In its Social Cohesion Barometer conducted for EBRA, Ipsos France identifies not only the causes of social fragmentation but also the factors that bring the French together, what makes them form a society.
The study shows that elements of daily life, as well as shared values (liberty, democracy, solidarity), serve as this binding force, elements we at MO&VI immediately associate with the Art de Vivre à la Française. This was also the interpretation of Brice Teinturier this morning on France Inter, where he explained the barometer’s results: “there is a fractured France, but France cannot be reduced to that alone. There are things that unite our fellow citizens, starting with this idea, shared by 67% of the French, that social bonds at the local level are strong. (…)
In everyday life, there are points of attachment, shared experiences. But what brings people together are also common values: liberty, democracy, solidarity. (…) What tears the social fabric apart is violence, racism, antisemitism, inequality.
There are powerful values that can unite us in France, values like merit, achievement, and freedom. These values represent also a French art and way of living, and that’s what brings us together.” Now more than ever, we believe this Art de Vivre is more than an old-fashioned idea or traditional rules on how to behave. It is a set of values and a way of life that is relevant, contemporary, and central to our French identity.