACIES OF EMPIRE: GREATER FRANCE FROM COLONIALISM TO TERRORISM

Abstract

In this thesis, I argue that the legacies of empire and colonization are influencing the development of French identity and are challenging notions of contemporary French society. I argue that these colonial legacies reached a watershed moment in 1989 with the headscarf affair and further provoked violent and socially divisive events such as the 2005 riots and the 2015 terrorist attacks. Furthermore, I argue that the effects of France’s colonial past have created a psychological empire that is negatively affecting many of France’s youths of immigrant origin. As a result of the psychological empire, French society is becoming increasingly stratified along ethnic, cultural, and political lines. This thesis takes a multidisciplinary approach to research on postcolonial French studies, using analysis from contemporary news sources, historical documents, literature, political events, legal cases, and personal recollections.