Cultural Misunderstandings: The French-American Experience

by Raymonde Carroll

Book Overview

Raymonde Carroll presents an intriguing and thoughtful analysis of the many ways French and Americans-and indeed any members of different cultures-can misinterpret each other, even when ostensibly speaking the same language. Cultural misunderstandings, Carroll points out, can arise even where we least expect them-in our closest relationships. The revealing vignettes that Carroll relates, and her perceptive comments, bring to light some fundamental...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0226094987
• ISBN13: 9780226094984
• Release Date: June 1990
• Publisher: University of Chicago Press
• Length: 162 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.5" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Excellent book to understand both cultures.

This is one of the best books I've have read period. Raymonde Carroll has an unique approach, and the background to back it up. Have you ever wondered why French people have been judged arrogant by Americans? Why the Frenchs consider the Americans two-faced and not loyal? Well, this little book holds the answers. A definite read for the American going to France, and the French going to America.

Fascinating Differences

Fascinating to learn how cultural differences can lead to misunderstanding. Especially useful if you have French friends or relatives (or hope to!). I bought this book before a long trip to France and was glad to have read it before I left home. It made the trip more fum when I could spot cultural differences that I might not have previously noticed or understood. Chapters on "Conversation" - should you look people in the eye? - and "The Couple" and "Friendship" and "Obtaining Information" were especially amusing and instructive.

Impartial & well presented views on both cultures

This book presents impartially both French & American perspectives on some major topics in daily life (conversation, parent-child relationship, information exchange, blame, ...) through some simple daily cultural misunderstanding scenes. It shade some light on how both sides look at the same issue, and accordingly how they act, and how different they are! All is presented without some fancy theories, but in an elegantly concise and knowledgable way of an ethnologist. I read the french version directly so I cannot comment on the quality of the translation. I doubt, however, that there would be important points lost in the translation as the author writes clearly and does not play with linguistic nuances. I am not American nor French, but I have spent part of my life in both countries. This book brings back to mind the old experiences (both positive & negative) and provide some light on the questions I have on both cultures that I have finally come to love.

Fascinating!

I just looked this book up yesterday (it was recommended in another book about France), and I devoured it in just a few hours. I spent a year living in France, and want to go back someday (although maybe not to live), so I wanted to try to understand more about the French culture. At some points I realized what a huge undertaking this was: to truly try to understand someone else's point of view! Yet this book is immensely valuable as a guide. I can't say how accurate the descriptions of French culture are, although many of them seemed to ring true from what I remember. However, the description of American thoughts seemed quite accurate (which gives me more confidence in the French descriptions). I have to say that I appreciated the chance to look at my culture as if it were a separate culture; it was a distinctly odd experience, but good. I would recommend this book to anyone of either culture who at least desires food for thought, as well as some valuable insights.

Perceptive Commentary on French-American Personal Relations

This book is a perceptive commentary on personal French-American relations. If you are American and have French friends, want to live in France, or learn more about the country, it is an excellent source. Having lived in France two years when I read it, I learned a lot about specific issues that had been an enigma to me. This book is a positive exploration of intercultural relations rather than like many other books of this nature that seem to emphasize negative aspects of international (personal) relations. Very worthwhile reading if you are at all interested in how Americans and French interact on a personal level. Written by a French sociologist with an interest in American culture. Interesting to get the French perspective, rather than the American one - which seems more prevalent in books published in the United States