Point de Départ - Famille

L’enfance en France

• Family Structure

  • Birth rate: 2.02 children per mother

  • Over 50% of births occur outside of marriage

  • 50% of parents are divorced

• Childcare and Education

  • The state strongly subsidizes:

    • Childminders ("assistantes maternelles")

    • Nannies ("nounous") at home for children 0-2 years

  • Cities increase daycare centers for working mothers

  • All children start school at age 3

  • 6× more children (5+ years old) are obese today compared to 1980

  • Children (8-10 years old):

    • 70% participate in sports, but often individually

    • Spend more time watching TV than in class

    • Enter adolescence earlier

• Phrases

  • "C’est le berceau de son enfance." → "C’est là qu’il a grandi." → That’s where he grew up

  • "C’est l’enfance de l’art." → "C’est très simple." → It’s very simple

  • "C’est un jeu d’enfant." → "C’est facile à faire." → It’s easy to do

  • "Il a replongé dans l’enfance." → "Il régresse." → He is regressing

La famille (et le vocabulaire)

• Marriage & Cohabitation

  • 80% of adults in couples are married

  • 270,000 marriages per year

  • Cohabitation (union libre) involves 3+ million couples

  • 1 in 5 couples is not married

  • 50% of first children are born outside marriage

  • PACS (Civil Solidarity Pact) introduced in 1999

    • Legal union (same or different sex)

    • 1 PACS for every 2 marriagesà

  • 8 millions individuals are single in France

• Single-Parent & Blended Families

  • 20% of children live in single-parent households

  • 1.8 million single-parent families, mostly due to separation or divorce

  • 1 in 2 marriages ends in divorce

  • Remarriages create blended families (step-siblings living together)

• Slang for Family Members

  • le vieux → father

  • la vieille → mother

  • les vieux → parents

  • le frangin → brother

  • la frangine / la reusse → sister

  • tonton → uncle

  • tatie / tata → aunt

  • mon zinc → my cousin

Les familles en Afrique

• Traditional Family Structure

  • Father → Head of the family, responsible for working and providing

  • Mother → Manages domestic tasks, raises children, and teaches cultural values

  • Extended families → Grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins often live together

  • Community-oriented family → Ethnic groups and villages act as one large family

  • Polygamy → Practiced in some ethnic and religious communities, accepted by youth

• Evolving Family Values

  • Economic, religious, and cultural factors influence family values

  • Younger generations prioritize → Education & economic success

  • Modern family changes → Divorce, single-parent families, blended families exist

Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (la région PACA)

• General Overview

  • Famous for its landscapes (Van Gogh, Cézanne) and iconic cities (Cannes, Nice, Saint-Tropez).

  • Marseille: 2nd largest city in France, one of the oldest European ports (founded 600 BCE).

  • Cosmopolitan region, symbolizing France’s connection with the Mediterranean, North Africa, and the Near East.

• Cultural & Artistic Influence

  • Recognized for its unique accent and strong presence in cinema.

  • Famous actors: Raimu, Fernandel, Daniel Auteuil.

  • Popularized by Marcel Pagnol.

  • Other famous individuals who have contributed to the region

    • Picasso, Matisse, Colette, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Françoise Sagan, Brigitte Bardot, Alfred Hitchcock, Winston Churchill.

  • Côte d’Azur remains a key destination for international celebrities.

• Economic & Industrial Significance

  • 3rd most active/vibrant region in France

  • Major sectors:

    • Science & Education: Research in Nice, universities in Aix-Marseille.

    • Industries:

      • Chemical & petrochemical (Marseille).

      • Digital technology (Nice).

      • Aerospace (Rhône Valley).

      • Luxury goods (perfumes from Grasse).

      • Agriculture (vineyards, fruit production).

• Tourism & Landscapes

  • Nature:

    • The Alps of Haute-Provence, Montagne Sainte-Victoire, Luberon.

  • Beautiful villages:

    • Saint-Paul-de-Vence, Saint-Tropez.

  • Tourism Destinations:

    • Cannes, Nice, Antibes.

Grasse

• Grasse is a town know for its flower production

• Famous for its perfume production - exported internationally

• At the International Perfume Museum of Grasse, visitors can learn how perfume is made and also discover the history of the industry