Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Italian Culture: A First Glimpse

I thought now would be an appropriate time to write reflect on the cultural differences I have noticed now that I have had some experience under my belt. Allow me to preface this post with this: no matter how detailed or explicitly Lewis writes, there is nothing like living in a culture that really shows you what it's all about. 

I have just officially completed my first week of classes. Only one of my professors is American; the others are Italian. This means that you must pay close attention in class, because they often speak with thick accents and use unconventional word choices where mispronunciation is commonplace. Therefore, being able read lips and infer meanings is essential. 

In my Intercultural Communication class, and Professor Mazza mentioned several things that I remember from leadership regarding how various cultures communicate differently and bring different expectations to conversations. Several students complained that Italians were not kind to Americans, were impatient, and spoke too quickly. The instructor was surprised to hear this, and said, "I guess we Italians have a different perception of how we act towards Americans." 

This professor has an interesting, cross-cultural story himself. Born and raised in Italy, he married a Turkish Muslim woman and temporarily moved to the United States, where they had their child, before returning to Italy. He explained that it is quite discerning that their 2 year old daughter is fluent in Turkish and Italian and is also learning English, and he himself cannot understand Turkish. 

Similarly, my Communication/Body Language Techniques professor, born in the United States, traveled to Italy while pursuing her master's degree, married an Italian man, and remained in Italy to raise their son. Many people in addition to my professors are bilingual, and it is seen as a norm to be such.

Just on my way home to write this blog, I passed a group of Italian men shamelessly blaring a Korean version of "Let it Go" on their iPod as they walked the darkened streets of Florence.

What struck me most in my lessons today was my Communication/Body Language professor's response when a student asked her about differences between America and Italy. She discussed the fact that America is very "linear" (linear-active), and emphasizes rules, and consequences for disrupting order. She used the term "masculine" to define this culture, comparing it to Italy's "feminine" culture. In Italy, she said, one strives to break the rules and get away with it, and if you are caught, more often than not the punishment is not harsh. She shared stories of her neighbors breaking laws associated with adding housing to property and not being penalized. Instead, the Italian government, in a time of financial hardship, released a religious statement calling all tenants who had broken the law to come to confession, pay the penance (which would then go towards the government), and the government would in turn look the other way.

She also discussed how these practices transcend into familial life. In America, she said, there is constant pressure on children to mature and become independent. While living at home after the age of 21 in America is a sign of 'failure,' if an individual moves out by that age in Italy, it is a sign that the family is in distress. 

It is quite interesting to reflect on the Lewis Model, receive additional information in class, and experience it firsthand on the streets of Florence! I am excited to continue in this adventure!

Ciao ciao!

5 comments:

  1. Hi Lindsey!
    It sounds you are having a blast in Florence! I was wondering how things are in the classroom. Lewis says that Italians are more multiactive and have blindspots with making an agenda and punctuality. Do you see this in the class room? If you have homework assignments, are your professors strict on the dead line like they are back here at Marietta? In addition, what is it like being in the class room with Italians? Lewis also said that in team exercises Italians are great communicators. Do you feel that is true when working and engaging with the Italians in the classroom? I can't wait to here from you and more of your experiences!!
    Arrivederci!!!
    Ariann Barile

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  2. Ariann,
    It is great to hear from you! Well, the professors definitely seem a little more relaxed in the classroom in that they aren't as explicit with what they want for projects. The tolerance for ambiguity is much higher here than in the States, that's for sure! A lot of them will only get specific when pushed by the students to provide more details. However, they are still strict on the deadlines, from what I have observed so far.
    Unfortunately, I have not gotten to interact with Italian students in the classroom, as the university I am attending is solely for international students! So, I can't speak to the second question directly, but I can say that from what I have observed of Italians communicating outside of the classroom, they are excellent communicators with each other, and walking into a meeting or the advising office and having ten Italian advisors giving a presentation is fun to watch, as they are certainly very effective. However, as can be expected, when one Italian is speaking to an American, the communication is less effective due to linguistic barriers. Hope this helps! Thanks for the questions; keep 'em coming!
    Ciao,
    Lindsey

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  3. Hello Lindsey,

    I have enjoyed reading your blog posts. I am glad that you are able to eat the food in Italy, despite not being able to eat anything with gluten. Have people reacted poorly when you have had to turn down food, and if so, how? Is it considered rude to turn down food that is offered to you in Italy?

    Blessings,

    Elyse

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  4. Hi Elyse!
    I'm glad you're enjoying the posts! Here in Italy, they are VERY understanding! Food is so important to them, so if I can't eat something, they feel bad for me rather than offended, and will usually try to find a substitute. However, this pride in food often means that there are certain things I will never be able to eat simply because the chefs don't want to stray from their traditional recipes and make gluten free adaptations (which I don't blame them). For example, pizza in the south of Italy is supposedly the best, rather than in the Northern region. However, whenever I travel to the south, they do not offer gluten free pizza like they do in Florence because the recipes are based on tradition. However, I foresee this changing considerably in the future, as celiac is becoming quite prevalent here in Italy!

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  5. Hello,

    I hope you are having a great time traveling! I was interested in the nature of your communicaitons/body language class. That sounds very interesting. What do you see as the greatest nonverbal communication difference between the Italian culture and Western American culture. I look forward to hearing from you and your experiences.

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