Elite / Elite
Lauren - 05:35pm Oct 17, 2004
my favorite part of this word is that 3 french students responded "moi" I think in America we all like to pretend we are middle class and no one wants to elite. look at our election rhetoric - it is supposed to be bad that Kerry is part of a "new england elite." This explains that my french friend isn't being arrogant when she calls herself exceptional. she's just being french!
Marie - 08:27pm Oct 17, 2004
I agree with Lauren's interpretation. Why do you think we (Americans) believe "elite" is bad? Does this stem from our struggle to escape monarchy and achieve independence? And if so, why do the French feel that "elite" has positive connotations?
Esther - 11:16pm Oct 17, 2004
I think it is ironic that "elite" has a positive connotation among the French, because (correct me if I'm wrong), weren't the elite despised during the French Revolution, and weren't many of them killed during that time? Then what changed since that time to give "elite" a positive connotation?
Lorrain - 12:20pm Oct 18, 2004
Elite pour les Américains signifie argent, pouvoir ! A l'inverse, Elite expose pour nous : l'armée, les grandes écoles ... Les lieux ou sont formés nos élites ! Nous savons en France qui sont nos élites, à l'inverse des Américains qui ne le savent pas. Ils définissent Elite comme le pouvoir ce qui est une vision assez péjorative en France !
ChaLing - 09:27am Oct 19, 2004
Funny, when I think of elite I don't associate it with a social aspect.. "upper class" would be the word for me. Rather, I think of extraordinarily high skill levels in some field when I hear the word elite.. like in sports, or studies. This may sound a little arrogant, but as MIT students we are not the "elite" of acadameic community? I worked my back off to get here and I think I earned the right to be one the elite! This applies everywhere.. who doesn't want to be one of the elit in track or soccer or whatever you do .. Perhaps I have a more "french" definition of this world.
Edgar - 09:56pm Oct 20, 2004
I definitely agree with ChaLing's interpretation. Most Americans do associate the word "elite" with socioeconomic status, however I think of the word like ChaLing does. To me, an elite is just someone that excels at something, or does really good in something. I mean, if you read the sports section of any newspaper, you will read something like "Michael Jordan is among the basketball playing elite." And when they say that, they definitely do not mean money (although, Jordan would be an elite in that sense too).
Quentin - 11:28am Oct 22, 2004
C trés interressant de voir la difference entre la vison votre vison qui est plus portée d'un point de vue sociale avec une connotation de celebrité alors que les francais sont plus orientés sur l'armée, le coté scolaire, des grande ecole. Cependant certaines similitudes sur le coté financier ou des millionnaires !!!
Marie - 09:42pm Oct 24, 2004
Yes, I was quite interested by your observation, Quentin. It seems Americans associate "elite" with snobbish, therefore we think of movie stars and other untouchable perfect people that seem like "superhumans." But then, we think of students at the most prestigious schools, soldiers, and the like as "elite" in their field or subject. This use of elite has a different connotation, something more akin to "expert." I find it strange that we have two connotations of this word. In this case, what word first comes to your mind when you think of French movie stars and millionaires?