Both the French and American responses seem very positive overall towards France, but the American responses seem more centered around French stereotypes (like Paris, the Eiffel Tower, Baguettes, etc), but the French responses are more specific and deeper (more specific like Bordeaux, or philosophical ideas like Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity). However, there is some overlap in areas like food, Paris, and culture. To what extent are the American stereotypes of France accurate in everyday life?

It would seem like the general attitude towards France is positive on both sides, as there is a large focus on culture, history, and food. It is interesting how similar both of these reflections are about France in general. The only major differences are the few more detailed responses by the French students.
The French find great pride in their culture and history, which is reflected in how the world views France.
What is the great importance of some of the individuals on the list like Coubertin and Sylvain Durif? Is French history and cultural identity a large part of education in France?

A lot of the answers for the Americans and the French are the same, they mostly revolve around locations in France, food, and cultural experiences. The French seem to associate more French people with their country, which makes sense.
The answers are mostly similar because Americans have a relatively accurate general view of France and the French and the Americans place importance on similar things in relation to France.
Who is Sylvain Durif, and why is he/she important? Why to several American’s associate cigarettes with France?

Je trouve un peut “reducteur” de limiter la france a sa capilate Paris et a la Tour Effeil. Cela peut se comprendre, Paris est une très belle ville. Mais moi même, je suis allé à Paris qu’une seule fois et il y a beacoup plus à decouvrir en France. Les montagnes avec les Alpes, Les Pyrénées,.. la Méditerranée, l’Océan. Et d’autres belles villes Toulouse, Bordeaux,…
Avez-vous déjà visité la France ?
Connaisez-vous d’autres villes/monument/lieux en France ?

The two sides both mentioned a lot of words to do with food and wine. The American side also mentioned things that more relied on stereotypes, while the French side mentioned more ideas and ideals.

The French stereotype in the United States could pretty much be summed up as eating baguettes and seeing artists in berets painting next to the Eiffel Tower. It definitely seems like this stereotype showed up in the American side, but not in the French side.

Who is Coubertin and why is he really important in France? What is the importance of Sylvain Duriff?

Je suis totalement surprise des réponses des américains qui relient plutôt la France aux seulement ses monuments (Tour Eiffel, Le louvre..) et ne connaissent de la France que la capitale Paris ! Le mot Paris est répété pratiquement dans toutes les réponses ! Connaissez vous d’autres villes en France ? Qu’en pensez vous du coté culturel de la France ?
PS : Je vous conseille vivement de visiter d’autres villes, je suis sûre que vous allez les aimer beaucoup plus que Paris :)

Baguette, champagne, fromage, vin. Sommes-nous pour vous la capitale mondiale de la nourriture? A quoi est-ce lié? Aux différences entre votre alimentation et la notre ou bien au simple fait que nous sommes réputés pour apprécier les bons petits plats?

I believe that France has so many associations with food and drinks because French food and drinks are known to be delicious and incomparable. I also think that the most common way Americans interact with French culture is through French restaurants. It’s not nearly as common for Americans to watch French sports, or movies, or anything else, as it is for Americans to go enjoy a good meal at a nice French restaurant.

I agree that many Americans do not interact with French culture besides through the food. French restaurants are quite popular in the states and are generally thought to be very extravagant and many are highly regarded. On top of this, as most Americans do not watch French films or television, if they have not yet been to France themselves, the only exposure they have to France would be from American films and television. The majority of American films and televisions that either take place in France do so in Paris and at least mention the major monuments.

I have been to France, this past summer, however I only had time to visit Paris because it was a short trip. I do know other cities like Lyon and Nice, but again I haven’t had a chance to visit either. As an American, one really only hears about Paris in France; when friends go to visit or work in France, they work in Paris. So it’s natural that when we think of France, we think of Paris first and foremost. Do you think Paris is a good representation of life and culture in France? If not, what else should one think of to get a good idea of France and French culture? Also, where else besides Paris would recommend visiting to get a better appreciation for France and French culture as a whole?

It’s a good point that many Americans’ primary knowledge of France and its culture is through its food. Also, Paris is one of the most famous cities in the world, known for its architecture, art, music, food, and scenery, and it’s depicted in pop culture here very often (movies, books, music, etc., even clothing). Therefore, I think it’s natural for people’s first associations to be of Paris and typical food like baguettes. (Also, I noticed that the French side mentioned food quite a bit too.) So, that doesn’t mean we don’t know of other things about France, it’s just that those are the typical descriptors we would use for it.

spira - To answer your question, I visited France once 2 years ago, and I visited Paris and then Grenoble. I agree with you - even though I did enjoy Paris and all there was to do there, I definitely preferred Grenoble. It was much less touristy and I loved the mountains.

It’s true that Americans associate France with Paris, but to be fair so did a lot of the francophones. I don’t think this association is surprising at all, because major cities are an important defining feature of a country. Since Paris is by far the largest French city in terms of population, it is understandable that the city, to us, represents France.

You associated the United States with New York, Chicago, and California. While there are obviously many other great cities/states in the US, I don’t think focusing on only one or two places reduces the country.

Spira: One of the reasons that Americans think of Paris immediately when they think of France is that it is one of the main destinations in France that American tourists will go to. In general, Americans know significantly less about the world outside America than most people elsewhere know about the world outside of where they live. Hence, most of Americans’ interactions with the outside world stem from knowing people who are going or have been to a place. Because Paris is one of the most visited places, it is the place that people will talk the most about when discussing France, and therefore comes to the mind quickly when discussing France. In addition, it is a large city and the capital, so if an American student were to only know about a few cities in France, they would likely know about that one.

Est ce que c’est normal que je constate que les réponses Américaines sont liées, dans la plus part des cas, à la nourriture?

chaf.madkour: J’ai déjà posé la question, et ils ont déjà répondu ;)

laika : Je te conseille aussi de venir visiter Bordeaux ! c’est une très belle ville, à voir absolument ! En plus il fait toujours beau ici ! et si jamais tu viendras je serai ton guide touristique :)

Sylvain Durif est un citoyen français qui a fait parler de lui durant 2012 et l’hypothétique fin du monde. Il invitait les français à se réunir avec lui afin de discuter de son histoire. Il se fait appeler le Christ Cosmique, et prétend avoir vécu des aventures extrasensorielles, lui révélant qu’il devait guider la France afin de démanteler le gouvernement qui n’était qu’une mascarade. Il ne faut en aucun cas prendre au sérieux ces déclarations. Toutefois, il ne rentre pas dans la catégorie des chefs de sectes cupides ou criminels. Il ne demande à aucun moment d’argent à travers ses vidéos. Je le vois plus comme un troll très bien joué.
Ce serait excessif de résumer Durif à la France, mais il est assez connu dans notre pays, je pensais donc que c’était une bonne idée de vous en faire part. Il a d’ailleurs une chaîne youtube (très peu intéressante) si vous voulez rigoler sur un français un peu à part :D

@Remi I think you left out the greatest contribution to the global cuisine by French society… French Fries ! :D

Beyond the responses surrounding places and foods and such, for those who responded with words such as “fraternité, égalité, liberté, terroir, études” etc, how do these other sorts of things play a part in your view of France? How does France’s history affect your view of the country?

@PhysicMajor French fries are actually believed to originated in Belgium :D Is that not funny?