"True" Frenchness

The author, an expert on the study of values in France and the rest of Europe, analyses here the results for France of the International Social Survey Programme carried out in 2003, in a study of national identities. Over and above the existing philosophical and legal definitions of what constitutes French nationality, this survey makes it possible to understand the criteria used by the French in this regard – in other words, to present a sociological definition of “Frenchness”.
As Pierre Bréchon emphasizes, the French are very demanding with regard to the characteristics required in order to “deserve” the label “French” – demands that they do not always meet themselves, for instance with regard to respect for order or for institutions. Their definition of what constitutes a “true French person” thus reveals a certain kind of nationalism in French society, though one that varies according to the respondents’ age, level of education and whether they are practising Catholics.