Description

Over the three decades from 1960 to 1990, French society underwent a spectacular transformation due to the baby boom, which was particularly broad-based and prolonged in France and caused the population to climb by a full one-third. At the same time, the French economy expanded and the pace of modernization picked up, with the result that the wealth of the French quadrupled in a single generation. The turning point between the reconstruction and development period and the period of profound social change appears to have been 1965. The baby boom was over by then, and the production system was shifting in orientation. No longer dominated by the growth of basic industries, production was now starting to focus on consumer goods and services.

A prominent feature of the social revolution in France has been the decline of the great national institutions -- the Republic, the Army, the church, and the schools -- which are losing their symbolic value and are no longer the targets of ideological disputes. As a result, there is a growing basic consensus among the French people. At the same time, the French have developed a new interest in managing local problems -- due to the decentralization law -- which has led to the establishment of many voluntary associations.

Changes in family life following the "revolution" of 1968 have led to greater instability among couples, but at the same time have strengthened the kinship system resulting in increased life expectancy. The customs of the French have also changed. The French education system, originally based on authority and regulations, is now making increasing use of experimentation and negotiation. As a result, the attitude of the French towards authority has totally changed and the French have learned to negotiate and cooperate among themselves.

All these changes can be interpreted as progressive moves toward liberty, equality, and individualism. There is little danger of social instability, since French society remains in remarkably robust health.