willowdust9116

[willowdust9116]

Global Society

Italy is easily one of the most beautiful countries in Europe and quite possibly even the world. With art, architecture, music, and world-famous cuisine, Italy’s rich culture can be extremely enticing, especially to anyone who is naturally drawn towards hundreds of years of history and tradition.

While my international travel experience is limited, Italy is definitely one of my top choices for a destination, especially with the variety of cities including Venice, Verona, and Rome. Given the opportunity to travel to the beautiful country, which I hope will one day arise, it would be valuable to know more about Italian culture than the fact that it is the reason we have pizza and gelato. From my experience with anthropology, sociology, and communication classes, I know culture can have major impacts on how people communicate and go about their everyday lives. This kind of knowledge about a culture can be an asset by not only making the trip safer in the event of an emergency, but also by making a much more authentic experience. Because of this, I believe this “deep-dive” experience will be extremely valuable in not just understanding Italy, but the entire world both inside and outside American borders because cultural differences are often much deeper than a language barrier. In our globalized world, it is not uncommon to come across someone who comes from another culture which is why the “deep-dive” will be valuable in intercultural communication contexts.

I believe the statement “in studying other cultures, we do so very often from the perspective of our own culture” is noting how ethnocentrism and bias can cloud our view and interfere with our understanding of unfamiliar things. We tend to believe that our own way of living is the best way so we look at other ways of living and turn our noses up at them instead of considering that it is simply a different lifestyle than what we are used to.

I think avoiding bias and misinformation is extremely important in any context that involves research. Some of the best ways to do this is to check the credibility of sources before using them by cross referencing with other sources and researching to see if the source is a known credible source. Common sense is another key factor in avoiding using inaccurate information.

[willowdust9116]

Family Structure

One of my favorite aspects of studying other cultures is seeing how cultures often times have the same components, sometimes known as sociological institutions, that look slightly different from one culture to the next. One of these institutions that exists across just about every culture that I am familiar with is the institution of family. In Italy, family has an extremely important role in the majority of households because they create a sense of belonging and cohesiveness between the members. According to the Cultural Atlas, most families in Italy are nuclear families, consisting of the parents and their children, but it is not uncommon for extended family members to live under the same roof. With such strong family ties, it is understandable that there might be a decent amount of family drama in the average household. However, Italians are very protective of their family reputation and keep any conflict behind closed doors. This is important for maintaining respect from the public eye and avoiding shame and embarrassment.

On the note of respect, Italians have massive amounts of respect for their elders, so much that it can be seen in just about any setting in Italy. This respect is such an important part of Italian culture that it is strictly taught to children as they are being raised. On an everyday basis, it is expected that they stand when an elder enters the room. It is also expected that an elder is allowed to enter before anyone else.

In the age of the internet and technology, it is very clear that every country is experiencing the effects of globalization. In Italy, this can be seen in the increased preference to have fewer children and the slow progression towards gender equality. Currently, it is still widely popular in Italian homes for the male to be the primary breadwinner while the female has a supporting job with low chance of workplace mobility. Women may have the same rights as men, but often face the reality that they are paid lower and are not a first choice when compared to a man.

[willowdust9116]

Worldview

Of the three worldviews (atheistic, religious, and spiritualistic), religious is by far the leading worldview in Italy. This worldview is generally homogeneous across the country, but does not represent 100% of the population. One of the most prominent characteristics of Italy is actually the presence of religion in various aspects of Italian life. With Vatican City being home to the Pope, the head of the Catholic Church, it comes with no surprise that Christianity, primarily speaking Roman Catholicism, is the most popular religion in the country. Over 80% of Italy’s residents identify as Christian, according to the CIA World Factbook, with nearly 5% that identify as Muslim and another 13% that are religiously unaffiliated. This number alone may seem large, but hardly compares to the fact that experts estimate that there are over 900 churches in Rome alone. Despite such a large portion of the population following the same religion, the culture generally does not frown upon the practice of another or no religion. However, the general cultural practices still follow the majority of Christian values, especially in major life events such as birth, marriage, and death, according to Cultural Atlas. The presence of religion can also be seen in the overwhelming abundance of art, architecture, and music, all of which are considered defining features of Italian culture. Religion as their worldview also impacts their day to day lives, which is visible in their extreme respect for elders. In Italy, it is expected that you stand when an elder enters the room and it is considered rude to not let the elder enter a room first. Saying grace or praying before each meal is another example of how religion is present in the everyday Italian life because it is relatively standard in Italian homes to show both respect for their religious beliefs and also their respect and appreciation for cuisine.

[willowdust9116]

History

1.       History timeline

                                I.            1623 – British colonies establish St. Kitts as their first Caribbean colony.

                              II.            1628 – British colonies establish Nevis as a colony.

                            III.            1783 – French gives up claims on St. Kitts with the Treaty of Versailles.

                           IV.            1871 – Anguilla joins St. Kitts and Nevis as a British dependency.

                             V.            1971 – Anguilla placed under direct British ruling following the rebellion against domination by St. Kitts.

                           VI.            1993 – Anti-government demonstrations take place after an inconclusive general election.

                          VII.            1998 – Hurricane George

2.       Historical events elaboration

                                I.            (1623/1628) The island of St. Kitts was originally found by Christopher Columbus during his second voyage to the New World in 1493, but the British didn’t establish the islands as colonies until the 1600s.

                              II.            (1998) Hurricane George struck in September of 1998 and caused an estimated damage of $445 million in St. Kitts and Nevis alone. Despite the heavy tourism industry, the Caribbean islands are often victims of hurricanes.

3.       Short film on the history of St. Kitts and Nevis

                                I.            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZttUEzCc74

                              II.            This 2021 film remarks on how St. Kitts and Nevis has grown from its discovery by Christopher Columbus in 1493 into the well-known tourist location known today. Originally named St. Jorge and St. Martin, these islands were officially patented for colonization in 1620. Over the years, tensions rose between early settlers and the natives of the land. Conflict and colonization plays a large role in forming the dual-island nation we know today.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-20033469#:~:text=1493%20%2D%20Christopher%20Columbus%20lands%20on,after%20his%20patron%20saint%2C%20Christopher.&text=1623%20%2D%20The%20British%20establish%20their,establish%20a%20colony%20on%20Nevis.

https://reliefweb.int/report/antigua-and-barbuda/caribbean-dominican-republic-haiti-hurricane-georges-fact-sheet-6

http://www.caribbeanelections.com/kn/elections/kn_results_1993.asp

[willowdust9116]

Verbal Messages

Language is an important and valuable aspect in any culture. Saint Kitts and Nevis only has one official language, which is English. However, Saint Kitts Creole is another widely spoken language in the country and in surrounding islands, especially in rural areas, according to FamilySearch.org.

Lingua Franca, according to Oxford Languages, is a language that is developed using bits and pieces of other languages to create one mutually shared language. Given that English is often used as a lingua franca, I think it would be smooth sailing if used in Saint Kitts and Nevis.

The listed words and phrases (“hello”, “yes”, “no”, “I don’t speak…”, etc.) to learn in Saint Kitts and Nevis is relatively easy considering English is my native language, the pronunciations have been in my vocabulary since I learned to speak. The specific words and phrases are extremely vital to learn in any language you may be submerged in for a multitude of reasons. Learning to say “hello”, “thank you”, and “my name is…” are simply polite, but learning to say “I don’t understand” and “I don’t speak…” can be extremely important in a sticky situation in an unfamiliar environment. These words and phrases are enough to communicate a predicament and get the help required to resolve the potential issues.

            "Ahwee a go dung by e fiel by d house go pik nuts." - We are going down to the field by the house to pick peanuts. (Copied from https://en-academic.com/dic.nsf/enwiki/992690)

Unfortunately, Google Translate does not translate from Saint Kitts Creole, but the given translation from the website clearly demonstrates a style of English that both Americans and the citizens of Saint Kitts and Nevis would not normally speak.

Our textbook focuses a lot on the idea that “language influences our view of reality.” This is a very important idea because it’s true. Language is the primary factor that connects humans and allows us to learn and develop our understanding of everything. Even the way we think is affected by what language we speak and the beliefs that language builds for us. We take the ideals from our language and assume that is how the rest of the world is, which is not the case. This is why understanding language and how it affects not only individuals, but entire cultures, is so vital in the globalized world that we live in.

[willowdust9116]

Nonverbal Communication

Understanding nonverbal communication is vital in any culture, regardless of where you are from. Because a large part of the population of Saint Kitts and Nevis is made of immigrants from the United Kingdom, it is likely that their nonverbal communication symbols are slightly closer to those present in Great Britain versus what you might see in the United States.

There are generally obstacles in understanding nonverbal communication whether the context is intercultural or not because one of the most important things I have learned in my communication classes is that every part of communication is ambiguous.

I could not find any sources to understand how the different components of bodily nonverbal communication apply to Saint Kitts and Nevis, but my general impression from my one day on the island of Saint Kitts is as follows. The residents of Saint Kitts do not have as high of standards for how they appear, at least those working in the more tourist areas of the island, as people in the United States tend to. Their clothes, as far as I could tell, were simple and were not branded the way you see with Nike, Gucci, and other apparel brands. I believe that this may represent that clothing does not hold as much value in their culture. Another thing I remember is how generally loud the people I met were. They constantly spoke in what I would consider an “outdoor voice”.

I think personal space is not as important as I have seen in small areas of the United States. In my visit, they were not hesitant to get close to other people and it reminded me of the feeling of riding public transportation in a bigger city where you have to be comfortable with the closeness of other people even if you do not appreciate it. Being from a relatively small city (though it is the size of their whole country), this closeness was a little uncomfortable for me.

I think the sense of time in Saint Kitts and Nevis followed a little more closely to monochronic. Most of their economy relies on tourism and because cruise ships have specific times at which they dock, the people working in tourist locations had to be punctual and being early usually meant you had a better chance at capturing a tourist’s attention. However, once a driver or tourist guide has captured a tourist’s attention and have guaranteed money, then they relax about time. Knowing their time is an extremely important matter because it tells you how punctual you should be in their environment and how much you should trust their time management. I was not aware they relaxed about time once they got paid in my visit and my family barely made it back to the ship in time because of it. That is why it is important.

[willowdust9116]

The Pantheon in Rome, picture by National Geographic, is a nearly 1,900 year-old building that is considered one of the most well-preserved from ancient Rome, according to World History. While the actual function of building in unknown, the grand architecture suggests it was likely a temple where the emperor could make public appearances. Today, it is a world-famous monument that offers a unique experience that takes visitors back 2,000 years. 

[willowdust9116]

Business

The textbook focuses on contexts in business, healthcare, and education. While I think business and education are probably applicable to almost any career path, I do believe that these two contexts are likely career paths that I will follow after graduation. Journalism is generally very business-like, which means business context communication would be very beneficial for me, and may lead me to become a high school teacher for Journalism courses. For the sake of this assignment, I will focus on the business context.

One of the aspects of business in Italy that would be challenging for most American workers is their take on punctuality. According to businessculture.org, Italians (and in turn their businesses) are usually late, but it does not carry the same meaning as it does in the United States. In Italy, being late is not a sign of lack of respect, it is more correlated to their sense of flexibility. Dress code is another aspect that some Americans, especially myself, may find challenging. Being a country that largely focuses on appearance and high-end fashion, having a sense of style and being able to support that appearance is a sign of wealth and success in Italy. Another interesting part of their business communication is the importance of gift giving. You are generally expected to attend meetings and parties bearing gifts. The gifts do not need to be expensive, but they are important because they act as a sign of friendship between the two parties.

If I had a friend who were being sent to Italy to work for a non-government organization, my advice would be to study their business environment prior to actually going and working in an unfamiliar environment. I would tell this friend to especially consider the gift-giving and punctuality aspects of their business setting because they are probably the most different from our business environment in the United States. I would also warn them that bribery has been considered an issue in Italy and to be weary of the issue.

[willowdust9116]

Healthcare

The modern healthcare system in Italy primarily follows the Scientific/Biomedical perspective, but the large presence of religion in their culture may mean that (probably Catholic) beliefs are incorporated into their practice, though I could not find any sources that exclusively stated so. In general, their Scientific/Biomedical perspective means that they diagnose and treat illnesses very similar to how the United States operates.

Death in Italy was really interesting to read about and it is primarily oriented to match the Catholic death practices. According to lovetoknow.com, when a person has passed on, funeral posters are hung throughout town to announce the death and inform when a funeral will be held in place of the obituaries used in the United States. At the funeral, it is typically open casket and both children and adults are encouraged to hold hands with or kiss the person’s cheek or forehead. The deceased is buried with their favorite personal belongings (typically cigarettes, jewelry, photographs, or books) and the people left behind typically avoid speaking the deceased after finishing their mourning period, both acts in order to prevent the soul of the person from coming back because it is no longer their time on Earth. Other than superstitions, the Italian death practices are very similar to the United States.

While the healthcare system in Italy generally follows the Scientific/Biomedical perspective, I think it is important to note the prominence of religion in the general population. With the extreme significance of Roman Catholicism (and even both atheism and the growing popularity of Islam), I think the best advice to give to someone who is going to work for an Italian healthcare organization should study the most prominent religions in order to understand how that could potentially affect their position in healthcare, even if they still follow the Scientific/Biomedical perspective.

[willowdust9116]

Education

The educational system of Italy has schooling broken down into five categories: preschool, primary school, lower secondary school, upper secondary school, and university. Public schools up until university are free to attend for all residents and it is actually required to be enrolled from the age of 6 to the age of 16, according to internations.org. However, some upper secondary schools may require a fee to attend. The average number of years Italian students attend is 10.4 years, according to the Human Development Reports published by the United Nations Development Programme.

Italian schools (focusing on high school or upper secondary education) look a little different from American schools, but also not dramatically unfamiliar. First, their school year runs from September to June and is broken up into two terms. Their average week is Monday – Saturday with the school days lasting from 8/8:30 am to about 1/1:30. Somewhere between 10:30 and 11:30, students are granted 10 to 15 minutes to snack and chat with friends, known as a “ricreazione” (mid-morning break), according to Bravissimi. Their class schedules tend to be more customized for individual students rather than everyone taking all the same classes and class periods typically last about an hour.

The estimate of high school graduates who pursue a college education in Italy is 40%, according to Statista. They also reported that 27.8% of the population between the ages of 25 and 29 hold a university degree, which was the largest percentage of any other age group.

Secondary schools (both lower and upper) in Italy have a curriculum similar to the subjects taught in the United States including language, literature, mathematics, physics, biology, chemistry, geology, astronomy, history, and foreign language. Education.stateuniversity.com also said they also offer classes such as religion and philosophy, which are not common subjects taught in high schools in the United States.

[willowdust9116]

Managing Differences

For the first test, I took the Religion IAT. I chose this one because religion is a large part of Italy’s culture. My results indicated that I have a moderate preference for Christianity over Islam. I feel that because my implicit attitudes in this aspect are not extreme and are slightly more geared to the dominant religion in Italy, I think I would be okay if I were there at this very moment. Regardless, I think learning more about the other religions present would be beneficial.

The second test I took was the Age IAT because there is a lot of Italian culture that relates to age. My results indicated that I have an automatic preference for young people. I feel that this preference may cause some challenges in Italy because of how much their entire culture functions because of the elders. In everyday life, Italians go out of their way to show respect for their elders. I think I could try to spend more time around people who are older in order to adapt to respecting elders the way that they do in Italy.

The components of ethical communication that the textbook lists are to be aware that communication produces a response, respect others, seek commonalities, recognize and respect cultural differences, be self-responsible. These are all valuable in any type of communication, but are especially important in intercultural contexts. I think these can be internalized over time if a person simply puts in the effort to be self-aware and carefully observes how they interact currently and consider how that may be different in an intercultural context.

I think there are several ways to get in touch with Italian culture without leaving home. Not only do they have a wide variety of cuisine that I will gladly eat any given day of the year, but there are several other ways to engage such as watching movies, studying their language, and getting a pen pal. Watching movies in their language with subtitles often gives a good understanding of their speech rhythms and how they interact with each other in ways that are different from the United States. Studying their language also can give insights on how they generally communicate in a way that doesn’t directly translate to English. Having a pen pal is a super cool idea that I think about all the time because it gives you a first hand account of the culture and allows you to engage in intercultural communication without having to leave your home.