Cultural Comparisons Flashcards
Freetime + Sports (America)
Baseball People pay lots of money Millions watch it (TV) Athletes are idealized Big part of life in high school and college
Freetime + Sports (France)
Soccer World Cup Tour de France Fans are “Blue” Le Stade de France Passionate about it from a young age
Family + Rights of Passage (America)
Family structure changing with single parent families Kids spend less time with families (work) Rise in divorce Baptism/Bat Mitzvah Marriage Sweet 16 Graduation from high school First job First child
Family + Rights of Passage (France)
Family plays a large role in life Sundays are a day to be with family Respect old people Communion Driver’s license Marriage Le bac
Travel + Vacation (America)
Two week vacations
People travel most around Thanksgiving
Take vacations all year
Never stop moving
Travel + Vacation (France)
Five weeks of paid vacation
Right for French people
Going to mountains or camping are popular vacation destinations
Working + Professions (America)
Don’t have guaranteed paid vacations Vacation is not a right Only two-three weeks of paid vacation Forty hour work week Private enterprises establish norms
Working + Professions (France)
Five weeks of paid vacation
Three-seven weeks of paid vacation
Thirty-five hour work week
Lots of bureaucrats
Holidays (America)
Fourth of July Barbeques Parades Public holiday Fireworks Result of independence from Great Britain
Holidays (France)
Bastille Day (July 14) Public holiday Military parades Picnics Fireworks Marseillaise is national song
Arts (America)
Rock
Jazz
Recent traditions/style have influenced rest of the world
Arts (France)
Important (cultural center)
Bizet
Ravel
Diversity (America)
African Americans still fighting for rights/equality
Civil War
NAACP
KKK
Large Hispanic population (34 million)
Multicultural cities (Latinx/Central American)
Debate around illegal immigration
Diversity (France)
Becoming more multiethnic
Highest Muslim population in Europe
Recent riots
SOS Racisme
Prejudice
Multicultural cities (North/West Africa with French as official language)
Conflict between African/Arab cultures + traditional French culture
Government Services + Role (America)
Popular elections Social security Food subsidies FEMA Philosophy of “we the people” 16 y/o can drive Expensive car insurance View as symbol of independence + autonomy Danger of inexperienced drivers Considered right of passage
Government Services + Role (France)
Health services for everyone for life Large role in transportation, health insurance, + banking Historic revolution 5th Republic Constitutional government 18 y/o can drive Have to take courses at driving school Only relative importance for young people Can drive moped at 14
Identity, Language, + Patrimony (America)
Majority of people are monolingual
Need for people to understand/speak Spanish
Chinese + Arabic becoming more important
Many famous writers/poets + painters
Tradition of musicals
Historical monuments + museums
Identity, Language, + Patrimony (France)
Teaching other languages starts in elementary school
Most people speak 2 languages
Important to speak other languages w/ neighboring countries
Great thinkers + painters
Many famous theaters/monuments/museums
Transportation (America)
Car used most often Necessary for going to work + leisure activities Lot of public attention on cars Cheaper gas prices Head of industry in Detroit
Transportation (France)
Metro more important in big cities
Use buses/trains in smaller cities
High gas prices
Tradition of communal transportation
School (America)
Most finish secondary studies in high school
Necessary to finish certain courses + receive a certain number of credits to get diploma
Internet access is essential
Need diploma to enter college
School (France)
Many high schools + professional schools
Baccalauréat (Bac) test to get admitted to university
Internet access is encouraged for high schoolers
Social Media (America)
Facebook, Craigslist, + Twitter
Leading country in usage
Founded many social media sites
Social Media (France)
5th in world in terms of participation
Copains d’avant popular
80% of population use
Food (America)
Fast food restaurants Processed food To-go food Problems w/ obesity Causes health issues
Food (France)
Classic cuisine Worldwide reputation Use natural ingredients Famous for bread/cheese/pastries/coffee Spend long lunch w/ friends Public campaigns to improve food quality
Ecology + Environment (America)
EPA Regulations for CO2 Community + local recycling efforts Clean Air Act Hurricane Katrina Exxonmobil spill
Ecology + Environment (France)
Protection for air/water
Noise reduction efforts
Part of EU (work w/ other nations to protect habitats/endangered animals + use resources more effectively)
L’accord Grenelle to put environmental protections on houses/buildings
