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How is italian culture different from american culture
How is italian culture different from american culture
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Filippo Andretta, 17, is an easygoing Italian exchange student at North Eugene High School. Hailing from Bergamo, a city comparable to Portland, OR, Andretta experienced the hustle and bustle of life from a different perspective than a teen in America.
Filippo lives with his mother, father, and two older siblings in an apartment typical of Italian families. His family is Catholic, but Andretta is quick to assert that they don’t care one way or another if you are religious or not. While Italy is a predominantly Catholic nation, his family doesn’t practice as strictly as one might imagine, only attending church on special occasions or holidays. Family, of course, is an important component of life in Italy, but like most teens, Andretta appreciates
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A typical school day starts at 8 o’clock in the morning with seven periods, ending school at around 1:30. While there isn’t a formal lunch break, the schedule allows for short, ten-minute breaks in fourth and fifth periods. After school comes studying, after which Filippo enjoys going out with his friends. After a late dinner with his family, it’s not uncommon for Andretta to go out with friends again. In the American school system, Filippo is grade 11. Unsurprisingly, he says that the level of rigor is lacking here as compared to the education he grew up with. Andretta began studying English as part of his mandatory language education in primary school. His exchange program allowed him to live in either Seattle, Portland, or Eugene, and Andretta picked Eugene at random. He says that doing exchange programs is a great way for him to experience new cultures and ideas, something that’s important to him.
While Andretta says that America isn’t too different than Italy especially in its technologies, adjusting to life in general has been difficult. Beginning school during the second trimester (December), Andretta faced difficulties making friends because of his late start. Getting around outside of school is also more of a challenge because, unlike in Italy, the use of cars is a necessity given the spread of the city. Filippo enjoys the food in America, namely burgers, but given the choice, he would rather live in Italy
Life in Italy is much different than life in the United States. Italians live at a much slower pace, than American’s and they have a desire to enjoy life instead of rushing through it as many American lifestyles exhibit (Zimmermann, K. (2015). The extended family is very important in Italy, whereas in the United States, the focus tends to be on the nuclear family, which includes mom, dad, and children (Zimmermann, 2015). The differences in Italian culture and American culture are vast and varied, but with a few comparable components to demonstrate similarities.
Looking for Alibrandi is a novel in which reflects and comments to a majority of the social issues occurring in most communities around the world. The novel introduces the main character, Josephine Alibrandi as an intelligent and capable woman who is an Australian of Italian descent. Due to her background, she undergoes social issues such as experiencing stereotypes and social statuses.
The first paragraph evokes the normal and typical structure of the Italian-American immigrant family in this era. In the Vitale family, everyone has their own role. The father, Giovanni Vitale, has the duty of working long hours to provide for his family. The mother, Lisa, has the role of a homemaker, making dinner for the family, and takin...
Even from an early age, Rodriguez is a successful student. Everyone is extremely proud of Rodriguez for earning awards and graduating to each subsequent level of his education. But all his success was not necessarily positive. In fact, we see that his education experience is a fairly negative one. One negative that Rodriguez endures is his solitude. Education compels him to distance himself from his family and heritage. According to Richard Hoggart, a British education theorist, this is a very natural process for a scholarship boy. Hoggart explains that the ?home and classroom are at cultural extremes,? (46). There is especially an opposition in Rodriguez?s home because his parents are poorly educated Mexicans. His home is filled with Spanish vernacular and English filled with many grammatical errors. Also, the home is filled with emotions and impetuosity, whereas the classroom lacks emotion and the teachers accentuate rational thinking and reflectiveness.
When looking for a wife for her son, Alessandra Strozzi wanted the family to have a good reputation and the bride to be skilled and able to handle children. She briefly mentioned attractiveness as well as the girl’s literacy and involvement in the arts. In Strozzi’s case, she had the disadvantage of having to find someone who would take her son even as he was in exile. Filippo would have an arranged marriage that would help the Strozzis carry on their family name and status.
Unless you are a wealthy Italian, you live a much humbler lifestyle. A lot of Italians homes are meager, and the material goods Americans want and vie for, aren’t as important to them. I realized how fortunate I was for all the belongings I took for granted. Some Italians would view the home I grew up in as a mansion compared to their own. They seemed so much happier and it was humbling to see them content by having a lot
Family is one of those words that have a significant meaning to various individuals. Family may be viewed one way to an individual and another way to someone else. Family consists of those who have played a particular role in one’s life, whether it is positive or negative. In this paper, I will assess Reymundo’s family both nuclear and extended and speak of how his family has become significant in his life and how they have played a role in his decisions. I will also speak of my personal reactions to the story as well as address ways that as a social worker I could work to impact the gang problems in Orlando.
Josies aspirations reach much farther than that of her families ambitions for her life. It is at this point in time where a classic example of culture clash begins. Josie feels the need to rebel against the stero-typical female in an Italian culture. This determination stems from her education and desire to step away from her Italian life and responsibilities, breaking away not only from her family and their narrow mindedness but also the entire Italian culture. This is a major leap for Josie who aspires to be the first Alibrandi female to take control of her life. This motivation of freedom is strong in Josie and her rebellious ways demonstrate this.
Gilbert wanted the audience to have an idea of her experience in Italy. Describing how she felt when she was in the streets of Naples and as she observed her surroundings, she wanted to get her audience comfortable to the sense of her trip, feeling how different the atmosphere is in Naples, “I instantly love Naples. Wild, raucous, noisy, dirty, balls-out Naples. An anthill inside a rabbit warren, with all the exoticism of a Middle Eastern bazaar and a touch of New Orleans voodoo. A tripped,out, dangerous and cheerful nuthouse (Gilbert 175), she says. Gilbert uses this to set the scene of Naples, Italy. Unless her intended audience was natives to the town, or well traveled civilians, embracing the feel of the city could not be done without the details provided. Though the pizza itself made the most impact on her, it is the entire trip that leaves such a large impression on the narrator. The essence of the pizzeria plays an important role in her life changing journey. “The guys who make this miracle happen are shoveling the pizzas in and out of the wood-burning oven, looking for all the world like the boilerman in the belly of a great ship who shovel coal into the raging furnaces” (Gilbert). It is not just about how delicious the pizza taste, it is the entire environment of the pizzeria that leaves the both the women in awe. Seeing these men working and sweating over the
As the world evolves so do the people within it, but without much surprise some things do not change that drastically and one of those things is the culture in which a person was born and raised. Even though ones culture or way of life may progress in some ways, it does not totally change. The topic of discussion for this paper will be that of the Italian culture. Who are they really? What types of challenges do they face? Many other topics will be discussed about the Italian society, but first we begin with the basic facts as to who they were.
As a young boy, he attends a Jesuit boarding school and knows he doesn’t fit in. At times, he even feels ashamed and alone. He continues to be devout and takes comfort in his nightly prayers. He is small, socially awkward, and un-athletic but shows signs of courage and strength. He is bullied at ...
Now you know our friend’s experiences -Rodrigo, Rubén, Jessica, Nieves, Ms. Rena, and all the rest of them. And you also got to know how they are related to English language; their difficulties, advantages, points of view and ways of thinking. Fortunately, this might mean you are now aware of the relevance English has in our current context. Although some people may still say that learning English is just an option, we are now able to stand our ground and claim that English is now a tool, a means … and an open door to a whole new world of experiences, people and resources which were not so easy to access
Born to a family of subsistence farmers, Salvatore Rossi fits the mold of the atypical southern Italian laborer. Heavy taxes had be...
Childhood can be a fragile thing. It is commonly believed that children see the world through different eyes. Everything seems fresh and interesting to them, where we become saturated with the details of our everyday lives. The eyes of Vittorio Innocente act as a safeguard, seemingly protecting him from truth and danger that he cannot see. Since the incident with the snake, Vittorio had noticed that his mother had been keeping to herself, working in the garden. However, he could not understand what was wrong with her, and could not figure out why the household seemed so empty. ‘…A veil seemed to have fallen between us, and for a while I had nursed this estrangement like a precious wound I could somehow turn to advantage; but the passing days brought only a growing awkwardness, as if my mother and I had suddenly become strangers, with no words now to bridge the silence between us’ (74). Vittorio’s ‘safety-goggles’ also help him when the gang of boys inv...
Cohen, E. S., & Cohen, T. V. (2001). Daily life during the Italian Renaissance. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press.