Perception of the individual:
- Each person is regarded to be a unique specimen (['spesəmɪn] образец) of humanity, worthy of special consideration. In Italy, few confess to being "an average man." Instead they persuade themselves that they are "one of the gods favored sons"
Perception of the world:
garbo. - It is the finesse ([fɪ'nes] искусность) that Italians use to deal with situations delicately and without offense. Garbo turns Italian life into a work of art. Italians tend to have a public orientation, are willing to share a lot, and are used lo being on stage at all times.
la bella figura - "a confident knowing, capable face to the world." It is the art of public performance.
Similarly many Italians would rather sit inside their home than go outside and make a bad impression. Wilkinson (2007a) describes the extreme pursuit (стремление к) of la bella figura in Italy among those who are wealthy but not sufficiently wealthy to pay for this pursuit from their perspective as to what is expected. They have joined a club that allows them to rent either a prestigious car for an afternoon or to obtain an impressive but temporary collection of paintings on their walls for a party. While such ostentatious ([ˌɔsten'teɪʃəs] показной) displays are common in other nations, Italy seems to outshine many if not all of them in this regard.
- The Italian word that expresses the idea of belonging first to a town, then to a region, and third to a nation is campanilismo (с ит. Местничество), derived from campanile, which means "bell tower."
Personal relationships:
- The pageantry of Italian life is highlighted by its lack of a rigid social hierarchy. Rather, there are conditions on which a person is judged. "These include occupation, education, and, in most instances, wealth. However, the major focus is placed on social behavior. The Italians term this focus the extent to which someone is acculturated to the norms of the area. These norms inc lude styles of dress, manners, and participation in the local community.
- Respect is also associated with age and family position. Younger people will almost always show de ference to older people. Just as children show respect for parents.
Activity:
- Spectacle helps people solve most of their problems and governs public and private life. It is one of the reasons why Italians have always excelled in activities in which impressions are important: architecture, decoration, landscape gardening, opera, fashions, and the cinema.
- The operatic Italians must always project a capable face to the world. Therefore, they prefer to engage only in work that will create the image of confidence and intelligence. In Italy middle-class people tend to work when they have a profession and not while being a high school or university student.
Time: Italians tend to be more polychrome than monochrome, performing many activities simultaneously.
Cultural dimensions of work behavior:
Power distance:
Italy clusters with those countries emphasizing a large power distance between groups in society, that is, Italians tend to accept the fact that some groups are and perhaps should he more powerful than others, and they act accordingly.
Italians seem to expect differences in power between people, yet they are often cynical about persons in positions of authority. Italians love to ridicule authority and people in positions of power. Breaking petty (['petɪ] мелкий, незначительный; второстепенный) rules is a source of amusement for many Italians.
Uncertainty avoidance:
Italians also try to avoid risk and uncertainty in everyday life, preferring friends over strangers and familiar over new or strange situations, In addition, Italians prefer to know something about an individual before they speak with him/her on the phone. Thus, in business one should send an introductory fax and follow-up with a phone call.
Individualism:
- Though having some features of individualistic countries, Italy is more collectivistic than the US. On the one hand, Italians tend to take care of themselves and their immediate family first and foremost.
But it is not uncommon for grown children to live with their parents for years.
- Italian businesses are primarily owned by individuals and families.
- Unacquainted guests will not be invited into an Italian home. Coffee or dinner will be taken with non-family members at a cafe or restaurant.
- Italians move from group to group, feeling little remorse when doing so because they tend to be skeptical of all groups besides the family. Members of groups often create powerful coalitions that are used to gain power and influence.
Masculinity:
Italy is a fairly masculine society and ranks slightly higher on this index than the United States.
Many Italian men still treat women with gallantry and value machismo. Although women have entered the workforce, their numbers are still small and few are in upper echelon positions. Italian household are the sole domain of women; Italian women for the most part cook, clean and care for the children.
Italians place a prime importance on material possessions. It is very important to look good in Italy.
- However, like a more feminine culture, Italians also know how to take time to appreciate the good things in life. Italians work in order to live rather than living to work. Ambition is not prevalent in Italian culture.
Italy is a paternalistic country with the father taking the authoritative role in family matters.
- Gender Issues
However, Italy tends to be a man's world. When a child is born, the proud parents tic a blue ribbon to the door for a son, but only sometimes do not-quite-so-proud parents of a girl pull out a pink ribbon. The principle of male superiority is less strictly enforced in the north than in the south.
Religious values
Divorce and abortion have recently been legalized in Italy. Legal abortion symbolizes the loosening of individual morals and the breaking of the hold of the Catholic Church over the family. In 1974 civil divorce became legal, but it seems to be more a symbol of social independence than anything else. Not many marriages have actually ended in divorce.
Many Italians view divorce as unacceptable because it chips away at the foundation of the family and entire clans.