First, let's start off with the reason why Italy is separated culturally. The North of Italy is largely influenced by central Europe and classic European customs, whereas the South is influenced more by the Middle East, and Mediterranean.ย
North vs South
Attitude
Northโstereotype to be moreย hard-working (), business-oriented, andย snobbish
Southโstereotype to be moreย laid-back () butย lazy ()
Culture
Northโproximity to the Swiss border and Alps, so local dialects are shaped by French and Germanic languages
Southโcloser to the Mediterranean, so influenced by warmth, olive trees, and wine...
Economy
Northโprosperous, industrialized
Southโpoor, rural
Food
Northโfocaccia, pesto, bolognese ๐ ๐
Southโswordfish, cod, cannolis ๐ ๐ฐ
Stereotypes
There are stereotypes that divide the culture of the North and the South, but because Italy is such a powerful country, similar to the United States, there are also larger stereotypes about the entire nation and its people.
Italian Stereotypes
All Italians love pizza and pasta and they have them every day
Italians talk with their hands
Italians have big families with many children ๐จโ๐ฉโ๐งโ๐ฆ ๐จโ๐ฉโ๐ฆโ๐ฆ ๐จโ๐ฉโ๐งโ๐ง
American Stereotypes
All Americans are obese and eat fast food every day
Americans are patriotic and racist
Americans only care about work
Sometimes, there is truth to these statements, and there are always people that fit the "typical" description, but both Italy and the United States are extremely diverse, and every region/city/town has distinct, unique characteristics.
Racism/Discrimination
Stereotypes are often just humorous ideas, but sometimes, they can reveal deeper traces of racism, discrimination, and marginalization. In a country like Italy where there is a large number of immigrants with different ideas and beliefs,ย racism and xenophobiaย can become widespread.
Theย problem: People blame immigrants for a loss of security, an increase in crime, and a rise in unemployment...
Theย plan: Festivals and holidays to celebrate different cultures and protect people, government involvement to arrest racist-violent people, construction of safe spaces, programs to integrate immigrants into Italian society...
Strive for Five Vocab
Lo ย - skepticism
Il ย - prejudice
Il ย - preconception
Lo ย - stereotype
L'ย - attitude
ย - to trust
I ย - common places
ย - to identify
Il ย - racism
ย - segregation
Il ย - gap
ย - securing, make safe
ย - to raise, promote
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