Les réponses sont assez interessantes, mais du côté Américain, ont peut voir par deux fois les réponses " Nuclear power " . Je serai curieux de savoir pourquoi vous pensez que les Francais soient obsédés par l'énergie nucléaire ?

Vos réponses sont très intéressantes. Mais comme Julien je souhaiterai savoir pourquoi avez-vous parler de "nuclear power"? Car je n'ai pas du tout se ressenti. Autrement vous avez souvent répondu la culture ce que je trouve fort amusant car ce n'est pas faux! Mais ce qui me plais le plus c'est la franchise qui se dégage de vos réponses, le fait que vous ayez répondu sans retenue aux questions!

Julien,

Well, I can't really answer why people said the French were "obsessed" with nuclear power, but it is certainly a lot more popular there than it is in the US.  

As a Nuclear Engineering student, my own views may be a little biased in favor of nuclear power, but a lot of Americans still react with extreme fear to the word "nuclear", and there is major opposition to any expansion of the power plants.

I know that France has a very strong nuclear power program, and is even building a new plant right now.    We haven't built a new reactor in the US for decades, though there are two new projects that are being proposed.

What is the general opinion on nuclear power in France?  Does it have a good reputation?

Julien and Estelle, I agree with Alyssa about American's unreasonable fear of nuclear power. It may be a cultural thing. I wonder if the terrifying images of stories of the aftermath of the atomic boming in japan have had such an impact on us that we became so fearful of nuclear bombs/explosions/weapons that we are repulsed by the idea of nuclear power. Although the french seem to be very happy with their nuclear energy. (being an american, I was terrified when I first heard that my computer at work was being powered by nuclear energy when I was in France)

Something else I thought was really funny is that one american student mentioned smoking while none of the french students did. I do remember almost everyone smoking in Paris. Do you guys also think that the majority of the french smoke? Or do you not notice it because it's so common that it's not something you think about?

I think nuclear energy is still seen as a dangerous technology in America.  We have had the infamous incident at 3-mile island, and have spent years trying to find a place to store waste, only to have the program cancelled and no place to put our nuclear waste.  Also, the way our country is structured gives individual states many rights, and almost every state resists the use of their land as a place for nuclear waste processing or storage.  When Americans hear that 80% of France's power is nuclear, it is amazing, as that percentage would be unimaginable here. 

Another interesting subject that came up on the American side was that the French seem obsessed with "American culture."  Following my time in France, I would tend to agree that a large part of American pop-culture is very popular in France (almost all of the films I saw advertised were American films, McDonalds, American music, etc.)  None of the French students mentioned this though.  Do you think your country is "obsessed" with American culture?

Estelle, Bien que je ne soit pas un expert en nucléaire , je ne suit pas tout a fait d'accord avec toi, du moins au niveau du peuple Francais. Car comme tu l'a dit ainsi que Jeffrey, le nucléaire est l'une des principales sources d'énergie en France, même si je crois ( je ne suis pas sure ) que Sarkozy veut en fabriqué une nouvelle, mais moins polluante pour l'environnement. Mais beaucoup de Francais ne sont pas forcément content de vivre avec le nucléaire, mais je suis quand même d'accord avec toi lorsque tu dit que le nucléaire est important en France, c'est surtout une question gouvernemental.

Hallie, oui tu as vraiment raison, beaucoup de Francais fument, je pense une grande majorité. Il y a eu une loi récemment interdisant de fumer dans les lieux public, je peux te dire que cette loi a beaucoup fait parler d'elle ! Les Américains fument ils beaucoup ?

Jeffrey, je pense en effet que la France est attaché a la culture Américaine, car aujourd'hui , il y a beaucoup, beaucoup de choses qui viennent des Etats Unis. Comme tu le dit, les musiques, les films aux cinéma ( vous avez les meilleurs acteurs aux Etats Unis !! ), et donc c'est vrai que la culture Américaine est très populaire en France. Il y a aussi les fast food avec bien sur Mc Donalds, qui est adoré chez les jeunes ici. Eh oui les hamburgers frites c'est un régale !!! ( Malgré tout ce qu'on peut dire sur la bonne cuisine Francaise ) . Mais bon il ne faut pas en abusé. Il y a t'il un peu de culture Francaise présente aux Etats Unis ?

Désolé je voulais répondre a Alyssa, j'ai fait une erreur, j'ai marqué Estelle . :D

c'est amusant, plusieurs américains ont noté "wine"! Je ne pense pas que ce soit une obsession chez nous! On l'apprécie c'est tout!

Both the French and the Americans noted that the French are obsessed with their food and their diet (most common words: wine, food, cheese, vin, nourriture), but the French mentioned some words like "argent", "reussite" and "etudes" that made me wonder.

In what sense are you obsessed with money? Is it because they are necessary and you need money to survive or because you want to have a lot of money to lead a comfortable life or because you regard having money as having power?

For "reussite", how do you define success? What do you have to do in order to feel that you succeeded? Is it connected with your studies?

Agreeing with what Michalis said, both the Americans and the French agree about food, but it was surprising to see them write about "l'argent" et "la reussite." Not only are these some of the last things I'd think about when considering the French, I would actually use them to describe American culture more. I guess Americans are more typically known for being money and success obsessed than the French are. It's appparent from the responses that the American idea of the French is based on their culture (food, fashion, language, music) rather than their values and attitudes. 

In reply about French culture present in the United States, I might not be the best judge because as a French student I've definitely opened myself up to more French culture than the typical person. I just asked two people sitting next to me and they jokingly said, "French fries," which doesn't really count. Though in seriousness, I guess if anything, the food is probably the most present. French movies are appearing in theaters and French cinema is getting more recognized in Hollywood. The type of cafe culture, which the French have perfected, is also getting more prevalent in the US.

Smoking has become very taboo in America, and not nearly as many people smoke here as in France. It is illegal in many states to smoke anywhere indoors. There are also very few places that still have a culture around "smoking breaks," though this was something I noticed a lot while I lived in Paris.

American students noted that the French are obsessed with strikes, though no French students responded similarly. I remember that there were several strikes in the public transportation sector. Why do you think no French students responded with a similar finding?

On the subject of wine, I think many Americans drink and enjoy wine, but the French are more particular about wine standards and quality. Outside of California, there really isn't a large sophisticated culture surrounding wine in America.

Finally, a lot of American students said "fashion," whereas French students said "appearance." Why do you think there was a subtle difference in word choice?

Michalis, Kathy, Alexandra,

Je pense qu'au niveau des mots " réussite "," argent "  et " études ", la signification est finallement la même pour un Américain ou un Français. Après tout, je ne vois pas pourquoi il y aurait une différence entre un Francais ou un Américain lorsqu'il réussit , et qu'il gagne de l'argent. Donc pour te répondre Michalis, si ces mots reviennent souvent, c'est qu'un Francais est tout simplement attaché à la réussite, il la recherche, finallement comme tout homme. Les Francais aiment avoir un certain confort de vie, d'ou leur recherche de l'argent, lié à la réussite, tout en passant par des études, ce qui est obligatoire. Ces mots ont ils la même signification pour un Américain ?

Et comme la dit Kathy, les réponses des Américains sont plus axés sur la culture, alors que les Francais ont mis ces mots( réussite, argent, culture). Je pense qu'en fait , avec toute la culture Américaine présente en France, peut être la France est une sorte d'Amérique en miniature ? Car aux finale, nous regardons vos films, nous écoutons votre musique, nous allons aux fast food,nous possédons les même envies de réussite et d'argent, et bien d'autres choses encore .... Enfin, en tout cas, la France posséde beaucoup de similitudes avec les Etats Unis si on y regarde bien.

Alexandra, ta remarque est très interessante, car en effet, la France est l'un des pays ou il est le plus agreable d'y vivre, mais c'est aussi la ou les gens se plaignent le plus. Mais en France, ces manifestations sont liées à la politique, or tu verra que dans certaines réponses Francaise, il y a " la politique". Mais ces manifestations sont liées a de nombreuses réformes de Nicolas Sarkozy, qui a pu voir qu'il est très très dur de gouverné la France, et surtout d'essayer de la réformer, car les Francais n'aiment pas beaucoup le changement.Mais si il n'y a pas eu plus de réponse en rapport a ça, c'est parce que je pense que nous ne nous sentons pas forcement obsédé par ça, car nous ne nous sentons peut être pas forcement concerné par ces manifestations et grèves, car il s'agit plutôt des ouvriers, et des personnes déja dans le monde professionel.

Mais les étudiants Francais ont eu l'occasion l'an dernier de se faire entendre en se qui concerne la réforme des universités Francaises. Il est peut être en effet etonant de pas avoir eu de mots lié à ça. Peut être parce que ces réformes ont finalement été accepté par ces étudiants grévistes.

Que pensez vous des universités Francaises ? Quelle comparaison pouvez vous faire avec les universités Américaines ?

J'ai remarqué que certains américains avaient mentionné le fait que les français étaient obsédés par les Etats-Unis et par les relations que nous avons avec les USA.

J'aimerai vraiment comprendre pourquoi pensez-vous cela et si ces réponses n'auraient pas un quelconque lien avec notre cher président actuel.... ? Pensez-vous réellement que la france veut "copier" les Etats-Unis?

J'ai trouvé des réponses très surprenantes de votre part! Vous avez bien sûr mentionner beaucoup de clichés sur les français comme le vin, le fromage, la nourriture et la beauté. Mais on peut aussi voir quelques réponses très amusantes comme "le sexe et le fun" ou même le manque de travail! J'aimerais savoir pourquoi vous pensez cela à propos des français!

Nous avons de nombreuses réponses en commun, les clichés restent relativement semblables.

Cependant, vous parlez aussi plusieurs fois des grêves, qui c'est vrai sont assez récurentes chez nous, mais ne faîte -vous pas grêves vous aussi??

Enfin quelqu'un a mentionné ( si j'ai bien compri) le faite que "les Français ne s'entendent pas avec les Amérciains" j'aimerai savoir pourquoi vous pensez une telle chose?

J'ai remarqué qu'un bon nombre de réponses étaient similaires des deux côtés, mais comme Anthony je ne comprend pas pourquoi vous avez mentionné le mot "sex".

De plus, cette citation m'intrigue :" pop music, their language and their francophone countries". J'ai l'impression que cet étudiant pensent que les français ne pense qu'à leur pays, qu'ils ne sont pas ouverts! Ce n'est pas du tout le cas, j'aimerai savoir pourquoi il a écrit cela, et si d'autres personnes pensent comme lui.

To respond to Fanny, I think that the word "sex" was used because Americans have this image of French people as sensual, seductive people. And for some strange reason, the French seem to have a reputation here as good lovers. I wouldn't complain if I were you, honestly.

But then that makes me curious: Do the French make a distinction between sex and love? For example, do you call having sex "making love"?

Julien and Hélène,

Strikes are not very common in the United States, and when they do happen, they are generally very small. One of the only exceptions is the UAW, the union for workers in the auto industry, which has the power to organize large strikes.

The comments about France and sex and love, oddly enough, just reminded me of a cartoon I used to watch when I was a little kid about a skunk named Pepé Le Pew.

It's highly stereotypical (it was made in the '50s, what can you expect?), but I thought it was hilarious as a kid.

In response to Guillaume:

I do not think the French want to directly copy the US, as it is quite obvious that politically and economically many French people want to remain very distinct from the US.  But, when we see the overwhelming popularity of American pop music, American film, American clothing, and American fast food restaurants in France, it is difficult to refrain from describing this as an "obsession."  While these things are American - they are the lowest common denominators, the most commercialized, etc. - and they are becoming extremely popular around the world, including in France.

I think one of the reasons this is so interesting is that in the past, many countries have distanced themselves politically from the U.S. and made a point criticizing our countries policies, exportation of capitalism etc, and yet in these same places you see evidence of the embrace of exported American commercial culture. 

To clarify and sum up my points - I do not think that France is trying to copy the U.S., but I think that the embrace of our commercial culture, perhaps at the expense of French culture, is astounding.

Julien,

I did not know that they had passed a law in France banning smoking in public places; however, it makes sense that they did, since that has been the trend in many countries over the last decade.  You said that there was much talk (or even controversy?) about said law; however, would you happen to know if it is being followed?  I know that Spain, for example, imposed similar smoking bans in 2006, but from my visits and from what my friends tell me, the law is not strictly enforced.  Indeed, it seems so easy to circunvent that ban that it seems to not have at all affected the smoking patterns in Spain.  Is this the case in France?

I live in Puerto Rico, and in 2005/6 they banned smoking inside of any public venue (they have now extended the reach of this law to include some outdoors places as well).  I remember that I started going out just before that law came into effect, and the contrast between before and after the law was incredible.  Since I am a  non-smoker, being at a club or bar before the law was almost unbearable at times: the air was clogged with smoke, and your hands and arms would often bear scars of encounters with others' lighted cigarrettes.  After the night was over, I would get home and have to leave my clothes in the hall because they were so impregnated with tobacco smell that they would stink up the whole room.  Also, I would have to wash my hair to get the reeking smell out of it. Ever since that law was passed, going out to public places has become so much more pleasant.  I believe things are much better this way, since it was unjust to have another's smoking habit (along with the accompanying carcinogenic effects) imposed upon one involuntarily.

As to your question on wether Americans smoke much, in 2008 20.6% of adult Americans were current smokers.  Interestingly, from 1965 to 1990, the number of adult smokers went from 40% to around 20%, but has remained almost unchanged since then.  In a class I took called Disease and Society in America, we learned that much of the decline in smoking rates has resulted from increasingly restricting the ammount of places where smoking is permitted, thus making smoking more inconvenient.

Wow, I am sorry I went off on such a statistical/reminiscent rant, but I hope this gives you some sort of an answer on your question. 

About what some people said about Americans believing that the French are obsessed with American culture, I think that as Americans we only may see the French from our specific perspective. So on the US side, responses that have to do with American-Franco relations does not  exactly imply that we believe that the only things important to France have to do with us. Those are just the things that are most obvious and apparent to us.

If you look on the list of French responses about what Americans are obsessed with, there are just as many stereotypes that appeared on this list, including but not limited to "hot dogs" and "leur desir de superiorite." The latter actually ends up being relevant to the question of why Americans think the French are obsessed with their culture. I guess it just might be our egocentrism?

Salut Jacqueline !

Oui effectivement il y a eu assez récemment un loi en France contre le tabac dans les lieux public. Et evidemment, comme beaucoup de Francais fument, cette loi a été beucoup controversé, mais je pense que maintenant, elle se fait de plus en plus accepté. Et je trouve sa beaucoup mieux, car comme tu l'a dit, l'odeur de la fumé est vraiment désagréable ! Je ne comprend pas pourquoi autant de gens fument, c'est aussi une sorte de mode en France, car le fait de fumé donne un style chez certains.

En tout cas, il y a évidemment des personnes qui arrivent à contourné la loi, tu m'a dit que lorsque tu est allée en Espagne, les gens ne respecté pas beaucoup cette loi.  Je pense que c'est quand même moins le cas en France.

Merci pour les statistiques ! Donc le tabac aurait tendance a baissé aux Etats Unis, je pense que c'est une bonne chose. En France je crois que c'est l'effet inverse, les jeunes fument de plus en plus tôt, ils commencent parfois a 11-12 ans !

Il y a t'il une loi similaire en France, aux Etats Unis, interdisant le tabac dans les lieux publiques ?