Alejandro Merlan

Learning Outcome #2 Responsible and Sensitive Communication

Communication207 spring 2013, presentation on sub-cultures
Joint presenter, worked together to put together PowerPoint through sharing research found.

Reflecting on Responsible Communication

This artifact was for communication207 Intercultural Communication. This was a
presentation dealing with sub-cultures within a larger group. The objective was to describe a
subculture with further details about how it operated and what values this particular group had.
By examining and then describing a sub-culture, a person can begin to better communicate in a
responsible way with a diverse range of people.
The sub-culture of soccer though small in the United States, is much larger in Europe. In
Italy in particular, soccer is part of the dominant culture. The presentation sought to understand
how Italian soccer is different particularly compared to the sub-culture of American Football. By
examining the sub-culture of Italian soccer and comparing it to the American football subculture, we can understand how one sub-culture communicates differently from another.
Knowing the underlying differences in how different cultures communicates is important to
knowing how to communicate responsibly and sensitively.
In order to understand the sub-culture that is Italian soccer, we have to understand calico
and what values calico seeks to bring out. Calico soccer is in the tactical sense is about
defending, however that is a small aspect to Italian soccer. Calico soccer is more about using the
mind, about being cunning, called furbizia, and out witting your opponent and referee. At the
same time it is about being creative, fantasia, and putting on a show. Calico is also about
sportsmanship despite being cunning, called Getso bellismo. These values all play into the larger
Italian culture and what we called at the time as Inner devils, that you can control your interior
life but not your exterior one.
Demonstrating this information in a presentation shows what my partner and I learned
about the subculture of Italian soccer and what values calico is comprised of. Having that

understanding is vital to knowing how one sub-culture communicates so that one can
communicate in responsible manner.