Italian culture?

SFCardiacRN · Feb 28, 2006

Unless you are talking about someone "right off the boat", Italians have assimilated to American culture. They are just like you and me. Some love pasta and some don't. They are big on family but so are most people. To try and pigeon hole Italians into one set of behaviors or beliefs is an exersize in futility. IMHO

EDGRADNURSE · Feb 28, 2006

I agree with the previous poster. I'm first generation Italian. All I can tell you is that the sterotypes get really old and I've run into people who STILL believe it is ok to make "sweating spaghetti" jokes. Not funny. Italians are pretty mainstream if they were born here.

Good luck. I remember how hard it was to write a paper in nursing school about different "cultures". It is so hard to do that without using sterotypes. Not your fault-it's hard.

DSplendid · Feb 28, 2006

Here are 2 really good websites, hope they help, or at least point you in the right direction....:)

http://www.pallcare.asn.au/mc/mcitalian.html

http://www.health.qld.gov.au/multicultural/cultdiv/italians.asp

SFCardiacRN · Mar 1, 2006

Perhaps a better idea for your paper would be to list the stereotypes and how they don't really apply in todays setting. Look for a previous thread on African American issues in nursing and you will see how there are a lot of similar misconceptions. PS the two links above list characteristics that could be said about many cultures.

arelius · Mar 1, 2006

Here are 2 really good websites, hope they help, or at least point you in the right direction....:)
http://www.pallcare.asn.au/mc/mcitalian.html
http://www.health.qld.gov.au/multicultural/cultdiv/italians.asp

Thanks. I havn't been able to find anything good so hopefully those sites will lead me the right way.

And I just want to clarify for the others. I'm looking for information on the Italian culture specifically. I'm not looking for stereotypes. I know that not all of the information I find will apply to every Italian but I need the information regardless. And even if an Italian is an Italian-American they "may" still have cultural differences that healthcare professionals may need to know. Please don't misunderstand and assume I'm looking for stereotypes. The reason there are different cultures is because there are differences between those cultures be it good or bad. I need to know those differences be it an Italian immigrant, an Italian in born and living in Italy or a Italian who was born in the U.S. I don't intend to walk into a room and assume that each Italian patient is exactly the same but I will have a better understanding of what to look for in different kinds of Italians. If it's an Italian who has lived in here his whole life than he/she will probably have mostly the same cultural values as Americans but if it's an Italian who has lived in the U.S. for 3 months then I have to approach that situation differently after talking with the patient. I hope you understand what I'm getting at. Any help is appreciated.

SFCardiacRN · Mar 1, 2006

Trying to adjust your nursing practice on the assumed cultural needs of a patient will only get you in trouble. You are better off treating everyone the same. By being sensitive to reactions the patient is exhibiting you will know how effective your actions are. This whole "cultural needs" is an ancient nursing concept that needs to just go away. Showing concern and compassion and providing competent professional care are not cultural but they are what everyone wants!

EricJRN, MSN, RN · Mar 1, 2006

This whole "cultural needs" is an ancient nursing concept that needs to just go away.

This may be worth discussing elsewhere, but it's not going to help our OP get a very good grade.

Here's an angle though: Italy is 87% Catholic, according to Wikipedia. (Very scientific resource, I know.) Religious preferences will certainly have big implications in a patient's care, especially in regard to reproductive health and end-of-life issues.

arelius · Mar 2, 2006

Trying to adjust your nursing practice on the assumed cultural needs of a patient will only get you in trouble. You are better off treating everyone the same. By being sensitive to reactions the patient is exhibiting you will know how effective your actions are. This whole "cultural needs" is an ancient nursing concept that needs to just go away. Showing concern and compassion and providing competent professional care are not cultural but they are what everyone wants!

But you can't just assume that everyone is Americanized and has one culture either can you? Regardless of what the hospital setting is like, my presentation is not to say that nurses should act this or that way but to shed light on the fact that there WILL be cultural differences in the way people want to be treated as patients. I just need information on the Italian culture and what some of their norms are like, specifically in the hospital setting. It can even be about how their hospitals manners are like in Italy. I just need information. I understand what you and others are saying but it doesn't help me in the least with my presentation except to mention that certain rules of conduct don't apply to every Italian, etc...

So what I'm asking for is information, not rebuttals please. Thanks.

juscallmegrace · Mar 9, 2006

I concur with Eric....one of your first stops should be the Roman Catholic religion.

Although dreadful, a large majority of the stereotypes you tend to hear about Italians, are true, that's the harsh reality of it all. (btw I am as guinea as they get)

I am assuming you are looking for the reality of it all to assist you with what topics to focus on and research, and not a sociology lesson on the perils of stereotyping? (because you can figure out the cultural needs based on the stereotypes:) ).

What you will need with Italians is patience, tolerance, and vigillance. :banghead: Expect to see all the children, the next door neighbor the cousins, parents, nephews and nieces to visit at one time. Expect to take have to take care of the entire family unit along with the patient. Expect mother's doting on their sons and vice versa. Expect to catch somebody sneaking Pasta Fagioli in for Uncle Aldo to eat with his clear liquid diet before his bowel surgery. Don't forget 88 yr. old Aunt Theresa who has been in bed for two weeks with a Foley Catheter trying to get out of bed, to the commode because she just can't pee in that bedpan.

Another harsh truth is a large percentage of the men are helpless with zero pain tolerance and the females are codependent. Italian males tend to be abrasive and stoic translation: they are scared of the unknown. There is also the men who are total submissive to Mamma or their wife....usually just to Mamma. Think food, family, rituals, religion, and pride and you'll do just fine...Hope this helps.

arelius · Mar 9, 2006

I concur with Eric....one of your first stops should be the Roman Catholic religion.
Although dreadful, a large majority of the stereotypes you tend to hear about Italians, are true, that's the harsh reality of it all. (btw I am as guinea as they get)
I am assuming you are looking for the reality of it all to assist you with what topics to focus on and research, and not a sociology lesson on the perils of stereotyping? (because you can figure out the cultural needs based on the stereotypes:) ).
What you will need with Italians is patience, tolerance, and vigillance. Expect to see all the children, the next door neighbor the cousins, parents, nephews and nieces to visit at one time. Expect to take have to take care of the entire family unit along with the patient. Expect mother's doting on their sons and vice versa. Expect to catch somebody sneaking Pasta Fagioli in for Uncle Aldo to eat with his clear liquid diet before his bowel surgery. Don't forget 88 yr. old Aunt Theresa who has been in bed for two weeks with a Foley Catheter trying to get out of bed, to the commode because she just can't pee in that bedpan.
Another harsh truth is a large percentage of the men are helpless with zero pain tolerance and the females are codependent. Italian males tend to be abrasive and stoic translation: they are scared of the unknown. There is also the men who are total submissive to Mamma or their wife....usually just to Mamma. Think food, family, rituals, religion, and pride and you'll do just fine...Hope this helps.

Wow, very interesting info, thank you. It's funny how similar they are to my own culture when it comes to family and food. And thank you very much for understanding what I am trying to do because when I first looked at your reply I thought I was in for another lecture on sterotyping but after reading the second paragraph I felt better. It's quite interesting that Italian males are scared of the unkown. I don't think I would have ever thought about that particular subject but it makes sense when I think about it because I've seen that part of Italians before, even in movies, but I never thought about what was happening in terms of cultural differences and actual fear.

klleo27 · Mar 9, 2006

Hi Relius!

Currently I am living in Italy. My husband is staioned over here. We have been here since August. I will be happy to help you in anyway I can with all your questions. We have alot of support from the Italians in understanding their culture. There are Italian's that have lived here forever and some that moved to the US and then moved back.

It truely is amazing to see how they live, compared to us in America. I personally thought it was going to be completly different here.

To answer some of your questions... Italians have hospitals here in ususally every other town. Some are big some are small. They don't have to pay for the hosiptals. In other words they don't need insurance. It is all free. The hospital rooms have like 5-10 paitents in 1 room. It can get very crowed. I know this because my husband had to take a co worker to the local hospital. Italians are don't mind being touched. They talk to you and get very close. They often put their hand on your shoulder, grab your hand, etc. They keep very close eye contact while they talk, and they like to conversate. They are not shy people. I have had so many people just start to talk to me on the bus and train that I don't even know. To bad I can only understand a little.

To properly greet them, depending on the time of day, is usually good morning, afternoon or evening sir or woman. I can translate this if needed :)

They are very catholic oriented. Churchs everywhere and they can get very crowed.

Where I live they eat lots and lots of fish. I live right off the sea. And it is very fresh. Like they went out that morning and fished it. They eat pasta, meat, and not much chicken. Lots of fruits and veggies too. They don't have any fast food here except 1 mcdonalds, but they don't even eat much of that.

I am having so much fun learning their culture and becomming a part of it. I will be glad to help you in any way.

There is still so much difference, like in the schools, the social lifes, the holidays, and the housing and cleaning, etc.

Just pm me if you need any more info!

Good Luck!

Kelly