When are cultural stereotypes not stereotypes? Why, when they are national cultural profiles done up in a binder by some fancy research firm that charges for the privilege of reading what is stock in trade for satirists like Cabu. This is no longer stereotyping. This is research, findings of the highest order.
NATIONAL CULTURAL PROFILES – FRANCE
July 20, 2006 (Telegraph) - National Cultural Profiles are your guide to the thinking patterns of all the world's major cultures. Below is an extract from the France profile...Cultural black holes: The French believe that they are intellectually superior to any other nationality. The length and magnificence of their historical achievements leave the French convinced that they have a mission to teach and to civilise others.
Their political, military and economic strengths may no longer predominate as they once did, but they perceive no diminishment or fading of their moral and didactic authority.
Listening habits: French people pay full attention only if the speaker is charismatic, imaginative, clearly logical and represents authority.
How to empathise with them: Recognize French historical achievement, the riches of their culture and their sense of mission. They consider themselves human, witty and intellectually superior.
If you open up to them, they will follow suit, cautiously. Be witty if you can, they respond well to liveliness. To gain acceptance you should behave formally, show respect for the hierarchy and stick to logic at all times. However, you should also show a ‘human’ side and take the opportunity to have a good long talk, though never criticise the French nation or its heroes.
[Hat tip: Erik Svane at ¡No Pasarán! who dug up this oldie-but-goodie]
If hooey is your dish, tuck in.
We keep encountering the claim that the French person as a class of person is natively logical, but have thus far been denied contemporary evidence behind the claim (and here, and here, in the comments). With precious few exceptions, the French we encounter tend to be emotional, sentimental, and scatter-brained.
Perhaps this logic claim is meant to obscure the French lack of imagination -- except in the areas of lies, excuses, and self-congratulation -- as logic is, by its nature, derivative thinking.
Or perhaps the claim could be put thusly, were the French to give anything some thought there is a chance they would think on it logically. Of course, there is nothing particularly French about such a claim, but at least it spares the unknowing the misimpression of France as a nation teeming with the spawn of Raymond Smullyan.*
PFFT (What is this?): Stereotype hooey 4 | Rayonnement français 0
Bonjour ,
2000 ans de culture et de rayonnement de la France….
Difficile à digérer à la vue de la petite et sinistre histoire US , née il y a peine 200 ans du remplacement à la suite d'un génocide , d'une population indienne légitime par des colons.
Faudrait vous-y faire …
Notre Histoire est prestigieuse , la vôtre n'est que génocide et esclavagistes ….
Notez que je comprends votre dépit : comment peut-on être fier d'être citoyen US ???
Notez aussi que la pire c… de notre Histoire de France , c'est d'avoir contribué à vous faire naître en tant que nation .
Ah stupide Lafayette !
Yes, well, as we state in the post, the French we encounter -- the above specimen being a most excellent illustration -- are emotional, sentimental, and scatter-brained.
DGB
