Fr 139: Land & Space
Reading Questions
Nadeau & Barlow, Ch. 2 & 3 (p. 15-45).

Ch. 2: "The Land on their Mind"

1.  Why did a group of sheep farmers perform a "symbolic dismantling" of a McDonald's restaurant in 1999?

2.  What do the cheese and wine industries have in common in France?  Why would these industries feel threatened by trade deregulations?

3.  What does the French word "pays" mean?

4.   What did Nadeau and Barlow find when they went to the Salon de l'agriculture in Paris?  What was this farm show like?

5.  Why are hunting rights a touchy issue in France?

6.  What is one theory that explains why France's population stagnated between 1750 and 1945 while the populations of other European nations rose?

Ch. 3: "Private Space"

7.  What two common questions in North America are considered a bit rude by the French in situations where you are talking to someone for the first time?

8.  Explain the differences between French and American expectations of customer behaviors in stores.

9.  How do houses reflect the typical French attitude towards private and public space?

10.  Describe the typical French attitude towards money and sex.

11. Why are there no telemarketers in France?

12.  Describe how eating is viewed in France versus the U.S., according to the authors.

13.  How are couples expected to behave in France?  How is this different from most North American expectations about  couples?  How might these differences explain some of the friction between the U.S. and French governments?