Italy – Cycle of the Stereotypes

The University I study in has quite a generous holiday schedule. Unlike other Universities in Hong Kong, my University gives us 2 months to enjoy our winter break. Therefore, with the perks of having an Inflight Service Manager mother and a discounted plane ticket, what better way to celebrate the holidays than to travel?

My family and I, therefore, travelled to Rome for the Christmas and New Year’s Eve holiday. Of course, we were able to visit the main attractions while we were there, including the Roman Colosseum, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Pompeii Ruins and the Vatican Museum. Those attractions were definitely the highlights of the trip, especially since we were able to learn more about its historical value.

But there was one particular experience that made me curious about the people in Italy. My family and I were searching for restaurants to eat in after sightseeing at the Roman Colosseum. We were then stopped by a waiter who was encouraging passers-by to come inside the restaurant he was working at. There was something about our dialogue that was quite… stereotypical.

“Where are you from?” asked the waiter.

“Hong Kong.” I responded.

“Mamma Mia! That’s a long way from here! You must be hungry!”

“We are! What do you have to offer?”

“We have spaghetti, pizza, pasta! Come, come! Our food is delicioso!”

And as he spoke, his vigorous use of hand gestures were definitely not left unnoticed.

I was quite surprised by his response, because the way he spoke was exactly the same as to what was stereotyped of the people in Italy. Of course, I first thought that I was perhaps judgmental, and maybe even racist. I felt guilty for being surprised in the first place as it obviously showcased my prejudice. But this dialogue was not uncommon as I continued to roam around Rome, especially when in a restaurant alley within the square. And it made me thinking… Why are tourists afraid of believing these stereotypes as they fear of being perceived as racist and prejudicial, when these stereotypes may actually be completely true?

Are they true? Or is it just an act played by the locals to fool around with tourists?

So there were two hypotheses I have come up with as I speculated around this question:

1. The stereotypes are true, and were observed by tourists.

2. The stereotypes are exaggerated by tourists, and locals are aware of this fact and play along with it.

When I returned to Hong Kong, I began to do some research regarding this question. With the help of that research, as well as the knowledge I have gained from my Organizational Behaviour course in University, I am brought with my conclusion. In fact, both hypotheses are true.

Stereotypes sprouted up for a reason, and that is because they have been noticed by observers. In this case, the way the Italian waiter spoke and used his hands as this form of speaking is true to the individual. With me noticing this speech behaviour, it then forms an initial thought that locals may have similar behaviour. This is when a confirmation bias may occur. Because of this pre-existing thought, I will only take notice of behaviours that confirm this thought. That will ultimately make me think, “Oh. So Italians really do follow these stereotypes.”

So stereotypes are indeed true. It is, however, exaggerated by people who have observed them. Other studies support this. A study from the University of Notre Dame also mentioned that “racial stereotypes are automatic and exaggerated mental pictures that we hold about all members of a particular racial group. When we stereotype people based on race, we don’t take into account individual differences. Because our racial stereotypes are so rigid, we tend to ignore or discard any information that is not consistent with the stereotype that we have developed about the racial group.”

The reason stereotypes and prejudice exist is because of the collective perception we have towards a racial group. As sometimes, we may have no experience of interaction with that racial group, we tend to be easily influenced by others’ opinions on that group, despite them having as much experience as we do. This opinion is such a strong piece of influence, as this is the only information we have about a particular group. That is because we have no real-life encounters with them. And this opinion passes around in a vicious cycle. Unfortunately, that may just be human nature, as it helps simplify our thought process.

But the locals know this. They are aware of these stereotypes because tourists obviously show them in their behaviour towards the locals. Some are also aware of the confirmation bias we have in our thought process, so these few may just decide to play along with it. But majority do nothing at all to correct tourists’ perceptions. Doing this will thus make the stereotype much more amplified and obvious in the eyes of tourists, which in turn confirms their preconceptions even more. And locals wonder why tourists have that impression about them.

In the end, locals and tourists are the pillars that hold stereotypes up. And the more tourists strengthen their confirmation bias and the more locals play along with it, the harder it is to break down the consequences of stereotyping. That includes many things: racial discrimination, mockery of foreign cultures, and inappropriate tourist behaviour. Not only that, some cities, like Rome, attract so many tourists that stereotyping may be strongly reinforced. If stereotyping continues, the tension between locals and tourists in these areas might become so bad to the point that severe hostility might occur. There definitely is much more cons than pros when it comes to stereotyping, and it is important to prevent that if we want to break down cultural barriers.

Therefore, the first step for tourists is to at least be aware of the preconceptions they may have, so they would not fall victim to perceptual biases. Doing research before the trip is one simple way of raising their awareness. As for locals, they too should be aware of their stereotypes and labels, and disprove them. They should not add fuel to the fire of prejudice, and help tourists better understand the ways of their people and their country. That way, everyone can have a fulfilling and educational overseas experience.