Author: mfishbur

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Final Post

After returning to the US, I have to say Italy exceeded my expectations, which is saying a lot. I knew I would have an amazing time before I left, but I did not know exactly how much of an emotional hold it would have on me. The first time I went to Italy, I fell in love with the culture. This time, however, it was more powerful because I made the effort to interact with locals and make friends. I was expecting a lot, but in applying myself more fully to the culture, I was able to have something more than just another fun summer.

I know it sounds cliche, but it’s true that studying abroad changed my life. In terms of the friends I made, both Italian and American, I was more outgoing than ever and met so many amazing people from all over Italy and the US. My first solo trips took me to London and Vienna, and gave me immense confidence in my ability to manage myself in new environments. I now know that I can live and thrive in unfamiliar places, and I will probably use this experience to help me intern somewhere out of my home state for next summer.

I feel like my worldview has expanded tremendously, as it does every time I visit new places. Above all, the confidence aspect will inspire me to keep traveling and learning as I go. I have so many different places I want to go to, and I think my semester abroad will have even more in store for my solo exploring.

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Analyzing Cultural Dimensions

While the Italian culture I have experienced is mostly similar to the American culture I am used to, there are some notable examples where life in Italy is vastly different.

Dining is seen as a more social experience in Italy, meaning meals last much longer, and the check is not brought out until requested. Even if they are busy, restaurants understand this cultural aspect and do not want to rush you out before you have had your conversation and are ready to go, even if it means staying an hour or longer after the food is done. For the same reason, dessert and especially coffee after dinner is extremely common. I was used to longer meals at times from growing up, but having to ask for the check took some getting used to. Some other Americans I met were extremely frustrated with this, and one of them even used the heterostereotype that Italians were lazy because of this. I think it goes without saying that the guy that said this was one of the most disagreeable people I have ever met. What was an important learning experience for me and my friends was something to be rejected entirely for him.

The other main cultural difference I noticed was work culture. American hours are very demanding and rigorous, but Italian standards make even a 9-5 seem unbearable. The two-hour siesta in the afternoon makes any American lunch break look like nothing. Instead of working an exhausting shift all the way through, Italians can break up their workday and still get home for the late dinner. With an American understanding, this would play into the lazy heterostereotype, but Italians still manage to maintain a successful economy. Perhaps most importantly, however, everyone in Italy seems so much happier than people in the US. Moving forward, I would like to incorporate some of these cultural ways of life so that I can be healthier and happier as well.

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DIVE Reflection

At a restaurant earlier tonight, my friends and I were talking when someone who had kept staring at us leaned over and slyly offered to translate the menu, which was already in Italian and English. In the moment, I was taken aback and wanted to tell him to stop being a bother, but instead I just went along with it and he left us alone. At that moment, my interpretation was that he was simply being rude and nosy. As for my own cultural expectations, I usually expect Italians and other Europeans to be annoyed by Americans and think that we do not know anything about their culture. Aside from being a little annoyed by his antics, I did not think much of the incident. After using DIVE, I could understand if he was joking and/or drunk and did not mean to come across as rude.

Taking his actions objectively, there is no guarantee that he said or did anything with malice. The objective description differs from my interpretations in that there is no debating the objectivity or trying to provide explanations for other people’s behavior. I did not verify this incident specifically, but the same guy was drunkenly cursing out the waitress not long after, and she seemed unbothered. Perhaps Italy just has different standards for conduct in restaurants, which would make me less frustrated by him. I think the DIVE plan is useful, and I have probably been using it or at least something similar without knowing. I will definitely aim to use it in the future when considering critical incidents.

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Reconciling New Perspectives

For this blog, I interviewed a friend who works at a restaurant here in Sorrento. His main heterostereotype of Americans in general is that we are extremely loud. This is based on people he has encountered while working; however, he said that once he actually gets to know people, it is impossible to hold this or any stereotype. It is also heavily reliant on tourism, something that creates a lot of stereotypes and tends to annoy the locals. As an Italian who has lived his entire life in Sorrento and seen it grow, it makes sense that he would develop some form of stereotypes about the tourists changing his environment.

From my experience, I would say that Americans, including myself, do tend to be loud. However, the stereotype that he has undoubtedly has much to do with his line of work, as any group can become loud and obnoxious when they are out having a good time with friends. I would also say this even fits my autostereotypes about Americans, as the behavior I have seen here from us is not much different from what I have seen at Notre Dame or at home.

Ultimately, I do not think this stereotype in particular matters much. Even if Americans annoy him at first glance, we clearly moved past that part to become close. The other interesting thing about this stereotype in particular was that I held the same heterostereotype about Italians before I got here. He laughed when I jokingly told him that after the interview. That is the most important part: two people from different cultures have some negative views about the other and still find a way to be friends and make fun of each other in a well-intentioned and well-received manner.