quiet, easy going ,or conservative They are neither more conservative nor more liberal, it's just different. Major differences are:
- as said above, the French are generally more reserved, less extroverted than Americans, so it applies to girls too. In Paris they may even seem a little cold at first, far less in the south and Brittany. They are not openly flirty, it's more subtle. They are quite easy-going but lack of subtlety is considered very vulgar and trashy.
- on the work place, men and women joke about sex easily together without it being considered sexual harrassment. I missed this casualness when I worked in the US, I found people too uptight about sex.
- the concept of dating doesn't exist outside the US and non-Americans don't understand what the word means. The French will either have casual sex (one-night stand) or if they see the same person several times they will consider each other boyfriend and girlfriend and in an exclusive, romantic relationship.
- French girls don't have any of these "no kissing on first date/ no sex on first night" rules that some American girls have. They don't play the relationship game according to puritan, social rules, only by personal choice. If they are very attracted to someone, they'll probably get physical early. If they are not attracted, then nothing will happen, EVER. I have noticed that Americans make a huge difference between kissing (not considered very sexual) and having sex (a hard-earned prize). A lot of American girls accept to kiss but will wait weeks or months before going any further. In France this would be considered as leading someone on and a very despicable behavior. It is only done in middle school. French girls (except for young teenagers) won't kiss more easily than have intercourse. If they are not interested in more, they won't kiss. If they kiss, it will probably lead to more the same day or whenever possible (but of course, there are exceptions and if they say no, it means NO!).
- There is a long tradition in France of women being at the center of intellectual circles. Unlike England where intellectuals met in "mens' only" clubs, in 17th & 18th France intellectuals discussed science and politics in "salons" run by influencial women known for their spirit and wit. This has left an imprint on relationships in France. There are fewer guy's nights out and girls' nights out in France, boys and girls tend to go out together and mix more. Then they engage in conversations and if a guy fails to value a girl's conversation and intellectual ability he won't stand a chance.
Of course, all these are generalizations. You could meet someone that doesn't fit this description. French girls have the same range of personalities as human beings everywhere.
They are perhaps a bit more conservative than American girls in some ways but then they didn't get to be taught by the their President that oral sex isn't sex.
Seriously though, the French are generally a bit more reserved than Americans, less given to making quick friendships, and more guarded about their personal lives.
Americans often make the assumption that because they see girls sunning themselves topless on the beach or because there is more overt sexuality on French TV that therefore the society is generally more liberal especially in matter of personal relationships. This is probably an erroneous conclusion. |
