Why are there so many awards in academia in the US compared with academia in France? I spent a bit of time in France and in the USA. I observed that there are many more awards given to students and academics in the US than there are in France. Is that observation correct, and if so what accounts for it?



Examples:

Grade awards in the US:


University of Chicago Student Marshal
Dean’s List


Student research awards in the US:


Charles W. and Jennifer C. Johnson Prize
Jin Au Kong Thesis Award
George M. Sprowls PhD thesis award
William A. Martin Memorial Master's Thesis Award 


Teaching awards in the US:


MIT Inspirational Teacher Award
Everett Moore Baker Memorial Award
Gordon Y Billard Award
Graduate Student Council Teaching Awards
I have half french kids and I have spent a lot of my life in France and in the Midwest.  The answer is easy - culture.  

Americans love recognizing everything.  Participation awards, so many awards that anyone that is pretty good at something will surely get one.  My 4th grader at the time got a ribbon for 4th place in a race and his French grandmother said, "Why?"  She didn't even understand it.  

In France if you win something you are really at the top of your game and its a big deal.  They generally don't placate to keeping self-esteem high, even with children.   Things are more regulated, committees generally mean something and there isn't a lot of duplication.  Now I see this slowly changing in France over the years and it becoming more westernized.

Your answer is just, different culture.  England is a bit the same as America except they seem to have accreditation companies and societies that also allow you to "pay" for an award.