La culture de la France

La culture de la France... or, the culture of France.

This is a comment that was posted by a fellow classmate from my university back home on my blog with the leadership program I am in there. I have included her question as well as my response:

Hope- "Hey Bethany! It is so great to here about all of your traveling. In class we have been discussing the Lewis model and how different cultures effect the leadership styles that are used within the country. Thinking about America, it seems that categorizing an entire country by outstanding cultural tendencies does not always fit all aspects of the nation. I am curious to know if you noticed cultural differences between the places you traveled."

Me- Hope,

First of all, thanks for your great comment. Second, sorry to everyone to whose comments I have not yet responded! However, I have so enjoyed hearing about what you all are learning in class because it is exciting to relate the topics to real-life in my experience here in Grenoble. Although I feel like I cannot even begin to put into words my experiences as the authors of your books have so eloquently done, I will attempt to try and explain my ideas in response to your questions. Please bear with me, as it may seem a bit scattered as I attempt to put my thoughts on paper (or screen, I suppose :) )…

First of all, yes, there are insane amounts of cultural differences between the different countries in Europe, but I've also found a lot of differences even just between different parts of France. It's interesting because in traveling for a short period of time, it is difficult to recognize some of these things. But with the incredible opportunity I have to live here and truly interact with the people as well as personally engage in the culture of the area, it's incredible to notice the differences... between here and home, between different areas of the country and also between different parts of Europe that I've had the chance to visit.

Mostly, however, I have been intrigued by the differences between regions in France. I know that we, as Americans, generally have a tendency to think of France as all the same. Perhaps we picture a little man with a handlebar mustache wearing a beret, carrying a baguette and standing in front of the Eiffel Tower!  But whatever the stereotype may be or even just what the image that we have looks like, I'm finding that it is absolutely impossible to classify the French culture in one single idea.

I am currently taking a course on French Culture and Society, and it is really interesting to learn about the history of the country as it relates to the development of its culture. Because France was formerly divided into very distinct provinces, the current regions still possess a lot of the old characteristics, traditions and prides. Despite efforts to create a national unity and culture for the country, there remain certain things that are unique to every region. For instance, Alsace-Lorrain has a rough history of being fought over and existing as both a part of Germany and a part of France, as it is now. This is to say that the people of that region have not always been able to identify themselves with a specific national culture and have therefore clung tightly to their regional ideals and pride. So, in visiting the Alsace region, one can clearly see influences of both the French and the Germans, but also a culture that is truly unique to the area. In fact, the people there don't even refer to themselves as French but as Alsacian.

In the same respect, my region is the Dauphinois region. It, of course, has its own history and its own story as well. For example, the people in this area take great pride in their heavy involvement in the Resistance movement during WWII, they have their own specialties in the area of cuisine such as Gratin Dauphinois and certain cheeses, they are proud to be home to the Bastille which marked the beginning of the French Revolution, etc. And the people of the region are the Dauphinois, not simply the French.

Because the history of the United States is so short in comparison to that of France (and many other places for that matter), it is oftentimes difficult for us to truly understand this concept of culture and tradition, as it is not as innate for us or perhaps as important for us as it is for the people here. But with the history of France with its monarchies, republics, empires, and regimes that have changed the geography and politics of the country, the culture itself has also been drastically influenced, creating the France that we know today.

I also just went on another excursion this weekend with my program to Dijon and Beaune, which were both absolutely beautiful, by the way. Anyways, we went on a walking tour of Dijon, learning all about its development into the city that it is now. It was fascinating to learn about the rich history of such a tiny place (relatively speaking, of course). There are things as simple as the structure and design of roof tiles that make the houses in Dijon to be uniquely those of Dijon. A specialty for you all will be the mustard that is fabricated there, which is unique to the area as well. And Beaune, being a part of the Burgundy region, is, of course, famous for its wine all over the world. Anyways, these two cities each have their own idea of “France” and their own traditions and ideas, just as each individual city of France also does.

So, I guess my point is, yes, there are lots of cultural differences, and like you said, it is impossible to classify France by certain cultural tendencies in the same way we cannot do it for America. Study abroad has been truly eye-opening in this respect. It allows me to see “France” for France, not some idea or thought I have learned in a classroom or gained from movies, television, etc. of a specific idea or culture. It is a beautiful country rich in history and tradition, but it is also so much more. It is a culture of cultures, a togetherness and unity of individual parts. It is a people who are of Alsace, Pays Basque or Dauphinois, but also of the whole, of France itself. My image of this people and this nation has been radically changed in unimaginable and exciting ways, influencing for good the way I look at other parts of the world. And although interesting to study cultural tendencies that may ring very true for the majority of the time, it is also important to recognize that no system of classification or generality of a people can ever truly encapsulate the entire reality of any of those places. As it is for each of us in the States with the state, city or town we call home where each place has its own idea of what we think of as the USA, each region and area of France has a unique view of what they see as truly “French”.

I hope this somewhat addresses the basis of your question/comment, Hope. Let me know if there is anything you’d like to know! And again, thanks for following my blog and for joining me, in part, in this wonderful and exciting experience I am so grateful to have!

<3 Bethany