Culture and the arts are very important in everyday life in France. Through the years, France's stamp on western civilization has far left an indelible mark in many domains and French
savoir-faire remains a reference in the arts, politics, gastronomy, fashion and science.
Since the 1950's, French people have enjoyed the benefits of mass culture and consumerism. As the fourth economic power,
France's standard of living and level of comsumption are very similar to those in the USA. Urban life in a city such as Paris
has become almost the same as in any other megapolis in the world.
The worldwide appeal of the US model and the
related Americanization is well present in France. However, in order to protect France's cultural identity, the government
recently stepped in and enacted some laws aiming at restricting the broadcast of english speaking movies or songs and the use of
English vocabulary in general.
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