Cultural Differences Of France And The United States

The word ‘culture’ originated from the French meaning, “to tend to the Earth and grow, cultivate and nurture.” (Zimmerman, 2015). Culture, in general, is something that varies greatly among different regions of the world. Even inside the United States, there are many cultural differences. This is true as well for France. The culture and people of France have been shaped by astounding historical events and the geography in which the country resides. The most common characteristics of France include its landscape, lifestyle, customs and traditions, its values and history. The Capital of France is Paris and the overall population is approximately 66,259,012 people (2014). The official language of France is French, approximately 88% of the total population speaks French. France is the second largest country in Europe and can be described as a channel that borders Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Germany and Belgium. On opposing sides, France is bordered by the English Channel, Bay of Biscay (both parts of the Atlantic Ocean) and the
Mediterranean Sea. France is home to three mountain ranges and dozens of rivers. The Alps, Pyrenees and Vosges mountain ranges can be found in various parts of the country. The Loire River is the longest river in France at 630 miles in length. Other major rivers include the Rhine, Rhone Seine, Lot and Garonne rivers. The weather is described as having cool winters and mild summers in central France. Along the Mediterranean, summers begin to become hot and winters become mild (Worldatlas, 2017). French culture is one that is highly romanticized; most people would associate France with its fashion, art and cuisine, and of course the City of Lights however, the true culture varies greatly from region to region.
Hence, France does not have just one culture, but many. This can be compared to the description of the United States culture as the “melting pot” which depicts that there are many different types of people that one might encounter. Regarding French cuisine, complicated preparation, baguettes and lots of wine is essential no matter what socioeconomic level a Frenchman may be as it is the primary source of French socialization. Because of the availability of water, French people enjoy fish; the soil is rich allowing for crops to grow, the most common being grapes for wine. Fashion can be best described as fitted and unique, as it would be in what could be considered the fashion capital of the
world. Traditions of France descend from the history of wars in which men died fighting for their country. These traditions take form as holidays to include, historical, religious and life events. Historical holidays include “May Day” on May 1st which is a custom where the people gather and plant a tree to celebrate the first of the new month. They also celebrate “Bastille Day” on July 14th to remember the day in the French Revolution in which farmers and middle-class workers boycotted at Bastille Jail because they were tired of being starved. Other celebrations follow similarly to American holidays such as Christmas and Birthdays. As briefly mentioned, the French language heavily affects culture in that it teaches people how to think. The four aspects of the French language include its directness, verbal expression, socialization and pure enjoyment of the language (Finney, 2001). These four aspects are embraced and assist in the French belief that their language is the best in the world. The French are extremely prideful people when it comes to their nation. Any negative mentions are sure to offend, and thus French people can often be depicted as rude by foreigners in cases that their country is belittled. France is not romanticized only for its geographical beauty, but its embodiment of romance and passion. The French people are very open to many things when it comes to romance, which can either be helpful or detrimental when it comes to military conflict. The French truly value chauvinism in that they believe that everything that they are is superior to any other. The type of government that the French abide by is the republic in which the power is solely vested in the people who exercise this power though elected representatives, much like the American Democracy. Although women are playing a greater role in society, it is still a very patriarchal country. The greatest historical mark for France was the French Revolution that took place in the eighteenth century. On July 14, 1789, the “Storming of Bastille” kicked off the French Revolution. This revolution was a period of social and political endeavors carried on by Napoleon. It was influenced by enlightenment ideas such as popular sovereignty and inalienable rights. The revolution did not achieve all goals; however, it did shape France into the modern nation it is today. The French also contributed to the World Wars, in July of 1914 the ‘Great War’ began in Europe. The French Army was one of the ‘Tripe Entente’ powers against the Central Powers of Europe. The French Commander-in-Chief in 1918 was Joseph Joffre, who was responsible for the mobilization and concentration plan against Germany. When WWI ended, Germany was left with all the debts resulting in backlash leading to World War II. During WWII, France and Britain declared war on Germany due to the German invasion of Poland. This quickly became the fall of France due the massive casualties that France suffered in frontal attacks in 1914. The Battle of France on June 5, 1940 launched when Britain left the French to fend for themselves against the German Army. France lost control of the Northwest and part of the south of its country. This remained until 1944 when Operation Overlord by western allies assisted in the Liberation of France. Overall, the French culture can be described as “very polite, reserved and dignified” unless insulted as being second to anything else (Finney, 2001). It has rich history, art, cuisine, language and national values. France is home to many people of various ethnic backgrounds and is known for its sophisticated approach towards life and fashion. The French are known to attempt to fight for their country with dignity as they value the grand place that it is today.