Abstract
The cosmopolitan reasoning that individuals develop with regard to cultural products and artworks constitutes an outlook on the world that belongs simultaneously to the realm of knowledge and imagination: in fact, the three modes of reception, based on realism, verisimilitude, and fictional escapism, often all blend together. Most importantly, these kinds of contacts with alterity through artworks and cultural products can be combined in different ways to provide a representation of the world. The use of artworks and cultural products—especially when these take a narrative form—not only lets individuals craft their own world view, but also allows them to engage in critical thinking on politics and ethics in their attempt to understand their society. This is because all narratives—by virtue of the fact that they necessarily structure actions and events—fundamentally elicit the approval or disapproval of their recipients, leading to a multitude of qualitative, moral, and value-based judgements.
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Notes
- 1.
For an excellent introduction to this topic, see the compilation of lectures given by Eco (1992), a text that also includes reactions and commentary by a number of scholars, including Rorty.
- 2.
- 3.
Woman, 21 years old, born in France, pursuing a BTS (associate’s degree) in social and home economics, lives with her parents, originally from Mali, in the Île-de-France region.
- 4.
Woman, 22 years old, born in France, pursuing her bachelor’s degree in applied foreign languages and works as an education assistant in a school in Blanc-Mesnil, lives with her parents in the Île-de-France region; both parents are French.
- 5.
Woman, 21 years old, born in France, pursuing a BTS (associate’s degree) in social and home economics, lives with her parents, originally from Mali, in the Île-de-France region.
- 6.
Barthes explains (1986, p. 148): “For just when these details are reputed to denote the real directly, all that they do—without saying so—is signify it; Flaubert’s barometer, Michelet’s little door finally say nothing but this: we are the real; it is the category of “the real” (and not its contingent contents) which is then signified; in other words, the very absence of the signified, to the advantage of the referent alone, because the very signifier of realism: the reality effect is produced, the basis of that unavowed verisimilitude which forms the aesthetic of all the standard works of modernity.”
- 7.
Woman, 21 years old, born in France, studying part-time in a business school, works in business development, marketing and communications, lives with her parents in the Île-de-France region; both parents are Turkish.
- 8.
Man, 23 years old, born in the Somme region, holds a professional baccalaureate in electrotechnical studies, works as a temporary worker in construction, lives with his girlfriend in Paris; both parents are French.
- 9.
Man, 22 years old, born in France, has lived and attended high school in Munich, pursuing a master’s degree in political science, lives with his French mother and German stepfather in Paris.
- 10.
Woman, 26 years old, born in France, holds a professional baccalaureate in secretarial accounting, currently looking for work, lives with her mother in the Île-de-France region; both parents are Portuguese and she lived for one year in Portugal.
- 11.
Woman, 21 years old, born in France, pursuing a BTS (associate’s degree) in social and home economics, lives with her parents, originally from Mali, in the Île-de-France region.
- 12.
Man, 27 years old, born in Senegal, works as an orderly in a Paris hospital, lives with his younger brother in the north of Paris; both parents are Senegalese.
- 13.
French film directed by Maïwenn, released in 2011, which shows the daily work of police officers in the Child Protection Unit of the Paris police.
- 14.
Woman, 26 years old, born in France, holds a professional baccalaureate in secretarial accounting, currently looking for work, lives with her mother in the Île-de-France region; both parents are Portuguese and she lived for one year in Portugal.
- 15.
Woman, 25 years old, born in France, works as a nurse in a large paediatric hospital in Paris, lives with her mother in the Île-de-France region; father was born in Italy and mother was born in France.
- 16.
Man, 22 years old, born in France, is pursuing studies in osteopathy, lives in Paris with his girlfriend; both parents are French.
- 17.
South-Korean film directed by Park Chan-Wook, released in 2003 and inspired by a manga by Nobuaki Minegishi and Garon Tsuchiya originally published in 1997. The latter was itself largely inspired by the Count of Monte Cristo.
- 18.
Woman, 26 years old, born in France, holds a professional baccalaureate in secretarial accounting, currently looking for work, lives with her mother in the Île-de-France region; both parents are Portuguese and she lived for one year in Portugal.
- 19.
Man, 22 years old, born in France, holds a Brevet d’aptitude aux fonctions d’animateur (youth worker qualification), gives guitar lessons, lives with his mother in the Île-de-France region; father is Tunisian and mother is French.
- 20.
Brazilian film directed by Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund , released in 2002, an adaptation of the eponymous novel written by Brazilian novelist Paulo Lins in 1997.
- 21.
Science fictional universe created by George Lucas in 1977 and which produced a first trilogy of American films, released between 1977 and 1983, and then, a second trilogy released between 1999 and 2005, and finally, a third trilogy starting in 2015.
- 22.
Male, 23 years old, born in France, pursuing a master’s degree in history, lives with his parents in the Île-de-France region; both parents are French.
- 23.
Man, 21 years old, born in France, pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Japanese, works in a recreation centre, lives with his parents in the Île-de-France region; father is Egyptian and mother is Algerian.
- 24.
Woman, 26 years old, holds a bachelor’s degree in foreign language and literature studies and a BTS (associate’s degree) in commercial management, works as a sales assistant, lives in the Île-de-France region; father is from Ghana, mother is from France.
- 25.
Woman, 21 years old, born in France, pursuing a BTS (associate’s degree) in social and home economics, lives with her parents, originally from Mali, in the Ile de France region.
- 26.
Man, 22 years old, holds a BTS (associate’s degree) in accounting, works part-time, lives alone in the Île-de-France region; both parents are French.
- 27.
Man, 23 years old, born in France, holds a master’s degree in social science, lives in Montreuil; both parents are French.
- 28.
Man, 24 years old, born in France, pursuing a master’s degree in computer science research and working full-time as an educational assistant for elementary school children with disabilities; father is Italian and mother is Indian. He lives with his parents in the Île-de-France region.
- 29.
Man, 21 years old, born in France, nursing student, lives in Saint-Denis with his girlfriend; father is Moroccan, mother is from Brittany.
- 30.
An American police procedural television series that ran in the USA from 2004 to 2013 (and in France from 2005 to 2014 on TF1, since 2013 on TV Breizh and TMC, and since 2015 on HD1). It follows the investigations of a team of NYPD forensic scientists.
- 31.
An American television drama series that ran from 2003 to 2010 (and in France since 2004 on Paris Première and 2005 on M6) and which follows the life of two 40-something plastic surgeons working in a Miami clinic.
- 32.
An American serial political drama that ran from 1999 to 2006 (and in France starting in 2001 on France 2, since 2003 on Série Club, and since 2005 on France 4) that was set primarily in the West Wing of the White House, where the presidential staff offices are located.
- 33.
An American comedy-drama television series that ran from 2007 to 2014 (and since 2008 in France on M6), and which follows troubled New York novelist Hank Moody in his Los Angeles exile, separated from his wife and daughter and struggling with writer’s block.
- 34.
An American drama television series that ran from 2001 to 2005 (and in France from 2001 to 2006 on Jimmy and Canal +, then starting in 2004 on France 2, and since 2006 on France 4), and which depicts the members of the Fisher family, who run a funeral home in Los Angeles.
- 35.
An American television medial drama that ran from 2004 to 2012 (and in France from 2006 to 2007 on TF6, from 2007 to 2013 on TF1, and then, since 2013 in rebroadcasts on HD1), which follows Dr Gregory House, an unconventional medical genius at the helm of a team of diagnosticians in a fictional New Jersey hospital.
- 36.
A Norwegian political thriller TV series that has aired on Arte since 2015 and which explores the geopolitical tension around environmental issues in Europe.
- 37.
Man, 27 years old, born in Senegal, works as an orderly in a Paris hospital, lives with his younger brother in the north of Paris; both parents are Senegalese.
- 38.
An American sitcom on air since 2011 (and in France from 2012 to 2015 on TF6 and since 2014 on M6) that follows Jessica Day after a rough break-up, when she looks for an apartment and ends up moving in with three single guys in Los Angeles.
- 39.
Man, 22 years old, born in Belgium, currently unemployed (last job: waiter in a restaurant in Versailles), holds a baccalaureate in economics and social sciences following a chequered educational career, lives alone near Versailles; father is Belgian and mother is French.
- 40.
An American animated series on air since 1997 (and in France on TF1, TF1 Vidéo, and then, in the original subtitled version on GameOne) and which depicts the adventures of four school children living in South Park, Colorado.
- 41.
Man, 27 years old, born in Senegal, works as an orderly in a Paris hospital, lives with his younger brother in the north of Paris; both parents are Senegalese.
- 42.
Man, 24 years old, born in France, pursuing a master’s degree in computer science research and working full-time as an educational assistant for elementary school children with disabilities; father is Italian and mother is Indian. He lives with his parents in the Île-de-France region.
- 43.
Man, 22 years old, born in France, holds a Brevet d’aptitude aux fonctions d’animateur (youth worker qualification), gives guitar lessons, lives with his mother in the Île-de-France region; father is Tunisian and mother is French.
- 44.
Woman, 22 years old, born in Taiwan, holds a baccalaureate in economic and social studies from a French high school, formerly attended preparatory courses, now pursuing her studies in a leading business school in Paris, lives in Paris with her sister (who is attending preparatory courses); both parents are Taiwanese but live in Shanghai.
- 45.
Man, 22 years old, holds a BTS (associate’s degree) in accounting, works part-time, lives alone in the Île-de-France region; both parents are French.
- 46.
Man, 24 years old, born in France, studying fine arts, lives in Lyon; both parents are French.
- 47.
Russian science fiction film directed by Timur Bekmambetov, the first in a trilogy, released in 2004 and based on the eponymous novel by Sergei Loukyanenko .
- 48.
Man, 22 years old, born in Belgium, currently unemployed (last job: waiter in a restaurant in Versailles), holds a baccalaureate in economics and social sciences following a chequered educational career, lives alone near Versailles; father is Belgian and mother is French.
- 49.
Woman, 21 years old, born in France, studying part-time in business school, works in business development, marketing and communications, lives with her parents in the Île-de-France region; both parents are Turkish.
- 50.
American movie directed by Peter Weir and released in 1998, which follows the life of one man, Truman Burbank , who is, unbeknownst to himself, the star of a reality TV show.
- 51.
American horror series on air since 2010 (and in France since 2011 on OSC Choc), adapted by Frank Darabont and Robert Kirkman from the graphic novel of the same name.
- 52.
Woman, 18 years old, first-year law student, lives with her parents in Paris; both parents are French.
- 53.
Man, 22 years old, born in France, pursuing studies in osteopathy, lives in Paris with his girlfriend; both parents are French.
- 54.
Woman, 25 years old, born in France, works as a nurse in a large paediatric hospital in Paris, lives with her mother in the Île-de-France region; father was born in Italy and mother was born in France.
- 55.
Man, 22 years old, born in France, pursuing studies in osteopathy, lives in Paris with his girlfriend; both parents are French.
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Cicchelli, V., Octobre, S. (2018). Understanding the World. In: Aesthetico-Cultural Cosmopolitanism and French Youth. Consumption and Public Life. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-66311-1_10
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