• Highly individualistic; very feminine (quality and pace of life are important – “All good wine in its own time.”) • Innate restlessness to explore every nook and cranny of an issue in conversation. • They can be argumentative, quick to criticize. • Family is very important, as are close friends. • Long, deep conversations with close relations • Little contact / conversation with others. • Children must be brought up properly. To learn respect. They must be civilized by parents. • Women are seen as equal but different than men. Different roles.
• Classification
• Overall 4 classifications of wine, and also four classes of people:
– Haute bourgeoise – aristocrats – Petite bourgeoisie – white collar workers – Moyennes – middle class – Populaires workers
Composition
Abrupt, spontaneous, relationshiporiented. Legally sanctioned work week of 35 hours. Accept high degree of power distance. Dislike uncertainty
Hale Waihona Puke • People know their place, but do not feel inferior to others
• Outsiders are countenanced but not readily embraced. • Rules, regulations – there is a certain, proper way to do something (same with wine making). • Politeness, attention to detail. • Little fluidity crossing class lines. • Centralized social structure, including government – tight control of institutions – high level of centralization • Low risk takers. Want to know you intimately.
French Culture
• 5,000 varieties of wine – variety of French ideosynchrasies • Five characteristics:
– – – – – Pureness Classification Composition Suitability Maturation
• Pureness
• It is a VERY complicated process to make wine, and many variables will affect the outcome (French are very unpredictable, too). You never know what you’re going to get. • Aggregation of peoples struggling to forge a unified identity • Belief in cultural superiority
• Suitability
• Rules for everything • Complicated but free government and politics • Immigration
• The Maturation Process
• Controlled education; maturity must be attained for the child to progress through grades. Skills must be demonstrated. • More than anything, social status determines one’s future. • French are critical of the way Americans make and discard friends.