Last semester, in my Introduction to Contemporary French Culture class we focused on and learned about many aspects of French culture and society, which I enjoyed a lot because I”m interested in French culture, particularly French language. In retrospect, however, I’m pleasantly surprised at how many things about the United States I ended up learning (or perhaps simply unveiling, as my own Americanization had made them seem normal, and, strangely, right) Among the myriad of differences that emerged when comparing the two societies, one that i found particularly revealing was the notion that the French, and Europeans in general, work to live while their American counterparts live to work. The difference, really, comes down to a matter or prioritization, and the readings this week reminded me that, sadly, the priorities in the American society in general tend to revolve around money and wealth. Socially, Europeans in general really value leisure time with their families, even if it means working -and therefore earning- less. Americans, on the other hand, prefer to work and earn more to be able to afford “better” things for their families, even if that means less time together. European families seem content with owning a nice, small house and car, and settling in it; the American lifestyle promotes the idea that bigger is better, and the concepts of success and happiness seem embodied in getting a bigger house and/or every time it is possible. This notion is at the heart of the heart of the growth of fast food in the US. Fast food’s success is largely due to its convenience and relatively low prices which fit perfectly in the time-is-money American mindset. Family meals -real ones, on a table, not in front of a TV or gadget- are often one of many victims of this lifestyle that disconnects us even more from our food.
3 thoughts on “Working to live and Living to Work”
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Fredy,
I liked reading about your realization of the differences between the two cultures. Taking it further, I think that some American-Western values hold much obstacles to reaching not only a healthy food system, but a healthy society in general. With the focus on progress and novelty, certain Western values force a distinction between work and play, introducing much stress and anxiety to everyday life. Certain Eastern philosophies on the other hand, view work and play as interconnected, where work is play in a sense. This should not mean that work must be playing, but rather that the sense of creativity and fulfillment should be present in any work that we do.
I hope that as we move forward with discussing a new food system we won’t forget to discuss a new social paradigm to go with that.
Hi!
I really enjoyed reading your response and seeing the contrast between two differentplaces. I think you did a great job showing that Americans do value different things like money and wealth and this therefore drives things like the expansive fast food industry because people find wealth and success there. Its a giant money maker. I really liked that you spoke on how in French society they value leisure family time. I think that is completely forgotten about in American society. It seems like we are always trying to find what will make us money or how to advance in a job or education that we forget to stop for a second and take a look at our lives and familes and enjoy whta we have. This shows exactly our food culture of “fast food”. If we could just enjoy and take a second to look at our food we could see what were actually eating and maybe make some changes to that.
I studied French in high school and a bit in college, and I have realized that same disparities between French and American culture, especially in the avenue of food. I mentioned in last week’s videoconference that the French (older generation in particular) vehemently reject the opening of McDonald’s in their country, and it is because McDonald’s stands for everything that the French food culture is not. As Pollan mentioned in, “In Defense of Food,” they pay more for food, eat less of it, and enjoy it so much more. The French take an hour and a half lunch break, and it is normal for schoolchildren to come home in the middle of the day for this family meal. I hope that we can learn something from the French and try to emanate their food culture.