I agree it is very important to feel “bien dans sa peau”. But I’ve got to the stage where I don’t care how the world pigeon-holes me. I know who I am and that’s what matters. I don’t think I’m trivialising it, I think I may actually be saying that it’s more complex.
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You are lucky to have that degree of self confidence. I admire that. Despite my years, I still allow the comments of others to gnaw at me.
I find is somewhat bizarre that Voting is not mandatory/duty/similar in UK, despite the Suffragette Movement and what it achieved…
yet, here in France - Voting is considered a Duty for French Nationals. 
so I am told.
But it’s not mandatory either. I think that there was a 74% turnout at last national election in France as opposed to 73% in the UK. So making it a duty isn’t particularly effective?
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Voting is given more importance in France than UK… that is the nub of things… and it is something which I feel akin with… I think it is important. ha ha I seem to be getting more and more French… 
that will be important when going for nationality…
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I think local elections are taken more seriously, simply because local government has more impact on folks’ lives. Having a good mayor and a strong team, can make a huge difference to everyday life in the commune.
I don’t think that applies to anywhere near the same extent in the UK.
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Why do you think voting is given more importance in France than in the UK? My impression is that there has been a huge effort in the UK to get people to sign up to the electoral roll, and to get people to go out to vote. If you’ve not been in the Uk often for last 20 years perhaps you’ve not picked up on this? Citizenship became part of the national curriculum in the Uk in 2002 - perhaps you remember the Crick report that spearheaded this?
I wonder how the identity of your children (if you have them) affects how you feel about this?
One of my kids is definitely more French than British - indeed has a pretty negative view of the UK now - and has already applied for French nationality. As she and our other children make their own way in life, have kids of their own, etc, it seems pretty likely we’ll gradually gain a majority French family.
Mmmm depends on how you look at things. Here, in my bit of the countryside, voting appears to be seen as an important responsibility. Whole families turn out, everyone helps bring in the older/infirm/youngsters whoever…
They appear to need to be “seen to Vote” … and, whether the envelope holds a valid ballot paper, a piece of publicity, a ruined ballot paper… or is simply an empty envelope… they are seen to vote, they sign the register etc and go on their way.
Obviously, the same may not apply throughout the country… but this lot (my pals) are very conscientious about their responsibilities to their country and their fellow countrymen… and I admire them for it.
I’m sure some of them would have been very active during the Revolution. 
I know many of them were very active during WW2. 
@Geof_Cox to whom is your question addressed?
But that’s exactly the same in many small towns and villages in the UK! Ok local authorities are more distant, but people still get passionate about it. If anything I feel people are more passionate about national elections in the UK than here.
could well be the local elections here are more important as they do make a difference…
whatever, if someone here admitted that they could not be bothered to go and vote… they might find themselves tarred and feathered… 
they’ve been brought up to respect their rights and responsibilities… (though how long this will last, the way the world is changing… who knows)
Mine are like me, so we can’t imagine what it is like to be just one thing, monoglot, monocultural.
It will be very interesting as our Mayor is standing down.
let’s hope you get a good candidate
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I was just wondering outloud what anybody’s thoughts are. We’ve already had one Xmas family meal more French than English, and this will probably happen more and more as all the kids get into more serious relationships here in France - maybe grandchildren that don’t even speak English, etc. Surely this is bound to influence how British or French we feel ourselves?
I’m from an English working-class background - but very aware that my children know about this, but don’t really know it - don’t really understand what it means to be working class. We as a family are making a multi-generational shift from working to middle class - this I understand - but surely it will be the same for nationality?
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I think so. Certainly re nationality I am the first generation in our family that are “english”. And once out of the house we are generally indistinguishable from our english peers who go back generations.
But the older generations of the family used to view as us slight curiosities. My grandparents were disappointed that I couldn’t speak their language well, and even with my mother there was a disjoint as we had such different cultural reference points. So that will probably be similar with your children and grandchildren.
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I shall respectfully but earnestly take issue with at that apparent generalisation to all, Mark.
It is an important part only to the extent to which an individual chooses to identify with such a definition as personal identity and, if she does so at all, to the extent to which she ascribes any importance to it, if at all.
Many people dismiss the notion of any personal identity, or a permanent “I”, as illusory. Most Buddhists, for example.
I think of identity as a self awareness; I think therefore I am. Would a Buddhist think of themselves as a Buddhist for instance? Or as someone that practices Buddhism? There will be some self view that will be important to how they define themselves in relation to everyone else.
Thank you Geof. I’d not considered the fluidity of identity, I realise now that I’ve been thinking of it as static or fixed even, but of course it can change under influence. Influence of children, of having children - going from single to parent must be a huge identity shift. In my naivety (and childlessness!) I hadn’t seen that, and it’s obvious!
I think you’re right; our feelings about our own nationality will shift as exposure to, and acceptance of (integration?), a different culture has its effect on us. I will never be French of course, but living here has changed me. How could I think otherwise?
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