In this assignment, you will review and respond to
French-American related interest stories which have been posted on the course
Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/FYSFreedomFries. Post
your review on the Issues of Interest blog, which can be accessed from the
course webpage.
In addition to providing the link to the article and its title, include a brief summary of the story as well as a few sentences describing its relevancy to issues discussed in class. Please look closely at posts which have already been contributed to the Issues of Interest #2 blog; you may not post a response to an article already used by a classmate. Each response should be different and unique! As always, adhere to the standards for formal, academic writing at the college level.
In addition to providing the link to the article and its title, include a brief summary of the story as well as a few sentences describing its relevancy to issues discussed in class. Please look closely at posts which have already been contributed to the Issues of Interest #2 blog; you may not post a response to an article already used by a classmate. Each response should be different and unique! As always, adhere to the standards for formal, academic writing at the college level.
Your grade will be determined by the following criteria:
1) Title of
article and link provided (1 pt)
2) Relevancy to course material/discussion (5 pts)
2) Relevancy to course material/discussion (5 pts)
3)
Summary of the article (5 pts)
4) Critical reflection on the source (4 pts)
4) Critical reflection on the source (4 pts)
There will be 5 posts required over the course of the semester,
so be on the lookout for additional articles!
Shekinah Whitehurst
ReplyDeletehttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/14/classroom-eating-france_n_5985570.html
I read the article about the United States wanting to help children appreciate food just as French children do. There were a team of US officials that visited a class, where French children are taught to appreciate the smell and texture of a certain food item. Stephen O’Brien, a director of food management in New York, learned a lot from visited France and watching the French children learn about “good” food. Although, the director did have a opposing comment that French children are not necessarily going to go home and carry these different tactics of grazing the meal before eating to help classify their food. I agreed with O’Brien and this statement because unless the child is a picky eater or does not trust who made their food, a child will definitely eat their dinner. In the article, it was worded that obesity in the children of France is under half than in the United States. Later, it was expressed that obesity in America has stabilized and obesity in French boys is rising. Overall, this was a great article because there is always the topic of obesity in America and different way to prevent this from overtaking
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/15/france-binge-drinking-draft-bill?CMP=fb_gu
ReplyDelete"France bill aims to call time on ‘le binge drinking’"
This article discussed a French bill that proposes making binge drinking a specific crime, punishable by a $15,000 fine and up to a year in jail; it also pointed out that "le binge drinking" is most popular among young people, just as it is here in the U.S. Coming from a fairly reputable newspaper in the United Kingdom, this article appears to be fairly trustworthy. It does have a focus on the UK versus France, but seeing as it is a UK newspaper, this makes sense; American and English cultures are similar enough that the article is still applicable to our course. We have recently discussed friendships in class, among young people and adults; in the US, and in France, according to this article, binge drinking is a very common activity young people partake in together, and while it may help build a friendship as any other activity, I agree with the French bill's suggestion of creating a harsher punishment for binge drinking. We have also discussed perceptions and stereotypes in class, and I feel that it is a very big stereotype that American students are constantly binge drinking and getting out of control, while French students are perfectly behaved angels, and this article helps to detract from this idea.
'It can take a decade to make French friends'
ReplyDeletehttp://www.thelocal.fr/20130801/it-can-take-a-decade-to-make-friends-with-the-french
The article that I found off of the Facebook page is about tips on how people that are living in France but not from France can make French friends. It contains suggestions from French people and others who live in France on what to do and what not to do to make friends with French people.
This article is relevant to what we have discussed in class because our last chapter of Au Contraire! Figuring out the French was all about differences between American friendships and French friendships. In our class discussion about chapter eight, we discussed how the French make friends, how they classify their friends, and how they treat their friends. One person from the article, Colin Randall, stated that “the French broadly make their friends for life before leaving school”, which is something we discussed in class. It is more difficult to become friends with a French person at an older age, because most French people have a set circle of people before they leave school. Another person from my article, Samantha Brick, stated, “There are a lot of cultural differences, you just have to be open minded. French people can be very suspicious of you so it’s not a good idea to really throw yourself in. Don’t be too friendly too quickly. The French need to warm up to you.” Another topic we discussed in class was how Americans are much more open with new people than the French are. The diagram in Au Contraire showed this well, with French people’s walls being very high at first and then getting lower, and American’s walls starting out very low and getting higher. Overall I believe that this article is very relevant to our class discussions, as it touches on quite a few things that we have learned about.
This article is a bit credible because it is ‘France’s News in English’, but it is also less credible because it is an opinion article. Even so, this article has a good amount of information from multiple people living in France, so it does have many opinions that seem to agree, making it seem more credible.
Jim Scales
ReplyDeletehttp://www.naturalblaze.com/2014/02/12-lessons-about-eating-we-can-learn.html?m=1
“12 Lessons about eating we can learn from the French”
The article I choose to discuss was a very interesting article written by April McCarthy on the “National Health News and Wellness Tips Blog” and posted on the Facebook page. The article deals with the many advantages both in social and health related aspects that the French enjoy when it comes to their food and eating habits. From a social aspect the article discusses that the French sit down and eat with their families for meals. They do not snack or hurry through a meal because it is an enjoyable experience to sit down and eat a meal. Another factor that contributes to this strong social view of eating begins at a very young age. Parents educate their children on food; make them continue to experience new foods. This leads to discussions about the food itself at the dinner table in which every member contributes, children included. Some of the proven health benefits that this French system creates include as I said before the French do not snack. Nor do they diet, but instead they enjoy a healthy and balanced diet while knowing their moderation. Most French people eat until they are about 80% full. Also they eat a heavier meal at lunch then compared to dinner.
This article about diet ties into many discussions we have had in class. Obviously, beginning with our discussion on eating habits. It also ties into our discussions on family and social differences in the respective cultures. Looking back upon this article I really do agree with the French way of eating for many reasons. Beginning with the idea of not dieting. Diets often confuse the body and have an adverse affect, where as knowing your fill and eating a healthy well rounded diet is often more effective. Also the idea of the largest meal being in the afternoon as opposed to at night is a very healthy and beneficial notion. It is good for digestion. For these reasons and many others I may need to strongly consider the French model of eating in the future.
I read an article titled “19 Awesome Conversation Starters about France,” that not only included interesting new facts about the nation, but had relevancy to some topics we have discussed in class and was relatable to American culture. One of the first things on the list was how Nimes, France is the birthplace of jeans. This was intriguing to me because it is likely a fair assumption that Americans wear jeans more often than the French. It even appeared in one of our readings how the French dress much more formally than Americans. It has come up multiple times in class that the French value intellectualism, logic, and critical thinking; this directly connects to number fourteen on the article’s list which states that Paris is known as the “city of lights” due to the amount of intellects that have resided there. Another item on the list that made me think was one that said beer, not wine, can sometimes be more of a luxury in France especially because wine used to be a free accompaniment similar to bread in many restaurants. This reminded me of when we discussed stereotypes and generalizations, considering the fact that wine is most often associated with France, which made it slightly surprising to read that beer was seen as a luxury. Although this was not much of an actual article, I enjoyed reading it. The items covered were all very different, amusing, and interesting, even more so as a result of being able to compare it to American culture and our class.
ReplyDeleteIssues of Interest Blog #3
ReplyDeletehttp://carolineclarkson.blogs.france24.com/article/2014/10/20/5-things-elysee-palace-hollande-trierweiler-royal-macron-france
Article Title- 5 Things you didn’t know about life at the Elysee Palace
I found this article on France 24 News in the blogs section, and it was published on October 20th in 2014. The article is based on a journalist and photographer’s experiences during a one week behind the scenes look at President Hollande and his staff’s life in the palace. A couple of interesting things that were seen behind the scenes were a large reception of over 300 company bosses receiving a warm welcome at the Elysee, and another dealt with President Hollande’s coping strategies that involved him keeping his cool, even in extreme circumstances, and he denied claims of being artificially removed from events. Another thing revealed in the article was that ministers mostly complain about personal problems prior to cabinet meetings, and that Hollande’s ex partner and mother of his four children, Ségolène Royal, has a special status in the cabinet due to her experience and popularity. Also, the article mentioned President Hollande’s private cinema in his basement. The most relevant topic in the article to what we have recently been discussing in class was the huge negative impact and shock Hollande suffered from his ex-wife, Valerie Trierweiler, due to her recent tell-all book that paints an unflattering picture of Hollande and reveals personal information about the President. The impact has been so large that mentioning Hollande’s ex-wife’s name is forbidden in the Elysee, and she is viewed as a threat by the President’s cabinet. The topics concerning Valerie Trierweiler and Ségolène Royal relate to recent class discussions about romance, relationships and the role of French women in France. Our discussions on the role of women in politics and their level of influence reflects the article’s mentioning of Ségolène Royal’s special status in President Hollande’s cabinet due to her experience and popularity. This supports our recent talks about the percentage of women in Presidential Cabinets in France versus the U.S., where the number is higher in France. Our class discussions on romance and our readings about marriage can be related to the article’s section on Valerie Trierweiler because we discussed how relationships affect each individual’s social circle, and class readings showed that almost half of marriages in France end in divorce. The statistic of four in ten French children having unmarried parents, from the French Way, also can be related to the part of the article that mentioned Ségolène Royal as Hollande’s ex-partner and mother of four children. I found this article very credible and interesting because it gave a behind the scenes look into President Hollande’s life at the Elysee Palace, which offers unique insight into aspects of the President’s life that most people normally would not be able to know about. The author admitted in the beginning of her article that it would not reveal any Earth shattering news, so I did not expect to learn about any controversial secrets President Hollande or his Cabinet members had. Still, I learned some interesting anecdotes about President Hollande and life in the Elysee Palace. I hope that a similar behind the scenes week-long project will be allowed at the White House so I am able to learn about similar interesting revelations about everyday life for our President. Overall it was an enjoyable article to read, and it was presented in a credible manner.
Issues of Interest Blog #3
ReplyDeleteU.S. lacking in foreign language education
http://www.redandblack.com/views/u-s-lacking-in-foreign-language-education/article_5c7f4b9e-3867-11e4-a662-0017a43b2370.html#.VC5zGr7mT2E.facebook
This article went on to discuss the U.S and how only about twenty-five to thirty-one percent are exposed to another language in elementary school and how only eighteen percent actually learn a second language other than English. It also goes on to talk about how people from Europe are far more superior in that aspect with them having fifty-three percent of people knowing a second language. The U.S is very clearly lacking in that department compared to others as well, reason being that there are not enough teachers to fill the void that there currently is. In my opinion what really puts Americans at a disadvantage is the fact that they aren’t trying to instill a second language into a kids mind at an early age, schools try to teach kids a second language at the high school level which is so much harder. This also puts Americans at a complete disadvantage in the job market nowadays. If you have someone that can speak another language over someone who can’t, of course the person who can speak another language is better off than the person who can’t and would be selected for the job. Another part of the U.S is that they think that English is the only language there is and that is the only language needed. That’s also another block in people learning a second language. Also if you think about it Americans have huge egos, so if Americans think they can’t do something then they aren’t going to make an attempt to learn it because they could make a fool of themselves if they are saying something incorrectly or saying it with an abnormal accent. That may be the biggest barrier in the U.S other then there not being enough teachers.
Issues of Interest #3
ReplyDeletehttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/22/french-cuisine-food-better_n_5605956.html (not from the Facebook page)
The title of this article is 17 Food Reasons The French Are Better At Life. This is relevant to the class material because it gives a new perspective on French eating habits versus American eating habits. We have discussed the differences between food cultures in the two Countries. This article begins by stating that at one point all cultures all aspired to be like the French in terms of food. It is obvious that this article is meant to be a bit humorous and light hearted just by reading the title. This is proven as the reader continues on through the 17 reasons. Things like “The French eat chocolate croissants for breakfast," “Butter is more important than water,” and “They regulate their food mores strictly than their visas.” After the reason they would give a few-sentence explanation of the topic. All of these points are not news to me about the French. However, it did keep my interest because of the format used. The source, Huffington Post, seems to be a reliable source. The 17 reasons do not show much research, however, many of them are just common knowledge of the french culture.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteIssues of Interest 3
ReplyDeleteFrench kid’s school lunch compared to an American Kid’s school lunch
http://www.collective-evolution.com/2014/10/01/what-french-kids-eat-for-school-lunch-puts-american-lunches-to-shame/
This article is about how the lunch as French schools have lunches that are way more filling and healthy for kids. A big difference is that most of the food is local to the schools and is prepared fresh every day for school. Unlike American schools which almost of the food is processed and is stored from weeks or months in boxes or in a refrigerator. They also tend to have a ton of unhealthy food that will make the kids gain more weight. French kids are thought to eat healthy, just like American kids, but we don’t enforce and the teachings is very lacking on staying healthy here. They also limit sugar products and prepackaged goods to limit toxic preservatives in the food. This relates to class to show that the French teach their students to eat healthy or they could suffer big in the future. Which brings to the fact that they focus on the health on schools than the social aspect and rather have healthy kids, than kids that can doing more social activities.
http://sport24.lefigaro.fr/le-scan-sport/buzz/2014/10/07/27002-20141007ARTFIG00051-un-entraineur-espagnol-s-en-prend-a-zidane.php
ReplyDeleteThe article was about a famous french professional soccer player who retired after the 2006 world cup. Farther to become a head coach at one of the top clubs and his former club Real Madrid. Zidane was head coach of the second team for Real Madrid. Zidane had been attacked numerous time because he had not graduated coaching school but yet he was still coaching. In the most recent attacks head coach Paco Jémez, Rayo Vallecano head coach said this "I do not consider him a colleague, because he did not graduate. (...) I do not know why I got the degree and why I studied in Spain if it turns out we can train without a diploma. It's a shame " I think what this trainer said is true but he should still not come at the former professional this way.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2014/09/11/336330502/why-the-u-s-chills-its-eggs-and-most-of-the-world-doesnt?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=20140911
ReplyDeleteThe article I have read is called "Why The U.S. Chills Its Eggs And Most Of The World Doesn't." This article explains how only Americans, Japanese, Australians and Scandinavians have there eggs refrigerated when most of the world doesn't. The reasons are simple, how able are you to get the equipment to check every egg and if your cleaning the egg properly. Back in the day about one hundred years ago people used to all wash there eggs by hand. There is a way to do it wrong which wouldn't clean the egg and contaminate it. Through reading this article I have seen the way the U.S technology helps us out in keeping out products clean. More importantly I have seen the disconnect that the U.S has from the rest of the world. Seeing that are whole class compares France to U.S culture I think this article is an interesting turn around and is a good read if your interested to see how even some of the little things are done differently.