Monday 28 April 2014

Made in Italy


Objective - Our aim with this project was to research what impact the Made in Italy concept and Italian fashion had on the rest of the world.

Research - Our research consisted of studying prestigious fashion magazines, such as Vogue, as well as looking into the history of the textiles industry in Italy, focusing mainly on the leather industry. We also examined the personal histories of four different fashion houses that were part of the Made in Italy franchise. This concept, we discovered, is used as a guarantee of quality and originality within the global market. The houses that we researched were Dolce and Gabbana, Gucci, Valentino and Alviero Martini. Each of the designers are supporters of the Made in Italy concept, and we researched how this had helped guarantee their success and prestige.

Hypothesis - Our hypothesis was that, due to the protection from Made in Italy and their own originality, each fashion designer had had an enormous impact on world fashion, and had each, at separate times, been the start of a new trend both in fashion styles and methods of manufacture.

Conclusion - In conclusion, we discovered that, through the Made in Italy concept, each fashion house had a guarantee of prestige and quality that has allowed them to influence both high and high street fashion for many years.

Indagati


**WINNER of Best Poster for Italian**

Objective - To investigate and find out more information about Italian football scandals and the people involved.

Hypothesis - We were always aware of the large scale corruption throughout Italian football therefore that is what we expected to find.

Conclusion - We now know that the corruption in Italian football started much earlier than we once thought, moreover the corruption is still present today.

Le differenze tra il nord ed il sud d'Italia


Baloncesto en nuestro mundo


The topic we chose for our project was basketball in our world. The main focus was to research the sport in general, compare the sport within Spain, America and Scotland and find out about the World Cup. We decided on this theme as we all have an interest in sports and it is relevant as the World Cup is being held in Spain this year. We conducted research in the form of online surveys and interviews with people from our chosen countries.

La cultura celta en España


For our project this semester we chose to research the Celtic culture in the north of Spain. Our aim was to become more aware of the similarities between the north of Spain and other countries, specifically Scotland. After researching the history of Celtic culture in Spain, we found many key areas that expressed similarities between the two countries. For example, the traditional music in the north of Spain is very similar as they have their own form of bagpipes called 'gaitas'. Also, some of the Celtic ruins and scenery in northern Spain look very similar to Scotland as you can see in our poster. Another area we researched was the language of northern Spain. We discovered that there has been no recent Celtic language spoken in this area however there are some Galician words that are of Celtic origin. We chose this topic as we are aware that not many people know of the similarities between Scotland and Spain as most people only associate Spain with flamenco music rather than Celtic music and sunny beaches rather than Celtic ruins. We hope to have shown the interesting and surprising similarities between two very different countries and the diversity of Spain.

Gitanos en el mundo


**WINNER of Best Poster for Spanish**

Objective - Our aim was to learn about gypsies throughout the world and to analyse their social and cultural differences in the four countries we studied.

Hypothesis - We thought that, like in Spain, gypsies and their culture would be celebrated throughout the world.

Conclusion - We found that gypsies lead very different lives throughout the world and are often faced with prejudice and discrimination.

La batalla para independencia


Objective - Discuss and analyse the key issues surrounding the independence referendum in Scotland and the debate in Catalonia.

Hypothesis - Both debates share similarities. We will investigate this in order to understand the extent to which this is true.

Conclusions - Both sides share similar reasons for wanting independence, stemming from historical hostility within both countries and economic concerns. The outcome of the Scottish debate will have an influence on the likelihood of Catalonia becoming independent. The future for an independent Scotland is uncertain. It is unclear whether Catalonia will ever have a referendum that complies with the Spanish Constitution.

El arte callejero y el graffiti


Charities through the ages


We chose the title 'Charities Through the Ages' because it represented well the concept of our project, that is to say the evolution of charities in France and in the United Kingdom from their creation to nowadays. The aim was to show that the notion of poverty and the creation of poverty are linked to and defined by the socio-economic context in which they evolve. The poster presents all that through the flags - the French flag and the Union Jack are mixed together - and through photographs whose meaning are striking. Each photograph represents an important aspect of our projects and show the changes between charities and poverty in the past and nowadays. We tried to see if there were any differences between how charities are considered in both countries, and how they came to be. What did it mean to be poor centuries ago? What are the new forms of poverty and what does it mean to be poor now? Does it have the same connotations? We also tried to see in which country charity and the act of giving were the most popular and why. We came to the conclusions that the actual economic context has created a new kind of poor, and thus has raised demand for charities and dons. Now people can work and still be poor and in need. British charities are very different from French ones. The British society is more concerned and involved, and the concept of the 'charity shop' to raise money is completely unknown in France. The most famous charity in the UK, Comic Relief, has become a kind of British institution since it's creation in 1985. On the contrary, the roots of charities in France are more recent, and French society is not as involved as the British one. However, there is a French equivalent to the British Comic Relief, and it is Les Restos du coeur (Restaurants of the Heart) whose aim is to cover the basic need of poor people and to tackle poverty in France. Finally, even if the concepts of charity and fundraising are very different in France and in Britain, it nevertheless denounces an economic system that does not work any more, and a society that becomes more and more individual.

La famille moderne


The aim of our project is to explore the background behind the new laws which have introduced marriage equality in both France and Scotland.

We intended to find out what effect these new pieces of legislation could have on the concept of family in the two societies, as well as responding to the issue of whether this is an issue on which everyone should be able to voice their opinion, particularly considering the separation of Church and State which exists in both Scotland and France. Through our research we were able to discover that these laws could have a positive impact, particularly in terms of more availability for adoption. We also found that there has been a considerable contrast in the reactions against the law in the two countries, as in France there has been far more tension as far as both the government and the public are concerned.

(In)dépendance


The aim of our project was to analyse the extent to which France's former African colonies have achieved true independence. We chose to focus on Central African Republic and the Ivory Coast. We explored the economic and military influence of France upon these countries, particularly with regard to the 2011 crisis in Ivory Coast and the numerous coups in the Central African Republic, culminating in this year's conflict. We were aware that France had intervened considerably in the affairs of these countries in the past and we are under the impression that their modern day influence was minimal. Having explored both the military and economic influence of France on these countries we have concluded that whilst the control that France retains over them has diminished somewhat, the Elysée Palace still enjoys a significant degree of political sway.

La France et le Nouveau Monde


**JOINT WINNER of Best Poster for French**

'To what extent has French colonisation of "The New World" established and influenced the creation of sociocultural aspects of former colonies of France, specifically in Louisiana and Haiti?'

We expected to find a number of elements of these areas which were influenced to varying extents by French colonisation and the slavery subsequently imposed in both regions. After concluding our research we can confirm that we did find many clear links to France in Haiti and Louisiana; specifically in the cuisine and language of both places. We also found clear overlaps between Haiti and Louisiana which we were not necessarily expecting to find. Our poster shows the journeys undertaken by French colonists to reach Haiti and Louisiana, the influences of slavery at this time and the impact it had on creating these regions, and explains the linguistic links and culinary ties in the modern culture of Haiti and Louisiana.

Le Moulin Rouge


La musique électronique


Despite cult followings abroad for the likes of Serge Gainsbourg, Mc Solaar, Jean-Michel Jarre and Edith Piaf, not many French musicians have ever broken into the international charts. Our project aimed to find out what the factors are behind the modern boom in internationally recognised French artists in relation to electronic music. We looked at whether it was a historically perceived lack of innovation from the French or if it was simply more difficult to overcome the Anglo-dominant music world. Today's globalised culture allows the dominance of French artists in the charts. The modern audience's fixation with the dance music scene from the 1980s onwards allows an easier spread of mostly instrumental music. We focused on the historical context of dance music for the poster. Overall our project looks into why the French music scene is now a major player in the international markets.

La femme doit voter


The dates of universal suffrage differ greatly across Europe, and France was almost 30 years behind Scotland in granting women the vote, here we have examined some of the reasons why; laws, women's political leanings, the actions of suffrage groups, and church involvement.

Le journal des faits divers


L'Enseignement du Français aux Enfants Écossais


**JOINT WINNER of Best Poster for French**

Exhibition of 3rd year students' projects in French, Italian and Spanish