The Peculiar Relationship of the French with Work

The French have a very peculiar relationship to work: on the one hand, they assign it distinctly more importance than most of their European counterparts; on the other – and paradoxically – they aspire to have work occupy less of a place in their lives. This is the image that emerges from a comparative analysis, carried out by Lucie Davoine and Dominique Méda, of the findings of various French and international surveys on values in general, and on work in particular. This article presents the main lessons to be drawn from their research.
The authors begin by demonstrating the peculiar nature of the French view of the meaning and place of work in their lives, making reference to the various different dimensions of work as these show up in sociological analysis. They then study the factors that seem likely to explain this importance accorded to work, advancing two main hypotheses: on the one hand, the effects of unemployment and the precariousness of, and sense of insecurity within, employment; on the other, greater expectations in terms of interesting work and occupational fulfilment.
Subsequently, Lucie Davoine and Dominique Méda endeavour to explain the paradoxical relation between the importance accorded to work by the French and their aspiration to reduce the part it plays in their lives. They suggest two lines of explanation for this: the poor quality of working conditions and social relations, which are a source of dissatisfaction, and individuals’ concern to devote more time to their personal lives (particularly to their families) and achieve a better work-life balance.