Do you want to know what the French people are really like, but either can’t travel to France or can’t find any real French people to come to know?\u00a0 Or are you French and want to know more about your own society?\u00a0 Well, maybe the analyses undertaken and published by the study and advisory bureau Francoscopie will help you out.\u00a0 This team of sociologists headed by G\u00e9rard Mermet is constantly studying how France and the French people are changing as far as their lifestyles, values, opinions, attitudes, behaviors and consumption habits.\u00a0 The topics discussed range from health, family, work and leisure to income and spending and everything in between.<\/p>\n
Many people recommend these books for French language students, French teachers and anyone else who is interested or needs to know about the French people.\u00a0 It has been likened to a bible on French society.\u00a0 I personally find the information fascinating and the language is quite easy to understand.<\/p>\n
Here’s an example of the type of information you can get from the book (as provided in the 1993 version):<\/p>\n
How French people spend their weekends:<\/p>\n
\u00a8 65% stay at home and read, watch TV, listen to music, fix things.<\/p>\n
\u00a8 39% go out at least one day to walk around their town\/city or go to the countryside.<\/p>\n
\u00a8 20% work<\/p>\n
\u00a8 19% go to their second home, to their parents’ house or their friends’ house<\/p>\n
\u00a8 16% work on do-it-yourself projects<\/p>\n
\u00a8 14% do gardening<\/p>\n
\u00a8 14% go joyriding by bike, motorcycle, car, etc.<\/p>\n
\u00a8 11% go grocery shopping<\/p>\n
\u00a8 11% do sports either alone or as part of a club<\/p>\n
\u00a8 10% go to the movies, theater or to a restaurant<\/p>\n
\u00a8 9% cook<\/p>\n
\u00a8 3% visit museums or expositions<\/p>\n
\u00a8 8% go dancing\/go out at night<\/p>\n
\u00a8 6% go on excursions or cultural trips.<\/p>\n
Every so often, the group of sociologists updates the information in a new edition.\u00a0 Their book was first published in 1985 and the most recent version was made available in 2007.\u00a0 The next Francoscopie book will be on sale in September 2009.\u00a0 You can find out more at www.francoscopie.fr<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Do you want to know what the French people are really like, but either can’t travel to France or can’t find any real French people to come to know?\u00a0 Or are you French and want to know more about your own society?\u00a0 Well, maybe the analyses undertaken and published by the study and advisory bureau…<\/p>\n