- 07:55pm Oct
10, 2001

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I noticed something very interesting while I was reviewing the word associatoins
for community. Many French students associated community to Religion and Identity.
I find it intriguing that NONE of the Americans hinted to religion at all.

Maybe this says something on the different roles religion plays in France and America. Interesting that France is considered to be one of the most secular countries in the world and yet religion still seems to play a very strong role in everyday life -- communities. I personally find a great sense of community in religion, I don't know why it didn't strike me to actually put it down!

Also, about identity, perhaps the American's, cherishing their individualism steer away from associating identity with community. The comments under the individualism section seem to say that there is a fundamental difference between the American and French perception of individuality. This is very interesting stuff!

- 02:59pm Oct
11, 2001

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Je pense avoir une explication au fait que certains étudiants français ont associés le mot "religion" au mot communauté. En effet, il reste aujourd'hui assez peu de véritables communautés. Une communauté se caractérise par les rapports, les liens et les points communs entre les membres qui la composent. Or, avec l'essor de l'individualisme, les gens ont tendance à rechercher des "points d'ancrage communautaires" auquels se raccrocher, notamment, les religions. Le fait que les étudiants américains n'aient pas mentionné le mot religion m'a assez surpris car il me semblait que celle-ci avait un poids très important dans la société américaine.

- 11:56pm
Oct 14, 2001

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I'm surprised that you think that religion has an important place in American society, as I don't think that we Americans necessarily project ourselves as pious people, in general - although I think it would be nice if we did! I'd be curious to know what led you to make that observation.
I guess I found it interesting that more than a few of the INT students mentioned the word religion, since my overall impression was that religion is not very important in France or at least that not many people go to church regularly. Maybe that's not the case anymore...?

- 09:15am Oct
15, 2001

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I think projecting ourselves as pious isn't necessarily the same as having religion be part of our communities. There are plenty of people who may not be especially religious but go to church every Sunday because it forms part of their social community. I would also imagine that the importance of religion in community varies a lot by region and age, with people from the South and Midwest placing more emphasis on it than those from the East Coast and California.

- 09:45am
Oct 15, 2001

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En France peu de gens vont à l'église surtout chez lzs jeunes. Les églises sont souvent fréquentées par les personnes âgées. Par contre pour beaucoup d'entre nous, les Etats-Unis semblent être un pays beaucoup plus religieux. J'ai personellement l'impression que les gens chez vous vont à l'église pour être socialement intégrés. Tous les rites ont disparus de la plupart de vos églises ce qui n'est pas le cas ici. Les messes sont longues et suivent le même modèle depuis des décennies. Aux Etats-Unis, j'ai remarqué que la musique tenait un rôle très important et que les messes étaient beaucoup plus attractives. Cela explique peut-être aussi pourquoi les americains continuent d'aller à l'église.