Week 1 Frenchness

Understanding “Frenchness” requires

approaching France as a country built on layers- historical, cultural and symbolic

Unlike countries such as the United States, France is not easily separated into

past vs present

Nadeau and Barlow explain that France is a

palimpsest

palimpsest definition:

new eras do not erase old ones, meaning they accumulate on top of earlier practices, structures, and symbols

practices that accumulated in france

medieval guild rules —> modern sales laws (les soldes) 

• modern stores can only discount merchandise during government regulated periods 

• comes directly from medieval merchant guild rules that controlled pricing and competition 

French Bureaucracy —> Fedual and Royal Admin Traditions 

• extreme paper work and strict document requirements stem from centuries old admin culture 

• napoleonic centralization shapes prefectures, regions, state hierarchy 

Non-smiling in public (Platt’s Code 1) 

• french practice avoiding smiles with strangers reflects long standing norms of reserve, hierarchy and sincerity 

Formal greeting titles ("'Monsieur/Madame”) 

• leftover from aristocratic etiquette and Old Regime hierarchy

Door hierarchy (‘bataille de la porte’) 

• derived from court protocol and rank systems that determined who enters first 

structures that accumulated in France 

Roman Foundations Beneath Modern Cities 

• paris and towns like Sarlat show Roman ruins, medieval houses and modern buildings 

• authors walk through a Roman arena next to a childs playground 

Medieval Town Layouts —> Modern Urban life

• streets follow medieval pathways

• cities are stone alimpsests

• old structures shape new ones 

The Place de l’Etoile (Arc de Triomphe) 

• originally a royal hunting crossroads, preserved and turned into a modern traffic star

Napoleonic Admin Divisons 

• departmnets and prefectures created by Napolen still define legal, political and geographic structure today 

Medieval Buildings Renovated for Modern Use 

• towns like Sarlat preserve medieval stonework but function ad modern cities 

symbols accumulated in France

Marianne 

• originates from French Revolution, appears on euro coins, stamps, and monuments

• updated overtime (ex: Ni Putes Ni Soumises

French rooster (le coq) - pun from latin gallus meaning rootser and gaul, ancient symbol continues in modern sports teams and national branding

The Hexagon 

• geometric symbol based on the shape of national territory 

• used on official documents, tourism material and national ideology 

The Marseillaise 

• written in 1792; national anthem 

• its revoluntionary, violent lyrics preserved even as moden French debate their meaning 

France is a living palimpsest which produces a culture that is both 

modern and deeply ancient 

French being “aborigines of France” means not primitive but deeply 

rooted in continuous historical presence on the same land 

Major theme in understanding the French is learning to recognize icons and symbols that 

shape national identity 

Asselin and Mastron show how figures like

Marianne, the rooster, and the hexagon embody French values

What are the french values?

Liberty, national pride, and rational order

Symbols operate collectively to

reinforce the idea of France as united under republican values such as liberté, égalité, fraternité

There are “several Frances, all equally real”. True or False

True

What is “Young France”

globalized, diverse, plugged into global culture

What other Frances are there?

Mutlicultural France, working class france, elite Parisian France, Regional France, none of these negate other, but coexist in productive tension

there is “old France” visible in

formal institutions, bureaucracy, manners, and hierarchical norms 

France also embrace paradox meaning

they can appear conservative and avant garde, emotional and rational, formal yet passionate 

Paradox is not a conflict; it is 

part of French cultural logic 

Polly Platts help understnad social behavior with 6 cultural codes, that foreigners misread as 

rude

what are some examples of the 6 cultural code for platts?

• not smiling at strangers 

• formality in greetings 

• ritualized handshakes 

• careful hierarchy at doors 

To understand and make sense of these codes you need to understand French value system 

• sincerity

• personal boundaries

• hierarchy

• context

How does space (proxmeics) differ in France vs America

• french stands closer, speak more quietly

• keep doors closed

• tolerate phsycial crowding

French time

• flexible, relationship centered, shaped by present moment engagement 

• not late out of disrespect, they interpret time differently 

• value depth and discussion over efficiency 

Americans misunderstand French time until they learn

cultural code

French identity, Frenchness is traditionally tied to

republican values, secularism and a universalist identity model that rejects racial or ethnic categorization 

Modern France is ethnically diverse but united at least ideally by 

citizenship, language and shared civic principales 

Tensions of France resists multicultural labels even as it becomes more multicultural. For example 

debated about immigration, national symbols, who counts as French, and whether Frenchness is defined legally, culturally, linguistically, or emotionally 

Students must look beyond sterotypes such as the “feminineFrance” outlines by Alan Rosenthal and instead 

see the logic that shapes behaviors, symbols and values 

Frances identity cannot be reduced to a single formula, it exists 

across centuries, regions, classes, ethnicity, and political  philosophies 

Asking what it means to be french remains relevant because identity is

dynamic, contests, and continually redefined by people who inhabit it 

1. What do Nadeau & Barlow mean by calling the French “the aborigines of France”?

They mean the French are “aboriginal” in the sense of being deeply rooted in the same land for thousands of years. The authors visited prehistoric sites in the Périgord and explain that unlike Americans—who replaced Indigenous cultures—the French live among uninterrupted layers of history dating back 20,000+ years.
This continuity makes French culture ancient, layered, and inseparable from its geography and past.

2. Why is it “impossible to disassociate the past from the present” in France?

Because French cities, institutions, laws, habits, and mentalities are built directly on older structures rather than replacing them.
Examples in the PDF:

• Medieval towns preserved and still lived in

• Modern laws such as les soldes coming from medieval guild systems

• Streets and administrative systems shaped by centuries-old patterns

The past is visible, practiced, and lived daily.

3. Do Americans have similar national “icons” to Marianne, the rooster, or the hexagon?

Yes.
Asselin & Mastron show that icons express national myths and values. France uses Marianne (liberty), the rooster (pride), and the hexagon (order).

The U.S. has parallels:

• Bald eagle — freedom and strength

• Statue of Liberty — immigration and democracy

• Uncle Sam — national unity

Both nations use symbolic figures to create a shared identity.

4. What does it mean that there are “several Frances, all equally real”? Can this apply to the U.S.?

Asselin & Mastron mean France is not one unified cultural experience but many:

• Old France (bureaucracy, hierarchy)

• Young/global France

• Regional and rural Frances

• Multicultural/international France

• Elite vs. working-class France

Yes, the same applies to the United States: we have “several Americas”—regional, racial, political, urban/rural, immigrant communities, etc.

5. What do Asselin & Mastron mean by “paradoxical” French culture?

A paradox is when two opposites coexist.
The French embrace contradiction as part of life. Examples from the PDF include:

• Conservative yet avant-garde

• Rational yet emotional

• Bureaucratic yet creative

• Reserved yet passionate

French identity thrives in ambiguity; paradox is seen as richness, not inconsistency.

6. Are Polly Platt’s “six codes” unique to France? Do Americans have codes? What’s the value of using “codes”?

The codes (don’t smile, flirt lightly, use titles, say the “magic words,” shake hands, observe door hierarchy) are specifically French, but not unique—Americans also have cultural codes, such as:

• Smile at strangers

• Make small talk

• Use first names quickly

• Keep large personal space

Understanding codes prevents cultural misinterpretation and promotes empathy. Instead of assuming rudeness, we learn to read behavior through cultural logic.

7. How does Platt help us understand Edward T. Hall’s claim that “the use of space is culturally determined”?

Platt illustrates Hall’s theory with concrete French examples:

• Standing closer in conversation

• Smaller “body bubbles”

• Closed office doors meaning privacy, not hostility

• Soft speaking in public

• Comfort with physical crowding on metros and sidewalks

French spatial habits reflect cultural values of discretion, closeness, and hierarchy.

8. How does “French time” work, according to Platt?

Platt shows the French operate on polychronic time:

• Time is flexible and relational

• Lateness is not insulting

• Meetings start late and flow freely

• Deadlines are met “just in time”

• Present-moment focus matters more than efficiency

• Schedules change frequently without drama

It contrasts with American monochronic scheduling, where punctuality = respect.

9. How does the FRANCE24 video confirm, nuance, or challenge the readings?

Confirms:

• French identity rooted in Revolution, symbols, and republican values

• France as a colorblind republic

• Coexistence of “several Frances”

• Bureaucracy and national paradoxes
  All align with the readings.

Nuances:

• Shows modern tensions around immigration, secularism, and belonging

• Highlights the complexity of defining “being French” today

Challenges:

• Suggests France is not in a deeper crisis than any other Western nation

• Shows multicultural success stories that counter negative stereotypes

10. Is there, or was there ever, a “culture” of France?

Yes, but it is not singular or static.
French culture has core republican values, symbols, and institutions, but it also evolves with immigration, globalization, youth culture, politics, and regional differences. The readings emphasize both continuity and change.

11. How can we make sense of cultural differences between the French and other groups? Are these questions still relevant?

We make sense of differences by examining:

• Historical layers of identity

• Cultural codes (Platt)

• Symbols and national myths (Asselin & Mastron)

• Time, space, and communication styles (Hall)

• Stereotypes and perceptions (Rosenthal)

Yes, these questions matter because cultural misunderstanding creates conflict, stereotypes, and miscommunication—especially in globalized societies.

12. What does it mean to be French? Language? History? Cultural norms? Or the eye of the beholder?

Based on the readings and video, being French can mean:

• Sharing the French language

• Participating in republican values (liberty, equality, fraternity)

• Embracing secularism (laïcité)

• Feeling connected to French history, symbols, and civic life

• Identifying emotionally as French

• Being recognized legally by the state

• Living within French social codes

• Or simply belonging to France as home

There is no single definition; Frenchness is a mix of heritage, values, citizenship, culture, and personal identification.