Desperately seeking advice French vs. Comp Lit

[Francophile1]

Hello,

 

I am currently in a French MA program and although I am loving it I am also wondering about transferring into a Comp. lit PhD after.

My main issue is that I speak and know 4 languages fluently and would like to utilise this to study lit. in a global perspective and not limit myself to one language. However, I have heard many negative things about the job market after a PhD in Comp lit.

 

Finding a job after graduation is obviously very important. I am in a great program now, top notch we could say, but there isn't really room to take a lot of classes outside of mt department.

 

If you guys can please offer some advice. I would like to study French English And Russian Feminism in the future.

 

I will definitely stay for the MA because I need the extra background knowledge in French but after that I'm not sure.

Any advice?

[danieleWrites]

The comp lit job market in the US sucks rocks right now. Have you considered taking your interests globally, instead? Could you do comp lit in France? I suppose my question is more about whether or not you want to be employed in the US, or if you could see yourself doing work in global literary studies in another country. I have no idea about comp lit in other countries. I just know that my comp lit PhD candidate friends are all from other countries, except for one, and will be returning once they get the PhD.

[Francophile1]

Thanks for your reply. Actually the teaching situation in France is not good as far as jobs go, I have been told numerous times that I will have a much better chance getting hired in the US. And as comp lit programs go there they are very different and not as interdisciplinary as back here.

Of course I would love to work in France or the US, but I am really trying to decide whether getting a PHD in a language is better than in Comp. Lit as far as US is concerned. I have heard numerous comments that comp. lit departments are few but is it true that they can hire you for other programs? Like English and another specialization, or french and st else?

[smellybug]

I would take this advice with a grain of salt. Generally, Comp Lit-ers do fairly well on the job market (all things considered--yes it's sucky out there for everyone) because they are hireable in more than one area. In other words, a PhD in French will qualify you to teach in French, but a PhD in Comp Lit focused on French and English literature would make you hireable for French and English and Comp Lit departments. At my school the Comp. Lit placement stats are the same as the English placement stats.

[Francophile1]

thanks!

If any one has any other input please let me know.

Also does anyone one know if I want to study French and Russian feminine authors in France Is this something that a comp lit department would have more flexibility of offering or is it possible to study such a thing within a French department?

 

Do foreign language departments mostly just focus on that language and lit and don't allow much flexibility?