Cultural Inequalities. French View [CE-2015-4]

The French are divided on the issue of cultural inequalities in our country: more than half of them consider the situation to be acute and almost as many consider that inequalities have increased overall over the last 30 years (14% think that they have increased strongly and 34% hink that they have increased a little). This view may seem extreme, but in reality it is consistent with the French view of other areas of social life; for example, their views on the extent of inequalities in pay or on discrimination, education and society in general are no less severe.

The French also have high expectations regarding the reduction of social inequalities: the vast majority of them agree that the authorities should promote access to art and culture, with over half (55%) saying that they would in fact support a more ambitious policy in this area. This high expectation of the public authorities with regard to accessing culture mirrors their equally forcefully expressed views on the relationship between the state and the economy. The two tend to go hand-in-hand.

Women are more likely than men to denounce cultural inequality and also more likely to support measures favouring a policy of democratisation, particularly those from more privileged backgrounds. The same goes for those who identify as left-wing, (even more so on the far left), those who have experienced discrimination and those in middle management type positions. Young people, on the other hand, seem to have a less strident position on democratisation.