France and their National Identity

National identity is the feeling that individuals feel when they have a sense of belonging to a particular

nation. This sense of belonging is usually based on commonalities. They can be in forms of a symbol,

which means that the government made up certain ideas or symbols that are well known so that when

children grow up they accept them as normal or natural. In France, symbols that French citizens would

be familiar with are the Gallic Rooster, the French Flag, Marianne, Fleur-de-lis, and many more. It also

could be in forms of language, culture, history and shared values. This also helps people accept the fact

that they belong in the nation. National identity can also become a political topic. In 2007, France had a

presidential election, and national identity was apart of one of the candidates themes. This altered

controversy with immigrants/immigration. In 2009, it was brought up again when the government

initiated a debate on national identity.

Language

In France, the main language spoken is French, and “it is the second most widely learned foreign

language in the world” (Chara Scroope, 2017). Although French is their main and oﬃcial language, they

have many other languages that are spoken in the country called regional languages. Their regional

languages include, “Alsatian, Basque, Breton, Catalan, Corsican, Francoprovençal, Occitan, and the

langues d’oïl, a dialect continuum composed of several northern dialects” (Anne Judge, 2007). Before

French became the oﬃcial language of the nation, these regional languages were spoken across diﬀerent

parts of the country of France. Some people who speak the regional languages preserve it through

tradition. People used these languages in everyday life, such as at work, at home, and for cultural

traditions. The French language was used to help unify the country together by speaking the language. It

is also an important aspect to France’s national identity because of the French Revolution, and now

American culture (English language) that is being spread out in France. People of France take pride in

their language because it identifies who they are. Others who wish to identify as a citizen of France,

must know the language.

Ethnic Groups

France is made up of people with diﬀerent culture and ethnic roots, that are from Celtic and Latin with

Teutonic, Slavic. With these European roots, France also has roots from North Africa such as Algerian,

Moroccan, Tunisian communities as well as Indochinese and Basque minorities. Although these people

are immigrants, they kept their old nationalities while also gaining the French nationality and becoming

full citizens of French society. Studies show that there are “equally strong levels of allegiance appears to

be the dominant pattern among immigrants who arrived in France as children and descendants of

immigrants” (Patrick Simon, 2012). This encourages that keeping cultural roots does not stop individuals

from evolving a new and stronger connection to France or another nation. These people who have came

over to France, “feel French” (Patrick Simon, 2012) meaning that they have a strong sense of belonging

to the nation of France. This reflects how France’s national identity is mostly based on loyalty to the

country, citizenship and shared values rather than ethnicity. And allowing people from diverse origins to

identify as French while still wanting aspects of their cultural heritage.

Religion

In France, about 47% of the population identifies as being part of the Roman Catholic Church.

Catholicism is the main religion but there is also a large amount of people who are not aﬃliated with

having religious beliefs as well. France is a secular country meaning that the government is neutral when

comes to religious groups which is what the French Republic is made up of, “La France eat one

République indivisible, laïque, démocratique et social” (“France shall be an indivisible, secular,

democratic and social Republic”) (Anne-Lise Vassoille, 2025), that sentence is in the opening paragraph

of the French Constitution from 1958. French schools are not allowed to teach any religious topics in

class, The only “religious” topic that could be taught is if it were part of French history, art and culture. In

2004, they banned people from wearing anything that was a religious symbol, such as hijabs, crucifixes,

burqa, and kippahs. For a very long time, religion has played a major role in France whether it was

cultural, politcal or social matters.

Othering

Othering is the process that a nation goes through when defining national identity through symbolic

boundaries and who the citizens are. As Anna Triandafyllidou argues, national identity “cannot be

understood without reference to the ‘other” (Anna Triandafyllidou, 1998). In France, about 8% of

immigrants identity France to be their origin, and nothing else. While many other immigrants claim that

their origin is a mix of France and their original country. This shows that immigrants and their

descendants have encountered a sense of belonging to the nation rather than being an individual.

Although immigrants and their descendants may not be fully acknowledge as French, but there are many

diﬀerent ways that identiication can be understood. The symbolic boundaries that make up who is

considered part of the nation can refer to ethnocultural or geographical origins alongside of France.

Conclusion

In conclusion, national identity in France is made up by a combination of using shared symbols,

language, political values, and having historical narratives that produces a sense of belonging to the

nation and its citizens. The common symbols of France, such as national symbols and having shared

cultural preferences, the individuals are encouraged to view the Frenchness feeling as natural and

unified. Language plays a big role when coming to France’s national identity because it served as a role

when it brought the country together and it makes individuals feel like they have a sense of belonging,

while regional languages and their cultural traditions calls out the diversity that exists in the nation.

When it comes to ethnicity and religion, France reflects its attention on citizenship, loyalty, and shared

values, rather than the diﬀerence in ethnic or religious preferences especially since the country is a

secular country. In Anna Triandafyllidou’s article, National identity and the ‘other’ she demonstrates how

national identity is also defined by having symbolic boundaries that tell apart from those who fully

belong than to those who are put as diﬀerent. Diﬀerent pattererns of identification within immigrants and

their descendants demonstrate how having a sense of belonging can have a mixed sense of national

identification whether it is made up by both infusion and exclusion. These elements show that national

identity in France is very complex and dynamic when balancing ideals of national unity in the context of

cultural diversity.

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