French Culture and Society

I.

II.

French Symbols:
Town halls
La Marianne (1789)
o Represents freedom/democracy as opposed to Monarchy
Triumph de la republique
o Bronze sculpture in Paris: Place de la national
French Flag = French tricolor
o White Monarchy
o Blue/red Paris/People
o Official in 1793
La Marseillaise (1792)
o National Anthem
o By Capt. Rouget de Lisle
Rooster
o Gallus = rooster
o Gaulouis Gaul France
In mid 1800s became official symbol of France
Sport
o Football/Rugby/Archery
o Le coq sportifs
French Coins
LHexagone (6 sides)
The French Spirit Art de vivre a la Franoise

1. 8th -7th BC Greeks (South)

a. Gaulois cectic tribes east
b. Farmers agriculture
2. Romans invade Gaul
a. Galleo = Romans civilization
th
3. 5 -6th centuries
a. Celts Britain
b. Franks German
4. 9th century:
a. Vikings (north, Normandy)
5. Basques, Corsicans, Catalans, Bretons(Celts), Alsatians (AlsaceLorraine)
6. Foreigners/immigration:
a. North Africa (60s)
i. Algeria
b. Asia

c. Russian, Spain, Portugal, Italy (60s)

Population = 66.6 million
Unemployment = 9.9%
13 regions
101 Dept.
36,000 communes
III.
French Personality (Lespirit Francais)
Descartes (1596-1650) Philosopher
o Faites of modern philosophy codified the French system of
logical thinking Cartesian logic
Art of teoric:
o Thesis
o Antithesis
o Synthesis
Age of enlightenment (17th -18th century)
o Voltaire (1694-1778) satirical writings. SATAIRE
Charlie Hebdo
Le Conard Enchaine
Play on words
Rhetoric , debate, discussion
Class 2: The weight of history
I.

Some historical Landmarks (shaped todays FRANCE)

Gaul:
o
o
o
o
o

name of France for the Gaulois = Acnestors (1000 years B.C)

Celt tribes
Farmers
Roads/Ports
Practical
Vercingetouix French Hero (19th century)
In Alesia, Elise Saint Reine
Resistance, Dignity. Pride in Defeat.
Roman Conquest:
o Consequences:
Language
Infrastructure of roads, buildings
Established an urban civilization
The Franks: 5th century (Germany)
o France
o Made Paris the capital
o Christianity

o Established monarchy
King Clovis (496)
First king of the franks
o Emperor Charlemagne (747 814)
Religious political and cultural unity
The Vikings: Norman invasion 885
o Weakened the monarchy
Led to a feudal system/of lords
o Bayeux tapestry
The Middle Ages: End of 11th century
o Knights to fight crusades
Recapture Palestine from Muslims
Muslims 2 centuries, 8 crusades
o New Code of chivalry and courtly love
Troubadours
o Medieval France: Influenced by the church
Gothic style: Reims, Notre Dame
The Hundred years war
o England vs. France
o Joan of Arc (1412-1431)
Siege of Orleans (1429)
Captured in 1430
Trial religious court
Burned at stake for being a witch
Symbol of French patriotism
Renaissance
o King Francois 1st
Military campaign in Italy
Artist and thinkers
o War of religions (1572-1593)
Catholics vs. protestants/Huguenots
o Massacre of Bartholomeus
Huguenots murdered
o King Henri IV de Navarre (1553 -1610)
Edit de Nantes (1598)
Secured protestants freedom to worship
Murdered 1610
o Revocation of edit de Nantes
Protestants no longer safe
Immigration 400,000 Huguenots to:
Netherlands, Britain, Canada, South
Carolina, South Africa

Classicism
o King Louis XIV (Sun King)
Reign for 73 years (1643-1715)
Absolute Monarchy
Letat cest mol
Absolute power given by divine right
Political power and religious architecture: Versailles
(50 years to build) (50,000 workers died)
o Moliere (1622-1673)
Academie Francais
o Jean de la Fontaine (1621-1695)
o Foreign expansion
Compagnis des sandes orientales
1644 explore territories
Mississippi and Louisiana
o Named after king louis
The enlightenment Age
*before, Louis XIV mistress (Madame de Pompadour) Literary Salons
o Louis XV/XVI
o Philosophers
Voltaire
Diderot
Challenged authority of church and absolute
monarchy
o French lost territory in America, India to British
o Increase of taxes

The French Revolution (1789)

o National Assembly = may
Tennis court oath constitution (June)
o Fall of Bastille prison July 14th 1789
Abolish privileges
Declaration of the rights of men and the citizens
o Confiscated church property
o Local government was reformed
o Declared separation of:
Legislative
Executive
Judicial
Creation of the 1st European constitution
o 1791 King captured (beheaded)
o 1792 Republic was proclaimed
o 1794 Revolutionary committee was overthrown

o
o
o
o
o
o
o

Directory for 5 years

Napoleon coup dtat (1799)
Power: Aristocracy
Declaration of the rights of men + the citizen
Separation of church + state
Separation of powers
Creation of Liberte, egalite, fraternite:
Creation of national anthem La marseillese
New system of weight, metric system

Napoleon: 1st republic

o Emperor died 1840
1. Many essential reforms that shapes France
a. Code Napoleon = Code civil
2. Imposed an authorization, centralized regime
3. Established La Banque de France
4. Instituted a state secondary and tertiary education
5. Driving on the right side
6. He treated a distinguished service award
a. Legion of honor

The republics
o 2nd republic
After Napoleons defeat over the British restoration of
Monarchy
1848: Revolution of 1848 Abolished monarchy and
slavery
o 2nd republic (1848 1852)
Napoleons nephew elected president in 1848
Emperor Napoleon III
Defeated by the Prussians: Loss of Alsace Lorraine
Abolition of monarchy + slavery
Industrial Revolution Building of French Railway network
+ urban redesign of Paris
By Baron Haussmann
French Defeat in 1870 against the Prussians Loss of
Lorraine + Alsace
o 3rd Republic (1870-1940)
Transformed by:
Automovile
Telephone
Cinema
Freres Lumiere (Lyon) (1894 1st motion picture)

o XXth

Belle epoque
French Anti-semitism: Dreyfus Affair (1894-1899)
Accused of selling secrets to the Prussians
Emile Zola: Jaccuse letter
Colonial Expansion (Algeria 1836)
North Africa, Africa, Asia
By WWII: 2nd largest colonial empire in the world
end of 3rd republic in 1940
WWI: Germans declared war August 3, 1914.
Armistice Treaty signed Nov 11, 1918
1.5 million French soldiers were killed
all young French males killed
Recovery of Alsace Lorraine
WWII: Hitler declared war in 1939
By 1940 French army collapsed
France was occupied: North of France, Atlantic
coastline
Marechal Petain
o Agreed for France to become occupied
o Government in Vichy collaboration
Deportation of thousands of Jews and French
people were sent to compulsory work (Go
work in Germany for Nazis)
o Creation of French Militia to fight the French
resistance movement

o Liberation/New republic: 4th republic

French Resistance Movement headed by Charles de Gaulle
England
June 18, 1840 Famous patriotic call from London urging
French people to fight against the Nazis
June 6, 1944 Landing of the Allied forces in Normandy
August 25, 1944 Liberation of Paris
End of war: May 8, 1945
1946 Start of decolonization with Endochina
War 1954
o Start of Algerian War
Independence 1962
th
5 republic: Born out of crisis of Algerian war
o De Gaulle back in power
o May 68: Revolution led by students
De Gaulle resigns
o 1981: Socialism President Francois Milterand

Series of cohabitation: president and prime minister

from different parties
o 2012: Socialist President: Francois Hollande

3rd class
I.

Calendar
Gregorian calendar: Established in 1852 by pope Gregore XIII
replaced Julian Calendar 45 BC
New year: twice a year
o 1st of January: New civil year. (St Sylvestre: Dec 31st: New years
eve)
o Rentree / Back to school
La Rentree politque, La rentree syndicale, La rentree
des theatres, beginning of French soccer championship
Saint
o St Chistopher
o St Vincent Winegrowers
State holidays
o Jan 1st = Jour de lan
Les etrennes Gifts
o May 1st Fete du travaile Labor day
4th trade unions congress in Chicago in 1884
Union and political parties demonstrate
People are given Lily of the valley/muguet
Happiness and good luck
Only day where you can sell on the street without
government permission
o July 14th Fete nationale
Military parade on Champs-Elysees
Televised speech of the president + garden party at the
Elysees Palace (where president lives)
13/14: Big fireworks and dances
o May 8th --> WWII armistice French Liberation Day
o Nov 11th Armistice 1918 WW1 Veterans day
Religious holidays
o Easter Monday Lundi de paques
No bunny, bells bring chocolate to backyard
o LAscencion
40 days after Easter
o Whitsun Monday Pentecost
50 days after Easter

End of May/beginning of June

o August 15 st mary, assumption
Traditional summer vacation
o November 1st La Toussaint All saints day
Flower Chrysanthemums
Clean cemeteries
o December 25 Christmas Noel
Nativity scenes Santons (provence) Nacimiento
Food buche, turkey
Gingerbread/Alsace Strasbourg Christmas markets
13 desserts
Other celebrations
o 6th of January Lepiphanie, la galette reyes magos
La galette des rois = Rosca de reyes
Feve = ceramique figure and if you get it in your piece of
gallete you have to buy it and youre the king
o January 22 Saint vicent day
Patron of winegrowers
Le saint Vincent Tournante
o February 2nd Candle mass La chandeleur
Fiest of candles
Crepes
o Mardi Gras = Fat Tuesday
Carnivals
Beignets Donuts
Carnaval de Venise /Nice
Floats
o 1 april April fools day
Paperfish stick it on the back (kids)
o 14 February Saint Valentin
15th century
o Mothers day End of may
6th century (Rome), celebrated by Napoleon
Became official in 1929
o Father day Mid-June
Became official in 1952
o June 21 La fete de la musique
First day of summer
1982 by Jack Lang (minister of culture)
Others:
o Saint Jean (June 24)
Bonfires
Celebrate the beginning of summer

o November 25
Sainte Catherine
Woman who were 25 and are not married
Ball with special hats
A Catrinette
o October 30
1997 Halloween
o Fete de laid
End of Ramadan
4th class
FAMILY
1. Family names (common)
a. Martin
b. Durand
c. Dupont
d. Meunier (Trades - grains flour)
e. Boulanger
f. Dumont (place)
g. Duval (place)
h. De percin
i. De: Noble
ii. Deperdin (revolution it wasnt a good idea to have de)
2. Christian Names: Parents can chose any name as long as it isnt hurtful
to the child(1993)
a. Unisex
i. Claude
ii. Camille
iii. Dominique
3. Family life
a. Meals are important - Sunday meal
b. Private
c. Woman + household
i. Laws on contraception (1969)
ii. Law on abortion (i.v.g = Intertupcion voluntaire de
Grossesse)
1. 1975
iii. 80% household chores
iv. 80% of women work
d. Children
i. Stay long with their parents Many/steady job
ii. Share activities/vacation

iii. Financial support

4. Family policy
a. 2013: France had highest birthrate in Europe (2 children)
i. family allowances allovations familiales CAF
1. Single parents / income
2. >2 children (<20years old)
3. Handicapped child
4. Back to school allowance
5. Maternity leave (1909) PAID
a. 16 weeks of paid vacation
b. 3rd child 26 weeks off
c. Fathers: 11 days off
6. Parental leave:
a. Mother/father
b. 1-6 years
7. Families with at least 3+ children
a. Special discounts on trains
i. Carte de famille nombreause
b. Marriage/cohabitation
i. Legal age: 18 years
ii. May 2013: same-sex marriage
iii. Age: People marry later
iv. Civil wedding + religious wedding
c. Union libre
i. Live together but not married (since 70s)
ii. PACS = Pacte civil de solidarite
1. 1999
d. Divorce
i. 1 out of 2 couples
ii. Legal procedures simplified
iii. 73% women ask for the divorce
iv. Custody is given to the mother
v. Paris rate is higher than 1 out of 2
e. Singles
i. 1990-1999. It went up 25%

Education
o 3 main principles created for school system
Jules Ferry, minister of education 1883
Free
o books and notebooks are given (public)
Compulsory (primary education)

o Age: 6-16
Secular
o Not religious
o Law 2004 - banning the wearing ostensibly
religious symbols in schools
o Debate on laicite
Centralized
o LEducation Nationale
Government body that has many
different roles
Curriculum, syllabus
National exams
Payment of teachers in public schools
o Baccalaureat: exam to graduate from high school
o Options after the baccalaureat:
BTS ( 2 years)
IUT= institute Universitaitre technologique (2 years)
Preparatory school grandes ecoles
ENA: Ecole Nationale dAdministration (Napoleon
1804)
o Best civil cervants
Polytechnique: Physics and maths
Hautes Etude Commerciales (HEC)
Saint-Cyr (military school)
La Fac university
Free (tuition fees 500/800 euros per year)
o Challenges
Education Nationale: 1 million teachers (19% state budget)
Students protestants
Stents Protests Infrastructurues / lack of space
Entrance quotas
Selective process
Limits in the theory of education as a social elevator
Debate on rythmes scolaires /schedules
Infrastructures are absolute
Pedagogy not very active
Gap between school and real life
10% of students quit school without a diploma

Class 5: RELIGION IN FRANCE

France is a lay/secular country laicite
Strict separation church/state
Culturally France is a Christian country
*France was officially the first country to be considered Catholic (The Franks.
Clovis. 496)

Catholicism:
o 1996: 81%
o 2006: 60%
o Cultural; only 10% of Catholics actually practice it; 20% are
Catholics only on Christmas, Easter);
o Wars of Religion (16th c.)
Huguenots vs. Catholics
o Jansenism (17th and 18th century)
Religious and political movement
Based on St. Augustin
o Conservative
Catholic church was getting to close to the royal
absolutism
Negation of free will
o Anticlericalism (1905)
Started with the French revolution
Split between church and state
Loi separation de leglise et de letat (law of 1905)
Attacked privileges and wealth of the church
o Social Catholicism
CFTC (Confederation Francais de travailleurs Christians)
1929
JAC (Jeunesse Agricole Catholic) 1929 Young Christian
Farmers
JOC (Jeunesse Ouvriere Chretienne) Young Christian
workers 1925
Worker priests (prertes ouvriers) After WWI

Forbidden in 50s by Pope XII (because of cold war)

1954
Allowed again in the 60s by Pope Paul VI
o Renewal/Ecumenism
Community of Taize
Brother Roger wanted to gather all people together
Journees Mondiales de la jeunesse (gathering of young
Catholics)
World youth day
o Church is losing influence on societal decisions
Protestantism
o 4% of the French population
o Only 1/3 considered themselves practicing it
o Huguenots Persecuted Henry IV (Potestant but convereted
to catholic to become a king)
1598 Edcit of Nantes. Protected right of Huguenots.
Henry XIV was assassinated by a catholic fanatic in
1610
o Edit de Nantes was revocated. No longer valid
Revocation of the edict of Nantes. 1685 (Louis XIV)
Sun king
Massive immigration
o Egalitarian ideals of revolution led to more freedom end of
prosecution
o 1802 Huguenot church legally recognized in France
Judaism
o 1% of the population France = the most important community
o >50% live in Paris region
o 4th century A.D: 1st Jews in Alsace. South of France
o Granted French citizenship only during the French revolution
o Ashkenaze Jews: Poland and Russia (19th-20th century)
o Sepharadic Jews: North Africa. After decolonization
o The dreyfus affair: 1894 (sold secrets to the Germans)
Emile Zola Jaccuse saying Dreyfus wasnt guilty
Cleared from all accusations of treason in 1906
Nazi occupation Deportation of 78,000 Jews
Deportation = Nazi camps
With the complicity of Vichy French government
o Anti-Semitism (hate to Jewish people)
Terrorist attacks, slogans painted, desecration of Jewish
graves.
Islam
o 2nd religion in France

o 4 million
o Increasing number of Muslims that came from North Africa in
60s.
o Harkis (North African)
Algerians who fought with the French army during Algerian
independence war
o Sunnite tradition: liberal of Coran
o Increase in Fundamentalists Jihad Terrorist acts
o Lack of mosques (1/3 mosques Paris region)
Other religions
o Buddhism 300 prayer centers + 90 training institutes
South east population
o Cults Les sectes +/- 172 cults Jehovahs witnesses
2001 Loi anti-secte: State can dissolve a sect that was
prosecuted
People with no religion
o 25% French say they are non-believers
o Tradition of anti/clericalism

Class 6
Gastronomy = 8th Art
Linked to tradition
Quality products
1990: La semaine de gout. Every October
Promote healthy eating
Encourage tasty food
Sunday lunch (long)
Gift
sante A votre sante A ta sante a la votre
In cities, people invite each other at a restaurant
Outside cities, people invite each other at home
A.O.C= Applacion dorigine controlle wines/cheese
French protected Denomination of origin)
Roquefort/camemebert/Brie
o Burgundy cannot make Brie because its from the region Brie
Champagne comes from the region Champagne
Agriculture Biologique (at least 95% ingredients are organically grown
Label Rouge = Superior Quality

 Max Havelaar label = fair trade label

Terroir = Terre
Soil, climate, geography, cultural methods
Produits du terrois
Traditional
Quality
Related to a particular region
Kosher products
Hallal products
Wine
Consumption declined: France + Italy: 1st consumers in Europe
France: 1st exporter of wine in Europe, with Spain. Sales to Asia
Red Wine (58% purchases) White, Rose

Kir
2/3 aligote (white) + 1/3 (cassis) (blackcurrant liquor)
Comes from Chanoine Kir = Major of Dijon (40s -50s)
1946: he thought White wine was too sour
Communar
-2/3 red wine + 1/3 cassis (blackcurrant liquor
Cheese
>400 types
name of cheese = particular region
Maid with lait cru = raw milk