2.2 The Great Divide and Stereotypes

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. 

North vs South

• Attitude
  • North—stereotype to be more hard-working (laborioso/a), business-oriented, and snobbish
  • South—stereotype to be more laid-back (rilassato/a) but lazy (pigro/a)
• Culture
  • North—proximity to the Swiss border and Alps, so local dialects are shaped by French and Germanic languages
  • South—closer to the Mediterranean, so influenced by warmth, olive trees, and wine...
• Economy
  • North—prosperous, industrialized
  • South—poor, rural
• Food
  • North—focaccia, pesto, bolognese 🍞 🍝
  • South—swordfish, cod, cannolis 🐟 🍰

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 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 👨‍👩‍👦‍👦 👨‍👩‍👧‍👧
• 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, racism and xenophobia can become widespread.

The problem: People blame immigrants for a loss of security, an increase in crime, and a rise in unemployment...

The 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 scetticismo - skepticism
• Il pregiudizio - prejudice
• Il preconcetto - preconception
• Lo stereotipo - stereotype
• L'atteggiamento - attitude
• Fidarsi - to trust
• I luoghi comuni - common places
• Individuare - to identify
• Il razzismo - racism
• Emarginazione - segregation
• Il divario - gap
• Messa in sicurezza - securing, make safe
• Elevare - to raise, promote