While American opinions pour in about what France should do better to confront its racism, it is worth remembering the adage about people in glass houses throwing stones. Many Americans admit that racism persists and should end. What they are increasingly asking for to achieve that goal is something closer to the colorblind French model.
Read More“France is grappling with séparatisme, which the government has targeted as
incompatible with French republican principles and is now sanctioned
under a new law. Crucially for scholars and teachers of French, debates
about séparatisme reflect substantial cultural differences between France
and the United States that can, without sufficient context, lead to errors in
translation. This article proffers the meanings of séparatisme, its close
cousin laïcité, and related terms based on cultural insights into French
society. The lexical history and legacy of these terms are further considered
in comparative context, namely regarding American separation of church
and state.“
Photo: Michele Neylon (https://www.flickr.com/photos/mneylon/6561474487)
Read MoreWith the French presidential election of 2022 now over, a look across the Atlantic is like looking into the mirror. We see a country torn apart, led by a centrist president who’s barely popular who managed to beat out his populist rival. We see a president uneasy about the upcoming legislative elections and what they mean for implementing any coherent policies. We wonder if this president will be able to stitch the country back together, let alone heal the economy, put Covid behind us for good, confront Russia without starting a world war, provide leadership among allies, and still hold up the nation as a beaming example of democracy. It’s a tall order.
The demographic divide is real, both in France and in the United States. And it’s looking a lot like a crack in the mirror.
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