Hello Again!
It is currently Midterms here in Florence. This week I am writing about adaptability and problem-solving while studying abroad in a new culture. Our cultural context impacts our view of ourselves. Self-awareness, self-appraisal, self-consciousness, self-assessment, and self-esteem are all important to people and impacted by culture. In adjusting to Italy, there were a few challenges I experienced. The greatest challenge I felt, better explained as the largest cultural difference to the United States was the change in the speed of day-to-day life. Italians in general have a greater “being” orientation, meaning an emphasis on day-to-day life fulfillment and leisure. Americans in general tend to be more fast-paced and less social throughout a typical school or work day. Especially in Boston, my experience in the United States has been a much faster pace in eating meals, walking from destination to destination, and working. In my Cross-Cultural psychology class, we discussed the social interaction that comes from visiting restaurants and went out to observe local Italians. This has impacted my behavior daily, as I have changed the amount of time I spend doing activities and intentionally try to slow my pace. Further, it has forced me out of my comfort zone, as visiting local coffee shops and food involves greater interaction socially with locals. It is nice to work on my patience and enjoyment of daily life, a skill we must learn to embrace.
Another major change has been in gym culture. Strength training in general is a male-dominated activity. In the United States, as a woman, it is already less common to see other women in weightlifting areas of the gym. However, when coming to Italy and joining the gym, I was shocked by how few women I saw. It was a bit daunting to join the gym and see very few that looked like me. This created a sense of imposter syndrome and created discomfort. With time, I began to feel more motivated by the space and found a few familiar faces from Pitt who had joined as well.
Additionally, a major cultural difference that I have enjoyed is the emphasis on formality. There is a phrase called “Bella Figura.” The phrase translates to “make a beautiful figure,” meaning making a good first impression. This is an Italian concept of appearing and acting positively, with a greater emphasis on looks and proper behavior. This causes a ripple effect on Italian culture. We have adjusted to appearing more formal, avoiding sweatpants pants, leggings, and leaving the house with wet hair. It also impacts behavior in public, with a greater role of respect and thought towards external actions. This has been relatively easy to adjust to, and I have enjoyed it!
Finally, in preparing to come to Florence and early in my experience, I overthought “fitting in.” In a lot of ways, the perception of blending in and fitting into Italian culture creates fatigue. What can prevent or separate locals from United States students is the perception of difference rather than the actual distance. When viewing yourself as so different, you ignore what might bring you closer to people in general. A lot of research and discussion with past abroad students over-emphasized fitting in with Italian culture. I think this made me realize that an important first step is listening and perceiving those around you before acting or assuming. This avoids leaning into stereotypes and showed to me that there are a lot more similarities between Italians and Americans than I thought.
