French Culture

The French are all about preserving their culture and being individualized. They often take great pride in the French products and the French style, and believe in keeping the French culture “pure” so they also limit the amount of foreign goods that are being imported. But during the World Wars the French began to allow foreigners to immigrate into France to take jobs due to an increase in job shortages. The immigration from the World Wars added to the diversity of the French culture. Ever since the 1850’s there has been a steady flow of immigration into France, and now nine percent of the French population is made up of immigrants (Gofen 62). The break down of the cultures in France is eighty-five percent of the French population is Roman Catholic, eight percent Muslim, two percent Protestants, and one percent Jewish. From 1801-1905, Roman Catholicism was the man religion in France and bishops and priests were being paid by the government to be state officials. But this was broken in 1905 (“France” 460). The current debate in France is the banning of religious symbols in public school systems. An example of a religious symbol being banned is headscarves. Headscarves have been banned since 2004, but the French do not allow ANY religious symbols in public school systems (“In Knots”) France should not continue to ban the wearing of religious symbols in public school systems because since the World Wars France began to allow foreigners to immigrate into France, in the United States there are no laws restricting the wearing of religious symbols, and important French figures have had foreign parents.

After the World Wars, France began allowing foreigners to come and take jobs because they had major job shortages (Gofen 62). Some ma...

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... from foreign descent, making the French culture a little more diverse.

Works Cited

Davis, Derek H. “Reacting to France’s Ban: headscarves and other Religious Attire in American Public Schools.” Journal of Church and State. Spring 2004. EBSCO. Online. Feb 28 2010.

“France.”World Book Encyclopedia.2009.

“French Parliament to Consider Burka Ban.” CNN. June 24 2009. Online. Available http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/06/23/france.burkas/index.html?iref=all search. Jan 5 2010.

Gofen, Ethel and Reymann, Blandine. Cultures of the World: France. New York: Times Media Private Limited, © 2003.

Haine, W Scott. Culture and Customs of France. Westport: Green Wood Press, © 2006.

“In Knots over Headscarves.” The Economist. Sep 19-25 2009. 64.

“Provisions of the International Religious Freedom Act.” Facts On File Issues and Controversies. Jan 21 2000:18.