Francophile

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A Francophile is a non-French^{[citation needed]} person who has a strong interest in, or admiration for French culture. This could include France itself and its history, the French language, French cuisine, literature, etc. The opposite of a Francophile is a Francophobe -- someone who dislikes all that is French.

Francophilia often arises in former French colonies where the élite spoke French and adopted many French habits--although places where resentment against French rules is fresh in the mind of the population (such as Algeria and Vietnam) might instead want to dispense with French culture. In some countries such as Romania, French culture has also long been popular among the educated classes. Even in the United States, the French language is still one of the main foreign languages taught in school. French Canadians who look to the culture of France could also be considered Francophiles.

Historically, Francophilia has been associated with supporters of the philosophy of French Enlightenment during and after the French Revolution, where democratic uprisings challenged the autocratic countries of Europe. At the same time, however, Francophilia can be found in conservative circles. For example some Traditionalist Catholics are Francophiles because of religious connections to France (see Society of Saint Pius X, whose largest membership base is in France).