Questions about France and the French (2)

See also :

A few more questions about France

 Q.

 A.
 What is the Euro ? The Euro is now the currency of 12 countries (the European Union minus : UK, Denmark, Sweden) in Europe, including France. The Franc remained in use until February 17, 2002 but it as a fixed proportion of one Euro (1 Euro = 6,55957 Francs).... As explained in a recent and brilliant book by T.R.Reid,the Euros can be considered, after only three years, like an outstanding success and a major achievement for the building of Europe.
 Why so many police in the streets? Given the number of revolutions in this country (1789, 1830, 1848, 1871, 1936, 1968, to name a few), the State is always afraid of trouble and riots in Paris. This is why until the 1970s, Paris was the only city in France which did not have an elected mayor.
Why are French women so slim?  The answer is in French Fried (published in 2001) ! Read about the French woman and the Seven-S Rule....
Why don't they speak English ? It would be easier for everybody.  Their language is extremely important for the French : children spend hours every day on grammar and dictations. It is socially crucial to speak and write well and the annual contest "La Dictée" (the dictation) is followed by millions on TV. Read about "l'exception culturelle française" (the French cultural exception)
   More questions ?

How do the French see their own country ?

Following are a few commonly shared stereotypes of France as seen globally by the French.

  • A " Harmonious " country : the French always refer to France as the " hexagon " ; it is a fact that the shape of the country fits in a regular hexagon but the image is so commonly used that it must be seen as a sign that even the shape of the country refers to " harmony " and " regularity ". The French also value their temperate climate, i.e. not too hot, not too cold, etc, the mix of seaside, mountain and plains as proof that France's geography reflects perfection. Read some geographical facts.
  •    The rooster is the national bird, dating back to old Gallic traditions. It shows a genuine sense of humor to take such a stupid and arrogant animal as a national symbol. As Churchill pointed out, "no wonder the French took it as an emblem: it is the only animal who can sing with his feet in mud and believe that he is the one who makes the sun rise..."
  • Seing itself as the country " which invented the concept of Human Rights", France sincerely considers it is entitled to defend it worldwide and there is an implicit competition with the USA, which have exactly the same feeling !
  • An important country ! The French refuse to admit that their country is a medium-size world power ! You may consider it ridiculous (and you'll be right very often) ; but you may also consider it positively : the French did not give up and in fact, their influence is smaller than they think but bigger than it would be if they had given up exercising some form of leadership ! Read Peyrefite and Frischer.
  • A "modèle social" (social model) : the French are proud of their social protective policies (unemployment, health, education,..) and very attached to them ; they wonder why other countries do not emulate them.
  • The North-South split is deeply felt. The South is Medtiterranean, close to the Roman roots, speaking languages deriving from Latin (they are called "regions of Langue d'Oc languages") when the North is Germanic, close the the Frankish roots (they are called "régions of Langue d'Oil" languages). The French have mutual stereotypes on both sides of the limit (which is the river Loire). More about the French splits.
  • More to come

What a challenge to explain France and the French to Americans!

 Asked to speak on several occasions while in the States, Harriet Welty Rochefort was asked questions about

  • why are the French anti-American
  • the Euro (it was down, now it's up),
  • are they as aggressive with each other as with other people ? Answer : no : they are worse. This is a KEY fact ! Read a quote about it.
  • freedom of the press in France (yes, there's freedom of the press!),
  • what kind of sports the French practice (the same ones we practice in the States except baseball and football),
  • what language the French use in French schools (French!!)
  • and the most frequently asked question: are the French rude (no, not really but it's more byzantine than that : see French Toast !!!)
  • Why are the French both arrogant and self-depricating ? Read a quote about it.
  • what she thought about Mondavi wines coming to Languedoc Roussillon (opinion yet to be made)
  • There were, obviously, many questions about how and what the French eat. Top query on that list was: How do they eat all that food and stay slim? If they read Harriet's last book, French Fried: The Culinary Capers of an American in Paris, hopefully they'll get the answer!

Speaking engagements such as these show two things: great curiosity about France and all things French, and how different the French really are - still - in this era of globalization (which the French call "mondialisation").

See a list of 112 questions about the French the US Army answered after D-Day to explain this strange country to the GI's.

Frequently asked questions

  In addition to the questions above, some FAQ are :

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For more on intercultural differences, order Harriet Welty Rochefort's books :

  • "French Toast, An American in Paris Celebrates The Maddening Mysteries of the French", St.Martin's Press, New York, 1999
  • "French Fried, The Culinary Capers of An American in Paris", St.Martin's Press, New York, 2001

More on Harriet's books (excerpts, upcoming events, testimonials, etc..)

Together or separately, Harriet and Philippe speak about Intercultural Differences : click here for information.

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