Marriage in France

I've been finding out that marriage in France is thought of differently than it is in America.

Whenever I say to people in the USA that I don't want to get married, they look at me like I'm crazy and usually criticize me. In France it's different though.

People here just don't get married like they do in the USA. I've talked to 2 or 3 French women who have said that they just don't want to get married; they'll have kids and the whole bit but to them marriage is simply a piece of paper.

I bring this up because today the resident director of my program, Charlotte, came over to meet my host parents (she's never met them before because this is her first year). I wasn't there the whole time they were talking but I caught the tail end of their conversation. She's been with the same man for 10 years and she said she'll have kids eventually, when she's ready, but she just doesn't want to get married.

She said that she only has bad examples of marriage around her; anyone who gets married ends up in a terrible/failed relationship. So go Charlotte, use your brain and avoid those outcomes!

Also, Monique and Pierre aren't married (which isn't surprising since they both have children from past relationships), Monique and her late "husband" weren't actually married but she has two kids, Pierre and his late wife were never married but have children, and one of Monique's daughters isn't married and has three children.

Oh and one of the "monitors" for our program who is a student at my university says her parents didn't get married until her younger brother turned 17 since they just never had any reason and she says she doesn't want to get married either.

That's not to say that every French person is anti-marriage because I have talked to several people who have said they absolutely want to get married or that they don't care either way, but nonetheless I've encountered far more people here who share my views on the subject. (Also keep in mind I hardly know that many French people so I'm not actively seeking out likeminded individuals.)

....welp, that's all folks! Just figured I'd let you in on another cultural observation.