ABSTRACT
The traditional structuring institutions of French society were the army, the church and the education system. Of these, the army and the church have greatly declined in influence, although some notion of their past significance is Important for understanding the present day. The education system, however, remains a crucial force in French society and It has been joined in this respect by the mass media. This section will examine all four institutions and attempt to elucidate their role in modem French society.
