|
French opinions...
- The
French do not like market economy !
According to a poll for
the University of Maryland (GlobalScan, Aug.2005, in: Le Figaro
March 25,2006), the answer to the question "The system of
free entreprise and market economy is it the best for the future?"
are :
|
% |
YES |
NO |
| China |
74 |
20 |
| Philippines |
73 |
22 |
| U.S.A. |
71 |
24 |
| South Korea |
70 |
19 |
| India |
70 |
17 |
| Indonesia |
68 |
29 |
| Great-Britain |
67 |
27 |
| Nigeria |
66 |
29 |
| Canada |
65 |
29 |
| Germany |
65 |
32 |
| Spain |
63 |
28 |
| Poland |
63 |
19 |
| Mexico |
61 |
38 |
| Italy |
59 |
31 |
| Kenya |
59 |
25 |
| Brazil |
55 |
30 |
| Turkey |
47 |
36 |
| Russia |
43 |
34 |
| Argentina |
42 |
29 |
| France |
36 |
50 |
- See another
comparative poll on related items with substantial differences
between French and American answers
|
- Identity test for
French Muslims, compared with other European countries (source
: Pew Research Center, in I.H.T.July 7, 2006)
| |
France |
UK |
Germany |
Spain |
USA |
| Muslims feeling more National |
42% |
7% |
13% |
3% |
|
| Muslims feeling more Muslim |
46% |
81% |
66% |
69% |
|
| Christians feeling more National |
83% |
59% |
59% |
60% |
48% |
| Christians feeling more Christian |
14% |
24% |
33% |
14% |
42% |
| "very worried"
about unemployment |
52% |
46% |
56% |
55% |
|
| "very worried"
about Islamic extremism |
30% |
44% |
23% |
22% |
|
| See decline in importance
of religion |
21% |
45% |
18% |
18% |
|
More about communautarism.
|
French society
- France
has among the lowest % of women
in national parliaments
(source : Le Monde March 8, 2005) :
|
Sweden 45%
Finland 38%
Denmark 37%
Netherlands 37%
Spain 36%
Belgium 35%
|
Austria 34%
Germany 33%
Luxembourg 23%
Lithuania 22%
Latvia 21%
Poland 20%
|
Portugal 20%
Estonia 19%
UK 18%
Czech Rep. 17%
Slovakia 17%
Cyprus 16%
|
Greece 14%
Ireland 13%
France 12% (up to 18% after
the 2007 elections)
Slovenia 12%
Italy 12%
Malta 9%
Hungary 9%
|
- NONOs about pickpockets. Paris is the playground for the best
pickpockets in the world (Romanian, Colombians,...). They zoom
in on Americans who offer them the most tempting situations by
:
- Carrying a wallet in the back-pocket
of their pants (men)
- Leaving their handbags open
in the metro, or on the floor in a restaurant (women)
- Believing that a rucksack is
a safe place for values (it can be emptied without your noticing
it)
- Engaging in a conversation with
charming kids : you do not understand what they say and you are
very careful to what they say because you are a nice person and
you want to help them ; during this conversation, their older
sister (or brother) steals everything you have on you
- etc....
Back to DOs&DONTs.
|
- Respondents
of 6 countries were asked what they
thought about the number of legal immigrants residing in their
country (Source : I.H.T./France24, IHT May 25, 2007)
| |
Too many |
About right |
Too few and not sure |
| UK |
67% |
20% |
13% |
| Italy |
55% |
26% |
19% |
| Germany |
55% |
32% |
13% |
| Spain |
45% |
28% |
27% |
| USA |
35% |
43% |
22% |
| France |
32% |
52% |
16% |
- Facts about
abortion in France
- Legal since 1975 (Loi Veil)
and called IVG ("Interruption Volontaire de Grossesse"
for volontary interruption of pregnancy) ; it is never a subject
of political controversy
- Not possible after 12 weeks
pregnancy
- the number is stable : 206,000
IVG par year (2005)
- Reimbursed by Social Security
since Dec.31, 1982
- Since 2000, emergency contraceptives
(" the next-day pill ") can be sold over the counter
and are free for minors
- In Europe, abortion is legal
in 24 countries, forbidden in two (Ireland and Malta) and on
the way to become legal in one (Portugal)
- No European regulation : the
European Court of Human Rights has ruled that all moral questions
involved are the responsibility of each member state
Back to French society
|
Vision of the future : a comparative poll
| (ranking) |
"my future is promising" |
"the future of
our society is promising" |
"I am sure I'll
have a good job in the future" |
| France |
25,6% (8/10) |
4,2% (10/10) |
27,0% (8/10) |
| USA |
54,1 (2/10) |
17,9 ((2/10) |
59,6 (2/10) |
| Germany |
36,5 |
9,7 |
34,3 |
| UK |
35,9 |
6,9 |
38,6 |
| Denmark |
59,6 |
25,9 |
60,0 |
| Sweden |
49,2 |
17,7 |
43,2 |
| Spain |
31,6 |
6,8 |
35,8 |
| Russia |
28,1 |
11,2 |
42,0 |
| Poland |
23,6 |
4,7 |
25,3 |
| Italy |
22,6 |
6,7 |
26,0 |
|
(source
: 22,000 young people 15-29 by Kairos/Fondapol, Le Figaro
Jan.4, 2008)
Other questions :
- "to make a good career,
one must stick to other people's expectations" : France
54%, USA 34%
- "to have a good life, one
needs a lot of money" : France 30%, USA 29%
Back to national
mood and French education
|
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Harriet Welty Rochefort
writes articles and books about France and the French. Order her 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
- "French Toast - Heureuse comme une
Américaine en France", Ramsay, Paris 2005
More on Harriet's books (excerpts, upcoming
events, testimonials, etc..)
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