Cultural Stereotyping A Comparison of :

FRANCE & INDIADONE BY: ALEAH ALEXANDER

ALANA DOODHAIAMANDA SUBIT

MELISSA DESPOTPAULA JOSEPH

WHAT IS CULTURAL STEROTYPING? A stereotype is “...a fixed, over generalized belief about a

particular group or class of people.” (Cardwell, 1996).  Any time you grouping races or individuals together and make a

judgment about them without knowing them, this is an example of a stereotype. Racial remarks, sexual remarks, and gender remarks are the biggest stereotypes.

Stereotypes are often created about people of specific cultures or races.

Almost every culture or race has a stereotype, including Jewish people, Blacks, Irish people, and Polish people, among others.

India and FranceWhy was it chosen?

India India is officially known as the Republic of India. India has the second largest population in the world, with over 1.2 billion. India is the seventh largest country by total area. India belongs to the continent of Asia, it is bordered by the countries of

Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma, China, Nepal, and Pakistan. Many different languages are spoken in India. The main ones are Hindi,

Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, and Urdu. The capital city is New Delhi, while the most populated city is Mumbai. Because of India's location, it experiences periods of heavy rain called

Monsoon. The Taj Mahal (a famous mausoleum and popular tourist attraction) is located in the region of Agra. India became an independent nation in 1947 after ending British rule that

began in 1858. Mahatma Gandhi is famous for the important part he played in gaining India's independence. The national symbol of India is the endangered Bengal Tiger. The most popular sport in India is cricket.

France France is officially known as the French Republic. French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, and Reunion are also recognized as a part of France. the population of mainland France was just under 63 million (62,814,233). Another 2.8 million (2,816,459) are split between French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte and Reunion. The official language is French. French is the second most studied language in the world after English. The capital city is Paris. Other major cities include Marseille, Lyon, Lille, a nd Nice-Cannes. France is the most visited country in the world, with over 80 million visitors every year. The Louvre is the most visited art museum in the world. The famous Mona Lisa painting

is on display in this museum. The famous Eiffel Tower in Paris was built as the entrance point for the 1889 World Fair. It

is one of the most visited monuments in the world. The most famous road bicycle race in the world, the Tour de France zig zags through the

French landscape. Louis Pasteur was a French scientist who made many discoveries in the fields of

chemistry and microbiology.

Terrorism in FranceAccording to Mc Partland (2014), France

is the “terrorism capital of Europe”.

2006- 6th/164 countries, for Incidences related to terrorist activities, where 1097 persons were either injured or harmed.

Charlie Hebdo – Terrorism Attack

Terrorism in IndiaTerror related deaths, March 15th, 2015 -

http://www.satp.org/satporgtp/countries/india/database/indiafatalities.htm

Civilians: Thirty-six (36) Security Officials: Twenty-two (22) Terrorists: Fifty-nine (59)

Terrorism in India cont’d 2013 February: Two blasts occurred in the city of Hyderabad in southern

India in a crowded shopping area,killing 16 people and wounding 119.

May: Naxalite insurgents of the Communist Party of India (Maoist) attacked a convoy of Indian National Congress leaders in Darbha Valley in the Sukma district of the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh on May 25. The attack caused at least 27 deaths, including that of a former state minister and two other politicians.

October: A series of bomb blasts rocked Patna in the northern state of Bihar at an election rally for Narendra Modi, who was the prime ministerial candidate of the Bharatiya Janata Party at the time. Six people were killed during the attack and 85 others were injured.

PESHAWAR ATTACKThe significance of December 16th to India and

Pakistan.1971- Indo – Pakistani War2014 – Peshawar attack

Religion in France According to the Central Intelligence Agency (2014),

the religious denominations in France are as follows:Roman Catholic 83%-88%, Protestant 2%, Jewish 1%, Muslim 5%-10%, unaffiliated 4%.

Religion in India HINDUISM -80.5% ISLAM – 13.4% CHRISTIANITY - 2.3% SIKHISM – 1.9% BUDDHISM and JAINISM – 1.2% OTHER – 0.7%

CASTE SYSTEM, ENDOGAMY & ARRANGED MARRIAGES IN INDIA & FRANCE • Caste system: a social class separated from others by

distinctions of hereditary rank or profession or wealth. In India’s culture there is four well known caste- priests, warriors,

commerce and workmen. These would be the high caste, while the lower caste would be, the outcasts or the untouchables. Before the French revolution the French followed the caste system mainly, the endogamy practice and there was no way out of it. In this system the three distinct estates, or social classes, were made up of clergy, the first estate, nobles, the second estate, and the common people, the third estate.

ENDOGAMY & ARRANGE MARRIAGES CONT’D.. ENDOGAMY: both India and France once followed this practice, its

where one is required to marry within their own ethnicity, religious or social groups.

ARRANGE MARRIAGES: Religious or cultural issues, preservation of wealth, or the formation of political alliances are common reasons for arranged marriages.

Endogamy today is stilled practiced in both France and India but it is no longer a requirement .

arranged marriages today in India is preceded by an extended period of informal ‘dates’ (meetings) between the couple to evaluate each other and their prospective relationship.

Dress code in France

When you imagine French dress code, the first picture comes to your mind is stripe T shirt and berets.

Today the stripe shirt is known as Breton, it was created in 1858 for French navy sailors Brittany following the act of France. Having twenty one stripes on the T shirt signifying each of Napoleon victories.

The stripe T shirts change the fashion industry and was immortalized. This was done in 1911 by designer Coco Chanel (Anne Andre, 2015).

French normally dress well, those who live in the towns wear “business casual attire” (Laura K. Lawless, 2015).

Dress code in India

India the dress code are different from state to state, yet each state are unique in its own way. Let us explore the attire of India.

Sari - is a national attire wear by women. It incorporate six to nine yard of unstitched silk or cotton cloth draped around forming pleats.

Salwar Kameez- a two piece with dupatta (a veil covering the bosom or head), with pyjama and a top. The outfit is worn by women it is considered as being comfortable and worn to work at the office or by unmarried young women.

Lehenga and Choli- This is a women attire which include ankle length skirt and a blouse. Also a Gharara which is a flared skirt which is available in attractive colours.

The wear Dhoti is cloth drape around from the waist, which is tied at the waist and passed through the legs, for a top a Kurta is worn.

Modern attire- is growing wear women wear dresses and jeans and mean wear t- shirt and pants for casual wear (“How to people dress in India”, 2009).

Music in France

People perceive France music as romantic. Which widens your imagination 'painting the picture of authentic "La Vie en Rose’ settings with lovers kissing in the rain by the Eiffel Tower, couples hugging on the ancient steps of Notre-Dame or getting engaged on the Bateaux-Mouche (Nathalie Richard-Sewell, 2012).

In France there are different types of music, which vary from folk, opera, classical, pop, and rock (Rachel Hanson, 2015).

Music in India

The most familiar stereotypes about India music are the spectacular surroundings where couples express their love for each other as they pretend to sing and dance around the tree (“The India Stereotypes, 2013.”)

The name Bollywood was obtain through a mixture of names, Bombay (now known as Mumbai) and Hollywood. Bollywood is the largest film industry in the world. The film are musical that vary from love, comedy and action thrills (“What is Bollywood dance?”).

Food & Drink in France Stereotype Reality

Consume large amounts of wine

Many vineyards causing heavy wine consumption. Since 1980, national wine consumption has dropped from 13 billion gallons to 8.5 billion. In 1970, the French drank twice as much wine as mineral water, whereas in 2002, mineral water consumption doubled that of wine. Very cheap.

Cheese Monarchs of Europe Greek eat more cheese than the French — 52.7 pounds of cheese per capita in 2009 — well behind Greece's magnificent 68.3 pounds.

French are snobby eaters Gastronomic meals respect a fixed structure, commencing with an apéritif (drinks before the meal) and ending with liqueurs, containing in between at least four successive courses, namely a starter, fish and/or meat with vegetables, cheese and dessert.

French cook with heavy sauces and complicated preparation

Some classic French dishes include Wine, fresh herbs, fresh mushrooms, onions and garlic.

Food & Drink in IndiaStereotype Reality

 Ubiquitous “Curry” The cooking of the Subcontinent covers a wealth of different culinary styles, with myriad regional variations and specialities, from the classic creamy meat and fruit Mughlai dishes of the north through to the banana-leaf vegetarian thalis of the south.

All Indians are Vegetarians Meat consumption in India is quite high which includes poultry, mutton, pork and yes, beef. India became the top exporter of beef in 2012. Almost 70% is exported and the other 30% is consumed.

"Indian food is too spicy" This is the most common stereotype about Indian cuisine. While Indian food uses a lot of spices and condiments in them not all of them are spicy but they add flavour to the dish. Eating Indian food with youghurt also helps reduce the spiciness of the dish.

Indian food uses a lot of rice/roti

Food from the south of India uses a lot of rice since rice is grown there however in the North of India where wheat are grown, people eat roti's or chapatti's with their meal. Roti's or chapatti's are flatbread made with wheat or any other grain. 

Festivals in France

Unique Festivals in France

MENTON LEMON FESTIVAL - Fête du CitronCarnival known as a festival when the citrus fruits that bring

Menton its wealth and reputation are celebrated.

Unique Festivals in France cont’d

INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF THE GARDEN - Festival des Jardins

The International Garden Festival is a contemporary creation in the field of garden and landscape design in the world. The festival revitalizes the art of gardens and interest to the public and the profession by presenting new materials, ideas and

innovative approaches.

Unique Festivals in France cont’d

Festival Medieval de SedanSedan Castle is the greatest castle in Europe, attracting thousand of

amateurs who want to experience the Middle-Ages.

Festival in India

Unique Festivals in India

Pushkar Camel Fair50,000 camels converge on the tiny desert town of Pushkar, in India's state of Rajasthan for the Pushkar Camel Fair. For five days, the camels are dressed up,

paraded, shaved, entered into beauty contests, raced, and of course traded. It's a great opportunity to witness an old, traditional style Indian festival.

Unique Festivals in India cont’d

Kerala Elephant FestivalTemple elephants are very well looked after and carry the resident temple deity

during the annual festivities & processions. These temple elephants are decorated with gold plated Forehead ornament called Nettipattom, and are further adorned with bells and necklaces. The Mahouts and Priests mounted on the elephants hold

silk parasols calledMuthukuda and sway large white Yak tail whisks called Venchamaram and Large peacock feather fans called Aalavattom to the

rhythm of the Panchavadyam.

Unique Festivals in India cont’d

Pongal Celebration in IndiaPongal is one of the most fascinating festivals. Pongal marks the beginning of

'Uttarayana', the sun's movement towards the north for the next 6 months. For this reason, this festival is considered as an auspicious and perfect occasion for all

events. This festival is celebrated to thank God and nature for blessing Earth with all the divine gifts in life.

CONCLUSION

References McLeod, S. A. (2008). Stereotypes. Retrieved from http://www.simplypsychology.org/katz-braly.html Facts About India (n.d.) Retrieved 12 March, 2015 from http://

www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/countries/india.html Facts About France (n.d.) Retrieved 12 March, 2015 from

http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/countries/france.html Mc Partland, B. (2014, May 28). France - the 'terrorism capital of Europe' Retrieved March 20,

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http://www.nationmaster.com/country-info/profiles/France/Terrorism#2006 India Fatalities: 1994-2015. (2015, March 15). Retrieved March 20, 2015, from

http://www.satp.org/satporgtp/countries/india/database/indiafatalities.htm Peshawar Attack: Pakistanis Blame India for Massacre of School Children. (n.d.). Retrieved March

20, 2015, from http://www.ibtimes.co.in/peshawar-attack-some-pakistanis-blame-india-massacre-school-children-617408

(2014, June 22). Retrieved March 23, 2015, from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/fr.html

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REFERENCES CONT’D Frenchrevolutionshs.wikispaces.com,. 'Frenchrevolutionshs - France

Before 1789'. N.p., 2015. Web. 23 Mar. 2015. wiseGEEK,. 'What Are Arranged Marriages? (With Pictures)'. N.p.,

2015. Web. 23 Mar. 2015. THE INDIAN STEREOTYPES. (2013, August 22). Retrieved March 25,

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http://worldfilm.about.com/od/bollywood/a/historyofbollywood.htm (n.d.). Retrieved March 25, 2015, from

http://new.bollywooddimensions.com/about/what-is-bollywood-dance/

REFERENCES CONT’D

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  Lawless, L. (n.d.). Retrieved March 25, 2015, from

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