The Conflict in France

As the first group, we didn't really know what to expect or what we needed to accomplish. However, it soon became apparent that our job was to build a foundation of analysis this semester in regards to the conflict in France. One of the most important things our class will have to accomplish this semester is to quit looking at the world from a Western cilvilization point of view, but rather begin to think how others do. It would be awful hard for conflicts to be resolved when no one makes an effort to see where the other one is coming from. Our forum's struggle to overcome our own mind set is ironically parallel to the strife in France today. While social stratification, alienation, and discrimination are the hotbed of conflict, failure of the French citizens to understand each other can just as easily be blamed. The Arabic immigrants are not protesting and rioting for no reason, nor can they just pack up and leave. France is their country, they do not view themselves as immigrants. The failure of France's citizens and government to understand this has led to the tense situation today. The Arab immigrants are being alienated because they are being discriminated against by their own country. With no social mobility, political voice, or economic advantage, the Arab citizens are being limited by their own government. The government's job is to provide order and laws of equality in order to protect its citizens. The French government is failing to do their job. With a little understanding, or even attempting to understand each other, the conflict could be settled quickly and nonviolently. However, with the government currently ignoring the immigrants, a tense situation could rapidly become a major conflict. What we are trying to answer this semester is not how to end the conflict, but rather what elements, in regards to ways of thinking, can lead to such a conflict. As the old saying goes, "A little understanding goes a long way."