Ittally

!
By
James Bruton
Rebecca Riddle
Christian Villa

BUS 2033
9 December2013
 The Language of Italy
Main language of Italy is Italian.
“Considered one of the most romantic and melodic languages in the
history of the world.” –Life in Italy
Derived heavily from Latin.
Italian Cuisine
Most common ingredients include olive oil, garlic, basil,
cheeses, tomatoes, sausage and many kinds of pastas as
well.
Ingredients vary from different regions of Italy.
 Italian Mealtime
Meal time consists of 3
courses, primo, secondo,
doce.
First meal consisted of pasta
dish or risotto.
Second meal consists of a
dish of meats or fish with a
salad.
Last meal is dessert, a
common dessert is called
tiramisu.
Some meals may take as long
as 5 hours.
Non-verbal communication
Hand motions are heavily used, either to emphasize
words or to replace phrases with a hand motion like ‘bye’
or ‘Fantastic!’
Maintaining eye contact is important, breaking eye
contact implies mistrust.
Violation of personal space is normal.
Works Cited
"Cultural Portfolios - Italy Nonverbal." DePauw
University. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Dec. 2013.
Higgins, Charlie. "Facts About Italian Cuisine." EHow.
Demand Media, 25 Sept. 2009. Web. 04 Dec. 2013.
"The History of the Italian Language." History of the
Italian Language. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2013.
"Popular Foods of Italy." Your Guide to Italy. N.p., n.d.
Web. 02 Dec. 2013.
Social Customs
Gift Giving
What to do:
• Bring vintage wine with a very good quality, quality is important not quantity.
• Leave most gifts unwrapped except for wine.
• If deciding to give flowers they need to be delivered earlier in the day before the
meeting.
What to not do:
• Chrysanthemums are not welcome as a gift because they are used in funerals.
• Any type of red flower is seen as not being a good gift because the red shows secrecy.
• Yellow flowers are also not welcome because it is a sign of jealousy.
• Do not forget to bring a gift.
 Social Customs
Dinning Etiquette
• When invited to a dinner or party it is important to not only dress nice but to also
dress in formal attire.
• Being punctual is not that important when it comes to showing up to a dinner or
party.
• At the dinner or party it is important to follow the host or hostess. So people are to
not sit or eat until the host or hostess does.
• Never keep your hands in your laps.
• Do not put your elbows on the table.
• Hands and arms are supposed to stay somewhere in between laps and the table.
• When it comes to eating the food it is acceptable to leave a small portion of food
on your plate.
 Social Customs
Meetings

• When it comes to business meetings it is important to schedule meetings 2 to 3 weeks in advance and it must be
written and in Italian.
• Be on time when meeting business people, they do not like tardiness.
• A lot of Italian businesses close during the month of August and even if they are open most of the employees
take off for vacation time.
• If you cannot speak or understand Italian you have to hire an interpreter.
• The meetings are not meant to make progress in the business but to gain a sense of trust.
 Religion
Christianity
• Roman Catholic is the main practiced religion in Italy.
• 84 percent of the people in Italy are Roman Catholic.
• Only about on-third of the 84 percent are actually active members.
• Most well known practice of the Roman Catholic faith is the going to mass.
• The biggest city well known for the faith is Vatican City where the Pope resides.
 Religion
Judaism
• There is only about thirty-one thousand people that practice Judaism in Italy.
• One of the smallest practiced religion in Italy.
• The religion is thought to be much bigger because of the amount of Jewish people that are
involved in the Italian culture.
 Religion
Islam

• Has over 700,000 members.

• It is a relatively new religion.
• Mainly new religion because of the amount of immigrants that have came into Italy.
• Italy does not recognize as Islam as an official language.
• Italy does not agree with some of the practices that the Islam religion believes in.
 Greetings
The Use of Hands

• Shaking hands is the most common way to.

• It is important to have clean hands.
• If hands are not clean it is okay to offer another part of your arm like forearm or fingers.
• Never cross another persons handshake in attempt to give someone else a handshake.
 Greetings
The Opposite Sex

• Men must bow their head to a lady.

• The lady can either accept the bow or not.
• If the bow is accepted the lady will extend her hand for a handshake.
• If the lady and man know each other they may also give a kiss on each cheek or a brush on each
cheek.
 Greetings
Different Sayings

• To know a little bit more about Italy it is important to know some of the greetings.
• To say hello in a formal setting the word is Buongiorno.
• In a less formal setting there is the word for good evening and good afternoon is Buonasera.
• These are the main sayings that people will need to know.
• Ciao is also another way to say hello, but it is less formal.
 Works Cited
Hameed, Mustafa. "Lacking recognition, Italy's Muslims face an uncertain future." Religion News Service.
N.p., 28 May 2013. Web. 3 Dec. 2013. <http://www.religionnews.com/2013/05/28/lacking-recognition-italys-
muslims-face-an-uncertain-future/>.
"Italy." CultureGrams Online Edition. ProQuest, 2013. Web. 4 Dec 2013.
<http://online.culturegrams.com.librarynt.occc.edu/world/world_country_sections.php?
contid=5&wmn=Europe&cid=80&cn=Italy&sname=Greetings&snid=8>.
"Italy Main Religions." Globerove. N.p., 29 Mar. 2010. Web. 3 Dec. 2013. <http://globerove.com/italy/italy-
main-religions/305>.
"Italy-Language, Culture, Customs and Etiquette." Kwintessential. Kwintessential ltd., 2012. Web.
3 Dec. 2013. <http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/italy-country-profile.html>.
"Religious beliefs in Italy." Study Abroad. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Dec. 2013.
<http://www.sestudyabroad.com/guide/IT-religion.htm>.
"Roman Catholicism." Religion, World Religions, Comparative Religion-Just the facts on the world's
religions. N.p., 6 May 2013. Web. 3 Dec. 2013.
<http://www.religionfacts.com/christianity/denominations/catholicism.htm>.
Segre, Dan V. "The Roles of the Jews in Italian Society." Jerusalem Center For Public Affairs. N.p.,
17 Jan. 2010. Web. 3 Dec. 2013. <http://jcpa.org/article/the-roles-of-the-jews-in-italian-society/>.
Education
Primaryeducation -elementary education
Secondary education
◦ Lower level -similar to middle school
 EXAM REQUIRED to continue to upper level school
◦ Upper level -similar to high school, but more specialized
University
Role of Women
Relatively small percentage of workforce
◦ Nearly absent from executive positions
Causes
◦ Culture and societal views and values
◦ Large families often including extend family
◦ Discrimination
In business dealing:
◦ Italian businessmen are usually polite and respectful regardless
of personal views.
Transportation
Public Transportation
◦ Trains
◦ Subways
◦ Buses
Driver considerations
◦ Severe winter weather
◦ Dense traffic and little parking availability
Crime
General Crime
◦ Moderate to low level of crime
◦ Large police force
◦ Tourist hotspots see the most crime
Organized Crime
◦ Italy does have an active mafia
 It should be noted that most European countries do, as well as the US.
◦ The biggest concern is with screening investors, it is rare to see
stereotypical mafia behavior.
Government
Legislative Branch
◦ Senate of Republic
◦ Chamber of Deputies
Head of State
◦ President Giorgio Napolitano
Head of Government
◦ Prime minister Mario Monti
In general, Italy has an open democratic government that
has many flaws, but none too severe.