Inaccurate French Stereotyping

http://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/08/opinion/inaccurate-french-stereotyping.html

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To the Editor:

Re “Sex and the French Elections” (Opinion, Feb. 3) by Pamela Druckerman:

I am sorry to disappoint readers who believe that Ms. Druckerman always provides us with an accurate representation of French life, but her recent assertion that at French universities sexual relations between faculty and students “are practically expected” is simply not true.

I have spent more than 20 years either teaching at French universities or sending American students to study at these institutions, and I have never seen any evidence that would validate the accuracy of such a statement.

At this time in our history we should be more careful than ever about perpetuating national stereotypes. Ms. Druckerman’s remarks do a disservice to all of us who seek to truly understand the complexities of French culture, and to transmit this knowledge to others.

Raymond Bach

STRASBOURG, FRANCE