Gender Roles Norms and Sexuality in France

France has dichotomous gender roles, norms, and values. Attitudes towards gender equality and feminism reveal an underlying misogynistic and patriarchal cognitive schema, and an overall resistance to change. The resistance to change is rooted in the belief that traditional patriarchal gender norms and roles are immutable and sacrosanct. Although not a true indicator of the French public’s beliefs about gender or human rights, the street interviews in one YouTube video show that many people in France do still hold startlingly misogynistic views that conflict with the overall goal of social justice.
1. Describe French-style feminism and the road to equality and parity for women in France.
French-style feminism is qualitatively different from American or British-style feminism; it is uniquely French in that it retains elements of French worldviews and social norms, and also progresses at a snail’s pace. In fact, the pace of change in France makes the pace of change for gender parity in the United States seem fast by comparison. Until 1965, wives needed their husband’s permission to work outside the home or open a bank account (“The Sexual Revolution”). There are only a handful of women in C-suite positions in French corporations, and of those, the majority serve in feminized roles like communications and public relations (“The Sexual Revolution”). Only a tiny number of women serve in public office. Women are gradually asserting their power in key domains, but slowly. The reason for the slow pace of change is the desire to have their cake and eat it too, with the vast majority of French people—men and women—unwilling to sacrifice the gender performativity that makes them French.
2. Describe sexual mores and sex and gender relationships in France (you can make explicit comparisons to the US).
French sexual mores reflect the French predilection for gender performativity, with women cultivating a subtle sexual appeal and men expected to flirt with charm. The double standards regarding adultery and promiscuity are changing, with women now enjoying the full privileges of dalliances outside of their marriage every bit as much as their husbands. Yet in France, sexual mores have long been more liberal than in the United States. France has no problem with abortion, which has been legal since 1975 with barely any resistance. The French predilection for romance persists in the public consciousness and motivates all people and all genders to retain the beauty of romance while still pursuing political equality, whereas in the United States, it seems that romantic gestures on the part of men can be too easily confused with sexual aggression. The same would also be true for Nordic nations or England, where the norms of flirtation can sometimes be ambiguous or outright contradictory. Thus, French sexual mores are completely different and in many ways more consistent than those in the United States.
3. Describe the recent politics surrounding gender studies and gay marriage.
Same-sex marriage is legal in France, but it was a bit of a struggle to reach the current point of acceptance. Even discussions with psychologists over same-sex marriage and adoption rights reveal irrational beliefs not rooted in scientific evidence but in prejudice (“Reactions to proposed gay marriage and adoption bill in France”). The attitudes towards same-sex marriage are linked to French attitudes towards gender roles. Almost universally, marriage is a social institution that reinforces patriarchal gender roles. The roles of husbands and wives in heterosexual marriages are rigidly proscribed. Same-sex marriage threatens to undermine patriarchal institutions more broadly, hence the resistance to change. However, there is also an underlying homophobia guiding public policy and privately held attitudes towards non-normative sexuality. Attitudes are changing, albeit as slowly as attitudes towards gender roles and norms.






Works Cited

“French parliament approves landmark gay marriage bill.” YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwxC_26uRoI&feature=youtu.be
“More Equality for Women.”
“Politics, women and feminism in France.” YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UxYX93Uunk&feature=youtu.be
“Reactions to proposed gay marriage and adoption bill in France.” YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lb4I8EL0OO4&feature=youtu.be
“With Romance.”
“The Sexual Revolution”