Ap French Cultural Comparison

Advertising and Marketing

In the United States, 195.76 billion dollars were spent on marketing in 2016. New York City (NYC) accounts for the most money spent on advertising. According to the Wall Street Journal, a billboard (panneau) in Times Square costs between 1.1 billion to 4 billion dollars each year. On the other hand, in France, only 13.59 billion dollars were spent on advertising.

Environment

Plastic bags are not used in Paris

The US focuses on fossil fuels which is not healthy for the environment

Economy

Microcredit in Congo (Federation de femme d'afrique femme d'avenir)

We have advanced bank systems in the US

The US sales tax is 7%

Canada has a slaes tax of 12%

Congo has a sales tax of 16%

Healthcare

33% of Americans are obese

25% of French are obese

Free healthcare in France

Laws

First Amendment- Freedom of speech, religion, press, etc.

Second Amendment- Right to bear arms

Science et technology

Thomas Edison invented the light bulb

It has a big impact because we use electricity every day for things such as...

Louis Braille invented braille which helps the blind read with their fingers.

Both have had a major influence in today's society

Science et technology

Using human embryos for research is illegal in the United States but legal in Belgium

Media and society

79 % of Internet users use Facebook in the United States.

26 million people in France use Facebook.

Intellectual property (Plagarism)

The Copy Right Law was enacted in the United States in 1790.

In France, they have the right of the author. which dates from 1551.

Health

In the United States there is a group known as the FDA which regulates the food and pharmaceutical companies. On the other hand, in France there is a similar group known as the PNNS.

Education

In the United States there is a test known as the SAT. This test indicates an individuals college readiness. On the other hand, in France there is a test known as the BAC which is similar. However, if one fails this test 3x, college is not an option anymore. In France, grade levels are counted backwards and students go home for lunch.

Nutrition

In the United States, the majority of people value large meals that are cheap. On the other hand, in France they value small meals that are healthy and price is not an indicator. Also, the French believe that food satisfies emotional and spiritual factors.

Science and Technology

In the United States, technology is used on a daily basis for things such as homework, social media, and communicating. However, in France the use of technology during school is strongly discouraged.

L'amitie et l'amour

50.2% of the population is single in the USA.

65% of the population in France is single.

Les loisirs et le sport

Football is the most popular sport in the USA. (32%)

Soccer is the most popular sport in France.

L'architecture

The salary for an architecture in the USA is $71,000.

The salary for an architect in France is 72,056 Euros.

La musique et les arts du spectacle

The most popular music genre in the United States is hip-hop.

The most popular music genre in France is pop/rap.

Les voyages

The most popular vacation place in the United States is Disney World.

The most popular vacation place in France is the Eiffel Tower

L'identite linguistique

21% of people in the United States speak a language other than English.

88% of the French population speak French.

La citoyennete

US Citizen at birth -FR Citizen at birth if you have at least one French parent; must ask for citizenship at age 18 if your parents were born abroad

La recherche et ses nouvelles frontieres

1 The French space program includes both civil and military spaceflight activities. It is the 3rd oldest institutional space program in history, along with the USSR and the US; and the largest space program in Europe......2. France is a digitally and technically advanced country, It has built some of the most successful non-American start-ups, like Deezer—which was a precursor of Spotify—Dailymotion, Criteo, PriceMinister (a rival to Amazon), etc

L'avenir de la technologie

The French government unveiled a massive $120 billion (€100 billion) stimulus packagein 2020 to recover from the economic downturn — As part of this support plan, the government plans to spend a significant chunk of money on all things digital — startup investment, infrastructure investment and digital transformation.

La beauté

French ideals of beauty are imperfect, laid-back, and undone. In France, women believe the notion of beauty should be pleasing to oneself above all, and that the most beautiful women are the ones who look effortlessly gorgeous.

Le patrimoine

The French are proud of their culture and their cultural heritage; and rightly so. Since the foundations of modern-day Europe were laid down in the times of Charlemagne - king of the Franks and Holy Roman Emperor who died in 814 - France has been a major player, and at times the major player, on the European stage. In the Middle Ages, in art, architecture, music and literature, the courts and monasteries of France played a pivotal role in the development and refining of what is more generally defined as "western culture". From the Renaissance onwards, national cultures in Europe developed more independently as national languages progressively replaced Latin as vehicles for the expression of ideas and thought. In France culture blossomed, producing specifically French traditions in literature and music, and French schools in art and architecture. It was not until the late twentieth century and the unstoppable globalisation of culture, that French art and culture began to lose their identity; and even so, there are many in France today who are determined to fight against the internationalisation of culture, and defend "French" culture against what is perceived by many as "Anglo-Saxon" or American cultural imperialism.

Les arts visuels

In theatre and literature, poetry and philosophy, painting and sculpture, architecture and music, some of the greatest names in history - names such as Molière or Zola, Hugo and Voltaire, Monet, Rodin or Chopin - have been French, and their heritage remains an integral part of European culture to this day. Not surprisingly, France is thus an incredibly rich destination when it comes to cultural tourism. Its churches and palaces, châteaux and fortresses, museums and galleries are a treasure trove waiting to be discovered.

L'education et le monde du travail

All job advertisements ask for two points, right? The applicant should be 1) autonomous and 2) capable of working in a team. Well, the French are good at working independently. This goes hand-in-hand with their technical competence. Working alone, in fact, comes from the French educational system, which from the early years of primary school instructs children to work by themselves and even against others competitively. Collective group activities are rarely conducted, and there is often a focus on independent and individual tasks and projects.

Le logement

Most homes in France, whether in a town or a city, are rented apartments. French streets are embellished with rows of four or five-story buildings with large doors made of wood or metal. These doors take you to the courtyard where you can then take the elevator or stairs to the apartments.

Le pluriculturalisme

in a 2016 survey; 24 percent of French people were found to believe that diversity made France a worse place to live. A higher proportion, 26 percent, said it made France better, while 48 percent said that it didn't make much difference.

Les croyances et les systèmes de valeurs

The French motto “Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity” reflects the values of French society. Equality and unity are important to the French. The French also value style and sophistication, and they take pride in the beauty and artistry of their country. Family is also highly valued in French culture.

La paix et la guerre

The country's priorities as a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council and a major advanced economy are far from parochial, and there are few global challenges which France does not want to touch. "Peace," a universal ideal, is the umbrella concept for the five themes of the : development, environment, inclusive economy, new technologies, and peace and security.

La sexualite

2001 study 1. The study reveals that the French have fewer partners overall than Americans, maintain more long-term committed relationships, are more likely to be monogamous (surprise!)..... 2. But one of the most striking differences was between older French- and American women. The study reports that after the age of 50, American women are 10 percent less likely than Frenchwomen to be living in a couple.

Le nationalisme et le patriotisme

Macron said: "Patriotism is the exact opposite of nationalism," he said. "Nationalism is its betrayal. In saying 'Our interests first and others don't matter,' we erase what is most precious to a nation, what makes it live, what makes it great, what is most important: its moral values."

The comments were obviously directed at U.S. President Donald Trump, particularly since in the speech he also decried "the selfishness of countries that regard only their own interests." Macron made the comments in the context of a growing sense in Europe that the U.S. has "deserted" the continent.

Les fetes et les rites de passage

1. e bac is the end-of-high school exam that French students must pass in order to go to college and university. In France it has become a real rite-of-passage in a very Jacobin fashion since it was created by Napoleon in 1808 - every student is supposed to sit for the exam at the exact same time,.... 2. The bac is clearly more than a mere exam in France, it also serves as a unifying element to a nation that has lost some of its other rites of passage (such as the mandatory military service for young men). It is perceived as part of the French identity.

L'alienation et l'assimilation

despite being a country whose roots lie in the reception of migrants, France’s relationship with the migration phenomenon is two-sided. On the one hand, it has had a strong impact on the nature of the French society, making it increasingly diverse and multicultural. On the other hand, it has made its society partially hesitant to accept all these changes –which are seen as the root of many social problems which are fueling the rise of far-right parties such as the Front National or Debout La France