The modern social structure of France is complex, but generally similar to that of other European countries. Traditional social classes still have some presence, with a large

bourgeoisie The bourgeoisie ( , ) is a social class, equivalent to the middle or upper middle class. They are distinguished from, and traditionally contrasted with, the proletariat by their affluence, and their great cultural and financial capital. Th ...

and especially

petite bourgeoisie ''Petite bourgeoisie'' (, literally 'small bourgeoisie'; also anglicised as petty bourgeoisie) is a French term that refers to a social class composed of semi-autonomous peasants and small-scale merchants whose politico-economic ideological st ...

, and an unusually large proportion, for modern Europe, of farming

smallholder A smallholding or smallholder is a small farm operating under a small-scale agriculture model. Definitions vary widely for what constitutes a smallholder or small-scale farm, including factors such as size, food production technique or technology ...

s. All these groups, and the remaining industrial working class, have considerable political power, which they are able to flex when required.

History

''Ancien Régime''

The old French society before the

French revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are conside ...

was divided on the basis of three 'estates' and they were as follows: #Clergy #Nobility #Common people

Following the Industrial Revolution

Following industrialization and the French revolution altered the social structure of France and the

became the new ruling class. The feudal nobility was on the decline with agricultural and land yields decreasing, and arranged marriages between noble and bourgeois family became increasingly common, fusing the two social classes together during the 19th century. The social classes in France during this period were as follows: #The haute

: Highly educated and affluent, this social class had both economic and political sway, and could afford

leisure Leisure has often been defined as a quality of experience or as free time. Free time is time spent away from business, work, job hunting, domestic chores, and education, as well as necessary activities such as eating and sleeping. Lei ...

time. This class was composed of industrialists, lawyers, bankers, notaries, politicians, prominent doctors and pharmacists. #The

: An educated or skilled middle class. They are composed of store owners, lower ranked civil servants, professors, and skilled artisans. #The cadres. These were generally office/clerical workers and nowadays would include lower-skilled IT jobs. They could also include some supervisory roles over fellow employees in working class workplaces. In France they have been traditionally treated as a social class unto themselves, whereas in English-speaking countries they are generally treated as the lowest edge of the middle class as, although they perform largely unskilled work, their jobs do have a loosely white collar veneer. #The working class: This formed the majority of the population. The urban working class is distinguished from the rural laborers. With industrialization on the rise, there is an increasing about of jobs in urban areas based in factories and construction sites. The countryside is on the decline and a large amount of rural laborers move towards cities and towns for better opportunities. Low cultural and education outlook.

Contemporary France

In the 21st century, social class in France is often measured by income and profession.

Bon chic bon genre Bon chic, bon genre () is an expression used in France to refer to a subculture of stylish members of the Parisian upper class. They are typically well-educated, well-connected, and descended from "old money" families, preferably with some aristocr ...

is a term for fashionable people of good family ("''bon genre''"), especially in Paris. Graduates of the

École nationale d'administration The École nationale d'administration (generally referred to as ENA, en, National School of Administration) was a French ''grande école'', created in 1945 by President Charles de Gaulle and principal author of the 1958 Constitution Michel Deb ...

, or ''énarques'' predominate in the upper levels of government and many industries, along with graduates of the other

Grandes écoles Grandes may refer to: *Agustín Muñoz Grandes Agustín Muñoz Grandes (27 January 1896 – 11 July 1970) was a Spanish general, and politician, vice-president of the Spanish Government and minister with Francisco Franco several times; also know ...

, specialized state-run institutes of tertiary education. However, primary and secondary education is almost entirely at state schools, unlike say England, and is a major engine of

social mobility Social mobility is the movement of individuals, families, households or other categories of people within or between social strata in a society. It is a change in social status relative to one's current social location within a given society ...

Cultural capital In the field of sociology, cultural capital comprises the social assets of a person (education, intellect, style of speech, style of dress, etc.) that promote social mobility in a stratified society. Cultural capital functions as a social relatio ...

, a concept from France, is still considered an issue for the many French people in a process of

References

{{Social class, state=uncollapsed, country