Ten Insights into Italian Culture
31 May, 2017: You may or may not already realize this, but Italy is a multicultural country and therefore “Italian culture” is very diverse. Italy is a country that has many languages (French, German, and Slovenian are official languages in certain regions, in addition to Italian), region-specific dialects, traditions, and ultimately, cultural differences. Here, I will paint broad brush strokes of cultural differences in Italy to help you become better attuned to its cultural landscape.
The following 10 insights are by no means comprehensive, but will nevertheless help you chart a more culturally sensitive path through your journey into Italian culture, both in Italy and in the diaspora. Click on each of the buttons below to find out more.
I hope this quick orientation to cultural practices and cultural differences in Italy will help you prepare for your trip. I also hope that it will help you adjust your expectations of Americans/Canadians/other nationals of Italian descent that you may meet in the diaspora. Expectation management is half the battle of culling stereotypes, prejudices, and implicit or explicit caricaturization of a culture. So go forth as open-minded and culturally sensitive travellers to Italy, and be prepared to be transformed by your journey to the birthplace of civilization!