Daily social relations are always dominated① by family ties. The family has been the focus of the individual’s loyalty and affection， of his economic interest， and even of his legal duty.
Many an old Frenchman spent his youth in a world where he was expected to regard his cousin， uncle， and grandmother as more important to him than his friends of his own age.
French family needs and demands were put before those of local community② or even those of the state： “I can’t pay my taxes because I have a duty to support my uncle.” has been a common French attitude.
The main change since the war is that the focus of loyalty has been steadily narrowed from “extended family” to the “nuclear family”. But， many younger couples today prefer pleasure traveling with couples of friends to reunion with big families at weekends or in August.
Moreover， for several decades③ ， although French governments anxiously reacted in population growth， the French birth-date has been falling steadily as in other Western countries.
① dominatev. 支配，控制；在……中占主要地位
② communityn. 社区，共同社会
③ decaden. 十年
法国家庭
在法国的日常生活中，家庭纽带主宰着社会关系。家庭不仅是一个人忠诚和情感的中心，而且也是经济利益和法律义务的集中点。
许多年长的法国人是在这样一个环境下长大的：别人要求他们把尊老爱幼放在一个重要的位置，重要到甚过对待他们同龄的朋友。
法国人总把家庭的需求放在社区、甚至国家的前面。“我不能交税，因为我得养活我叔叔。”这种态度在法国早已很普通了。
战后以来，法国人对家庭的忠诚焦点早已从相对的大家庭而稳步缩小，转向了小家庭。但是，如今的许多年轻夫妇宁肯在周末或夏天和朋友去快乐地旅行，也不愿意回父母家中团聚。
此外，尽管几十年来，法国政府对人口率的下降很焦虑，也采取了措施，但是，法国的人口出生率如同西方的其他国家一样，仍旧一直在下滑。
