French Culture

I'm going to embark on the French exchange in less than three weeks, and in preparation for the trip, all the American students went to dinner at Le Titi de Paris to learn about French culture. Looking at it from a sociological perspective, I'm going to try to deconstruct some of the lessons we learned.

First off, in French, if you're addressing a superior, you use "vous" instead of "tu." Both words mean "you," but "vous" actually means "you plural." The French respect authority greatly, and if I had to guess, perhaps they use "vous" to convey that the person they're addressing has the importance of many people in one. I was concerned about this, because I've never remembered to call my French teacher, for example, by the "vous" form. It just doesn't make sense to me, which is my ethnocentrism, I guess. So I asked Mr. Weil what would happen if I called a superior by the "tu" form. He said it wouldn't be a big deal. It's more of a folkway than anything, but some people will correct you.

Here's another thing: In America, putting your elbows on the table used to be a no-no, but now it's considered a folkway. However, in France, it's the opposite. It's actually extremely rude to put your hands in your lap. They must always be above the table. I thought about why they might have this particular more, and came up with a hypothesis. The hands do everything, and my best guess is that when your hands are invisible, it's a sign that you're untrustworthy. If your hands are under the table, they have no way of knowing what you're doing.

Mr. Weil also explained that the French students, even those who aren't always on the exchange, always know who the American students are. Not just because we aren't exactly proficient in the language, but also because we look and act differently. The French dress very conservatively. They wear dark and plain colors, never wear sweatpants out of the house, and think that ripped jeans are damaged. They also keep their emotions very controlled. Apparently, they all seem to think Americans are insanely happy because we laugh and smile way more than any of them do. My theories are that the French like to look very put together. They place importance on looking collected. Hence the neat, dark clothes and stoic demeanor.

Finally, the French seem to really value the time they spend with their families. Mr. Weil said that it wouldn't be uncommon to go to dinner at the houses of multiple extended family members. He also told us that dinner would be a five course meal every night, and that conversation would continue for the entire time. I felt pretty guilty about the food we fed Estelle, my exchange student, while she was living with us. We wanted to expose her to American culture, so we got Chicago style pizza. But she's used to long meals of quality, not cheap food that her dad just picks up on the way home from work. From Mr. Weil's descriptions of French dinners, I gathered that they really value each other's opinions. Mr. Weil told us that we should brush up on our current events, because our host families are sure to ask us what we think about things going on in America, not to mention the rest of the world. The French really value knowledge and awareness. They also really value quality.

So, I'm going to France very soon, and hopefully, I'm aware enough of their culture to manage! We'll have to wait and see.