Consuming
Fascinating article on the history of Thanksgiving, "Native Intelligence: The Indians who first feasted with the English colonists were far more sophisticated than you were taught in school. But that wasn't enough to save them."
I've received a lot of requests to sign petitions for not opening shops on Thanksgiving, which I've happily signed. Even an article, or two, on ethical shopping. Of course, my trans-Atlantic slacktivism isn't very meaningful; France obviously does not celebrate Thanksgiving, and if it did, all stores would certainly be closed on the holiday, and probably on the following Friday. In fact, there's been a great, angry stir about the fact that some chain supermarkets in Toulouse have begun opening their doors on Sunday morning. By law, they are required to close on Sunday, to protect the worker's right to at least one weekend day off, and also to allow smaller markets - the plein-air ones, especially - to flourish.
JB and I get into debates about the legality of this fermeture dominicale. I complain that it makes Saturdays at the grocery store a living nightmare as the entire Toulouse population descends upon the supermarkets to consume. I also complain that the symbolism of requiring closure on Sunday goes directly against the supposed secular republic that France claims to be (like when they ban headscarves in public schools, etc.) But JB argues that the Catholic motivation is long-lost now, and that it's the unions who refuse to budge on this issue. It's a right they've obtained through blood, sweat and tears, and those are notoriously difficult to pry away.
One of the more interesting arguments against opening stores on Sunday was offered by the president of the worker's association of the region. She deplored the hiring of students to work on this day, under the guise of allowing them to make some money when they aren't in school. Her statement, "Students should be students, and workers, workers." sounds wonderfully idyllic. I agree -- in a perfect world, students woudln't have to spend their weekends working to pay for books, rent, food. Alas, many students have to do just that.
I've received a lot of requests to sign petitions for not opening shops on Thanksgiving, which I've happily signed. Even an article, or two, on ethical shopping. Of course, my trans-Atlantic slacktivism isn't very meaningful; France obviously does not celebrate Thanksgiving, and if it did, all stores would certainly be closed on the holiday, and probably on the following Friday. In fact, there's been a great, angry stir about the fact that some chain supermarkets in Toulouse have begun opening their doors on Sunday morning. By law, they are required to close on Sunday, to protect the worker's right to at least one weekend day off, and also to allow smaller markets - the plein-air ones, especially - to flourish.
JB and I get into debates about the legality of this fermeture dominicale. I complain that it makes Saturdays at the grocery store a living nightmare as the entire Toulouse population descends upon the supermarkets to consume. I also complain that the symbolism of requiring closure on Sunday goes directly against the supposed secular republic that France claims to be (like when they ban headscarves in public schools, etc.) But JB argues that the Catholic motivation is long-lost now, and that it's the unions who refuse to budge on this issue. It's a right they've obtained through blood, sweat and tears, and those are notoriously difficult to pry away.
One of the more interesting arguments against opening stores on Sunday was offered by the president of the worker's association of the region. She deplored the hiring of students to work on this day, under the guise of allowing them to make some money when they aren't in school. Her statement, "Students should be students, and workers, workers." sounds wonderfully idyllic. I agree -- in a perfect world, students woudln't have to spend their weekends working to pay for books, rent, food. Alas, many students have to do just that.
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