latest.jpg Find out what's new!

What makes France such an endearing and infuriating country at the same time?

Why are the French a people that you love one day and hate the next?

Come here every day and you may find out...

• Front Page
• FAQ
• 
• RSS Feed
• Subscribe
• Add to Technorati Favs
• 
• 

Live search:

Archive for 'Society'

France by Numbers: 206.5 Billion

In 2007, the French health care system has cost the country 206.5 billion euros, or 10.9 percent of GDP. Only two countries spend a greater part of GDP on the health of their citizens: the US (15.3%) and Switzerland (11.3%). Germany follows closely, with 10.6%. Some analysts don't believe those figures are comparable, because they […]

Posted: Fri 05-Sep-08 under Society, Environment & Health

Over one in two French babies born out of wedlock

According to the latest figures, nearly 52% of all 819,600 babies born in France in 2007 had unmarried parents.

The total number of births was slightly down on the previous year (830,300) but higher than in the 25 previous years. Ten years ago, only 41% of babies were born out of wedlock.
A growing number […]

Posted: Thu 04-Sep-08 under Society, Statistics

Illegal Immigrants Who Fight Back

The Guardian asks: What's the difference between an illegal immigrant and any other member of society? As our photographs remind us, just a few pieces of paper. As the French government attempts to demonise and drive out the so-called sans-papiers, Lizzy Davies meets the men and women who are fighting back.

The well-documented article comes with […]

Posted: Tue 02-Sep-08 under Society

France by Numbers: 63.392 Million

The French national statistics body Insee has just published the official demographic data for 2006. That year ended with a population of 63.392 million, up an unprecedented 300,000 from the previous year, the result of more births and less deaths. The French are the second most populated nation in Europe (after Germany). Nearly one in […]

Posted: Thu 21-Aug-08 under Society, Statistics

Homicidal Somnambulism

Homicidal somnambulism, literally homicidal sleepwalking and colloquially known as sleepwalking murder, is the act of killing someone during an episode of sleepwalking. Occasionally, sleepwalkers kill people during their sleepwalking act. There have been several rare cases in which an alleged act of homicide has occurred, and the prime suspect may have committed the act while […]

Posted: Mon 18-Aug-08 under Society

What's the proper punishment for this crime?

A little boy on his bike was killed on the spot, and his father is still in coma, after they were hit by a car.
Accidents happen, but in this case the driver (a 20-year young woman) was stoned after smoking pot all day, pissed (with 2.17 g/l) after boozing all afternoon, and typing a […]

Posted: Thu 14-Aug-08 under Society, Events

European Pot Smokers Map

On Wikipedia: Adult lifetime cannabis use by country

According to this map, Denmark and France are the European countries with the highest percentage of people who use, or have used, cannabis during their adult lifetime. The French (scoring 30.6%) come second after the Danes (36.5%), but both countries pale in comparison with the world's happiest potsmoking […]

Posted: Mon 11-Aug-08 under Food, Drink & Smoke, Society, Statistics

France by Numbers: 64,250

In July, the number of detainees in France hit 64,250 people—the highest number since WWII, when jails were crowded with Nazi collaborators. Worse: the prisons are operating at 126 percent of capacity—far higher than the European average—with some French jails housing twice as many inmates as there is room for. Newsweek calls it Incarceration Nation.

Posted: Mon 04-Aug-08 under Society, Statistics

When did you last suffer from Dromomania?

I never knew of this condition, which affects only French people. From Wikipedia:

Dromomania, also called travelling fugue, is a psychological condition in which people spontaneously depart their routine, travel long distances and take up different identities and occupations. Months may pass before they return to their former identities.
The most famous case was that of Jean-Albert […]

Posted: Tue 29-Jul-08 under Society

Allo, Allo, Je Suis Dans Mon Bain

One in seven French women bathe with their mobile:

A survey (by mBlox) on the secret habits of French mobile phone users found that 14% of French women (compared to just 4% of men) take their mobile phones into the bathroom with them.
The survey also reveals that 18 to 24 year olds are the most […]

Posted: Fri 18-Jul-08 under Society, Statistics

France By Numbers: 7.9 Million

In 2006, 7,9 million French were officially living below the poverty line, having less than 880 euros per month at their disposal. One in three are single parents, mostly mothers. The French poor represent 13.2% of the population, which is below the average European level of 16%. The highest poverty level is found in Lettonia […]

Posted: Fri 18-Jul-08 under Society, Statistics

Bearded Protest

From the Independent:
A blue beard hangs from a statue on a monument on Republic Place in Paris, after three women from the feminist action group "La Barbe" (the beard) hung coloured beards on three of the memorial's statues protesting the dominance of male managers in employment. The three promised to return every year until a […]

Posted: Wed 16-Jul-08 under Society, Oops

Why some women can't become French — and some can

Le Monde reports that a 32-year old Moroccan woman has been refused French citizenship, despite the fact that she's married to a Frenchman, has lived in France since 2000, has three kids who are all born in France, and speaks good French. The reason? She's dressed like this:

According to the Conseil d'Etat, her dress code […]

Posted: Fri 11-Jul-08 under Society, Oops

How to break the cycle of unemployment

This is how they did it in 1945:

Leg Power replaces electricity in this Parisian beauty salon, where Madame has her hair dried despite the lack of coal-generated current. An ingenious beautician hires unemployed 6-day bicycle racers to peddle away on a bike, the back wheel of which is attached to a small generator! The current […]

Posted: Tue 08-Jul-08 under Society, History

No worries — Only 36 nations are happier than the French

Researchers at the University of Michigan have just ranked 97 nations in order of their population's happiness. Denmark is the world's most content nation, followed by Puerto Rico and Colombia. France comes in at 37th place, trailing all countries north of it, but scoring better than Spain, Italy, Portugal and some Eastern-European countries. Read all […]

Posted: Wed 02-Jul-08 under Society, Statistics

« Older