Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
SKIN DEEP
All of us who travel and make friends in other nations quickly
learn the pitfalls of cultural stereotypes. They can easily be
a barrier to cultural and human understanding. We have to
look at them, but we have to get beyond them.
It is easy but pointless to rage against the 'illogical'
differences between your logic and someone else's.
Conversely, who wants to be pigeon-holed as someone
just 'typical' of his own culture? Each of us takes pride
in his own individuality, even while we make cultural
assumptions of others that blind us. We are programmed
by our social experience. Learning a new culture demands
a reprogramming.
Cultural stereotypes have some elements of truth, valid
reasons why they were formed. So let's examine some of the
stereotypes now, both those you may have about the French
and those the French may assume about you.
If culture is an onion, we are starting with that dry brown
paper skin. No need to be thin-skinned about any of this. We
all have superi cial cultural biases to discard.
STEREOTYPES ABOUT THE FRENCH
The Gallic temperament has been stereotyped as cold,
imperious and negative. The French even joke about
it.
Le pire est toujours certain
, they say. (The worst is
always certain).
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