Italy has been very much in the news the last few weeks, as they struggle to repair their economy and form a new government. I've spent about four months in Italy the last several years, and it's a country with a a great history, tremendous natural beauty and definitely a very distinct culture.
This humorous flash program by Italian cartoon animator Bruno Bozzetto illustrates some cultural differences between Italians and other Europeans.
Those who have spent time in Italy... are these stereotypes or is there some basis in reality?? What aspects of Italian culture are described? Does this help explain any of the current issues related to Italy and other European Union countries?
How does a cartoon like this help us better understand another culture?
(If you like Bozzetto's work, visit his website and see more films here.)
(If you like Bozzetto's work, visit his website and see more films here.)
7 comments:
This video is quite different. Initially it shows "other Europeans" driving habits as nice and peaceful, and Italians driving like they are crazy or have road rage. They show Italians fighting over parking spots, taking several parking spots when they do park, or running down a pedestrian walking. I spent 5 weeks in Italy this summer and did not really experience any of this. I do remember driving different places and a moped would pull out right in front of our bus (thought that was crazy the bus wins everytime). I think that a lot of times people have misguided perceptions. My experience leads me to believe that Italians are better drivers than Americans. I did notice that cutting in lines was acceptable in Italy but I never saw anyone arguing about it. Italians are very expressive and seems that they need their hands to talk, but that passion is often times misunderstood.
This video is awesome. I've only spent about a week and a half in Italy a few years ago. I don't remember much about the culture, but I can relate to some things. For example, the coffee was so true. Italians are so picky about their coffee, and they each like it a different way. I noticed that a lot in coffee shops there. Also, the traffic is so true. I remember in Italy, I was in awe at how people drove there. I was scared for my life when trying to cross the street, even if I had the right away. I can't really relate to anything else. However, this short cartoon, assuming it's accurate, is very informative. It shows a good comparison of Italy to the rest of the EU. Again, this could very well be a stereotype of Italy, but it's a good video to be able see how Italy differs from other EU countries. I know I can't learn to in depth about the Italian culture, but I can definitely say that I know more after this video than I did before.
I spent some time in Italy this summer, and even though it was only a week I could really see some stereotypes that are based in reality. The driving one one thing I thought was very accurate, compared to Spain in France I thought that Italy was the worst. Also I thought the bus system was very accurate. The first night in Italy we went to dinner and we were told to take the bus back by the hotel, well the bus never came after waiting for almost an hour so we finally were able to find a cab. I am not sure you can take a cartoon like this and really compare it to current issues, becaue it is very sterotypicl, but it does show that there are many differences. Also for someone that does not know anything about the countries this cartoon is informative in that it does have a lot of truth, just exaggerated, if it is all true it did point out some cultural differences I was not aware of before watching this.
Courtney Moradipour
I spent a week and a half in Italy last spring and I saw some of these examples to be true. I did however spend a substantial amount of time in Paris so I an relate to some of the "other European" examples. The French definitely order the exact same coffee! Whenever you go to a cafe and order a "cafe" there is not a lot of variety. I know that in Italy, Starbucks tried to start a shop there but they were so unsuccessful that they closed. The idea of a Starbucks not being successful is just mind boggling!
I made some Italian friends when studying abroad and most of these stereotypes seem to be false. Then again, I know that a few people can't represent a whole country. I did learn that the bureaucracy is a big issue when trying to get certain things done, like getting a visa to go to China. But from my personal experience, they seem very polite and not inconsiderate like depicted in the cartoon.
Stereotypes usually have some bit of underlying truth in them and I believe this cartoon can help us understand cultural differences better.
I have spent time in Italy and I thought the people on mopeds were nuts. Very high intense. I loved everything else, food history and wine. Sign me up
Interesting, but I think this is too extreme. I believe this is totally stereotype. You may find some part like this or close but no the entire country.
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