France: Religion, Family Structure, and Traditions - Case Study Example

France - Religion, Family Structure, and Traditions of Religion and Family Introduction France offers one of the most impressive topics of analysisin an understanding of the various elements of the culture and communication styles and it is indubitable that France’s culture has had an essential influence on the Western world for the last hundreds of years. Whereas the prominence of French culture is especially noticeable in its art, literature, and philosophy, it also offers some other crucial areas of cultural analysis such as religion, family structure, traditions. Significantly, France has been recognized as the center of culture since the seventeenth century and it has a long tradition of religion, family and other traditions. It is a nation which has influenced the cultures, movements, religious traditions, and social factors of other nations, especially the countries of Europe. In this presentation, a reflective analysis of the religion, family structure, and traditions of religion and family etc of France is undertaken which helps one in comprehending the culture and communication styles of this specific country in detail. Cultural Background of France: Religion In a profound understanding of the religion in France, it becomes lucid that there are few other nations which have as rich and varied a religious and intellectual life and history as France. It is a country with religious freedom and thought in virtue of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen in the year 1789. Though Roman Catholicism is the religion of a majority of French people, it has lost its status as a state religion since the glorious French Revolution in 1789. In fact, France has numerous religions and this country allows its people to follow whatever religion they choose. That is to say, France is a secular country which encourages freedom of thought and religion, including agnosticism and atheism. It is also essential to comprehend that France is a nation with great religious tradition and history and it has been at the forefront in several of the religious movements of the world in general and of the Europe in particular. “Few nations have as rich and varied a religious and intellectual life and history as France. During the medieval period France was the most populous Christian kingdom, and during the Reformation France continued to be at the forefront of religious ferment. From the seventeenth century to the present this once-Christian nation has been at the forefront of modern science and the development of nonreligious society… What has made the French world of ideas more important recently has been the confrontation between multiculturalism and secularism in the light of a large Muslim immigrant population.” (Haine, 47) Therefore, France has a great religious tradition and history and the majority of its people are Christian with 83%-88% Roman Catholics. The other religions practiced in the country include Protestantism, Judaism and Islam. It is essential to relate here that France is a secular nation which dedicatedly holds fast to the principle of ‘freedom of religion’ which was the political slogan of the Declaration of the Rights of Man in 1789. The most spectacular aspect of the religious tradition of France is the fine blend and balance of different religions such as Catholicism, Protestantism, Islam, Judaism and atheism. In a brief historical survey of the religious tradition in France, it becomes obvious that it was a nation which was prominently a Catholic country during the earlier centuries of Catholicism in Europe. France was one of the most creative centers of Roman Catholicism from the ninth through the seventeenth centuries and it gave birth to two of the most important monastic orders of the medieval world, namely, the Cluniacs and Cistercians. The nation also witnessed the essential conflicts between kings and popes in the fourteenth century and it played a central role during the period of the ‘Great Schism’. The later centuries of the history witnessed great contribution from the intellectuals of France to the development of philosophy, religion, politics and thought. Today, France has a prime position in the religious traditions of the world and it has contributed greatly to the progress of religion and philosophy in the world. “The exchange of ideas on questions of religion and philosophy in contemporary France will have a central bearing on how the world will become a more global and inclusive society in the future.” (Haine, 47) Therefore, it is essential to comprehend that the religious background of France has been prominent throughout the Europe and the world and it is a nation which has contributed the world some of the fundamental principles of secularism and religion including the ‘freedom of religion’. Cultural Background of France: Family structure One of the most essential elements determining the importance of French culture has been the structure of family and a profound analysis of the family structure in France confirms that several social, religious and cultural elements as well as movements have influenced the progress of its culture. The family has long been regarded as a small state in France and it has often received a prominent place in the French culture. Family has traditionally been considered as the basic unit of French society due, mainly, to the values of the Catholic Church and the rural communities. The traditional family structure of the French culture continued for a long time and earlier it was an extended family structure. However, the traditional family structure which supported extended families over the twentieth century turned out to be nuclear families after the World War II. One of the most important influence on the family structure of the French society was the French Revolution which determined the nature of family ever since. “The outbreak of the French Revolution created a potent space for questioning the customs, laws, emotions, power relations, and gender assumptions that informed family life. During the 1790s the French Revolution radically redefined the family, its internal dynamics, and its relationship to the state. As part of an all-embracing attempt to liberate individuals, recreate citizens from within, and build a more egalitarian social structure, the revolutionaries challenged long-standing domestic practices and infused politics into the most intimate relationships.” (Desan, 1) Therefore, the family structure of the French society has changed drastically over the centuries various studies have proved that the number of single parent families and the unmarried couples has increased considerably in the contemporary French society. That is to say, there has been a vital shift from the traditional family structure to the modern family structure in the French society and culture. Cultural Background of France: Traditions of Religion and Family The traditions of religion as well as family have been important elements of the French culture and society and these traditions are attractions to a person visiting France for the first time. There are several traditions in the nation connected with religion which attract the outsiders and these religious traditions enhance the significance of the French culture. The traditions of the religion are mostly connected with those of the family and people celebrate religious festivals with lots of enthusiasm and variety in their families. Some of the most important traditions of religion as well as family in France are in connection with Christmas which has become both a religious and secular celebration. In the contemporary France, Christmas has become a family holiday, a religious celebration and an occasion for merrymaking. It was in the French city of Strasbourg in 1605 that the fir tree was first presented as the holy tree of Christmas. “Family celebrations begin with the decoration of the Christmas tree a few days before Christmas; candles and lights, tinsel and many colored stars are attached to it. On Christmas Eve when the children are asleep, little toys, candies and fruits are hung on the branches of the tree as a supplement to the gifts Santa Claus has left in the shoes before the fireplace.” (Holiday Traditions of France) Another major custom in connection with the religion is that of the manger, ‘la crèche,’ and it originated in 12th century France in the form of liturgical drama. There are several antique mangers in churches at Chartres, Chaource, Nogent-le-Rotrou, Sainte-Marie d’Oloron and in museums at Marseilles and Orleans. In the contemporary France, the family prepares a manger on a small stage in a major part of the house and children to make a setting for the manger with rocks, branches and moss. There are various puppet shows given every year for Christmas all over France, especially in Paris and in Lyon. There are also several other customs connected with Christmas including a late supper after the midnight mass known as ‘le réveillon’. “The meal varies according to the region of France. In Alsace, for example, the traditional goose is brought in on a platter and given the place of honor on the table. Bretons serve buckwheat cakes with sour cream. Turkey and chestnuts are served in Burgundy. The favorite dishes of Paris and the Ile-de-France region are oysters, foie gras, and the traditional cake in the form of a Yule log or "bûche de Noël" which used to burn on the hearth on Christmas Eve. The wines served are generally Muscadet, Anjou, Sauterne and Champagne.” (Holiday Traditions of France) To discuss the major traditions of family in the French culture, a tourist in the country comes across several customs and practices all through the year. Thus, there are several practices connected with the religious traditions of the nation beginning with celebrations in the first week of January with ‘galette des Rois’, a crusty cake filled with almond-paste, celebrating the visit of the kings to Jesus. In this crusty cake, a small object, ‘la fève’, is hidden and the family member who gets it in his portion becomes the King/Queen of the day or he can choose a Queen/King among the other members by giving him/her a paper crown, which is given with the cake. The other celebrations in the family traditions include the one celebrated on February 2nd called ‘Chandeleur’, and the family prepares thin pancakes (‘crèpes’), tossing them around with a gold coin in the other hand brings luck. “April First (April fool) : you make people believe things which are untrue or you hang a paper fish on their back (‘poisson dAvril’)… Easter Sunday (‘Pâques’) : you eat chocolate eggs (or fish, or bell) filled with sweets; Easter Bunny is known only in the East of France. The symbol of Easter is a bell (they are supposed to fly-back from Rome, loaded with chocolate!)… May First (‘Fête du Travail’): offer lily-of-valley, thousands of people sell it in the streets…” (French family traditions) There are also celebrations in the family by the end of May or the early June in connection with ‘Fête des Mères’ (Mother’s Day) and, interestingly, the date for this celebration is not the same as in the USA. In another tradition of the family in France one brings flowers (chrysanthemum) to the grave of the beloved ones on the first of November. On the Christmas Eve (‘le réveillon’), there is “usually a family dinner, when New Years Eve (‘le réveillon du Nouvel An’) is generally shared with friends: both are huge meals with typically oysters and/or Foie Gras, then turkey or goose or roast-beef, salad and cheese and chocolate cake and/or ice cream etc...” (French family traditions) Therefore, there have been several interesting and essential traditions of the family culture of the French society which are normally in relation to some festival or celebrations. In this analysis of the French culture in relation to religion, family structure, and traditions, it is important to relate that the specific elements of the French culture have a major impact on the communication styles of its peoples. According to Giri VN, communication and culture have a great influence on each other and the close relation between the French culture and communication styles proves this fact. “The culture in which an individual is socialized has a great impact on communication. Culture provides its members with an implicit knowledge about how to behave in different situations and how to interpret other’s behavior in such situations. Culture can be seen as including everything that is manmade. In fact, since time immemorial, communication is an integral part of culture and as the culture advances, communication pattern changes.” (Giri) Significantly, the cultural specifics of the French people determine the communication styles of the people. In conclusion, the elements of the French culture in connection to religion, family structure, and traditions have a major role in determining the communication styles of the French people. Works Cited Desan, Suzanne. The Family on Trial in Revolutionary France. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. 2004. P 1. “French family traditions.” Life in Paris and in France. Understandfrance.org. 09 Jul, 2009. . Giri, VN. “Assessing the Impact of Culture on Communication Style.” 09 Jul, 2009. . Haine, W. Scott. Culture and customs of France. New York: Greenwood Publishing House. 2006. P 47. “Holiday Traditions of France.” Californiamall. 09 Jul, 2009. . Read More