A nation divided?

This week I watched the documentary 'a nation divided' all about France and how its citizens feel. It was on BBC3, Check out full programme here on iplayer.

Watch clips here

The programme raised many issues about diversity in France. Now we all know France is a secular country and works on a process of 'assimilation' where difference is not wanted and often frowned upon.  In France the idea is, everyone is equal- so in public facilities religion is not present in any form.  Religion and the state and its processes are separate.

In the wake of the Charlie Hebdo attack earlier this year, questions have been raised about whether everyone in France is equal after all and whether indeed, the entire population are equal.

In France free speech is seen as part of their culture, people have the right to say what they want, but in an interesting paradox they cannot where what they want and some feel they cannot therefore be 'them' and in a country where freedom is everything- does this work?

There are groups in France like generation ID who feel that everyone who is not 'ethnically French' should be removed from the country, even if they were born in the country, they say the problems of identity are borne out of immigration- that if no immigration had taken place- everyone would be'French' and therefore no problem.

In the programme a Muslim French born teenage girl says she would have more freedom in terms of dress in Saudi Arabia (where women have to be chaperoned in public by a male family member at all times) because in France she isn't allowed to wear the full veil as it is illegal, she is French as she has French blood in here but she says that she is so often told she isn't French that she doesn't feel French, no wonder everyone is confused.

Some of the members of generation ID are concerned about globalization impacting on their French culture and putting it at risk, the French far right are gaining in popularity under Marine Le Pen, increasingly some sections of French society are becoming divided,

Watch the programme year 13 it will form some of case study/ example for the unit 4 pre-release.