Keywords

cultural identity, masculinity, Italy, nonverbal communication

Abstract

Italian masculine identity is examined by looking at the following influences: history and structure of Italian society, the public places used for the performance and the culture surrounding the display of masculinity. This research uses an approach similar to an ethnography of communication. Initial data and ideas were gathered through observational fieldwork and interviews that took take place in Italy during July 2006 and July 2007. A methods section describes interviews that later took place with Americans in order to compare and contrast responses with ones previously collected from Italians. The data gathered from these interviews will be used to highlight and substantiate the components of cultural identity that are unique to Italian masculinity. In analyzing the research data, the social meaning model is applied to elaborate a culturally shared set of meanings for a particular nonverbal act in an Italian piazza. Finally, findings are organized using four aspects of cultural identity to understand an Italian definition of masculinity. Two contributions emerged from the research: cultural sense making and cultural change. Cultural sense making provides a context for Italian masculine behavior, and cultural change describes the transformation of Italian ideology between the generations in regards to gender roles.

Notes

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Graduation Date

2007

Semester

Spring

Advisor

Hastings, Sally

Degree

Master of Arts (M.A.)

College

College of Sciences

Department

Nicholson School of Communication

Degree Program

Communication

Format

application/pdf

Identifier

CFE0001988

URL

http://purl.fcla.edu/fcla/etd/CFE0001988

Language

English

Release Date

June 2008

Length of Campus-only Access

None

Access Status

Masters Thesis (Open Access)

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Included in

Communication Commons

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