Stereotypes

One main stereotype that I think exists in other countries about Americans is that we are rude and selfish and care only about ourselves and look down on all other cultures. Another stereotype I think that others have about Americans is that we think that we are better than all other nations. I also think that other cultures think that all Americans have money. They also think that all Americans agree with the current political regime.

Stereotypes I have heard that exist about Italians are ones like they are very loud and noisy. They eat all the time and very large meals. It takes them forever to get anything done; bureaucratically, they are very slow-moving. Another stereotype is that all Italians are short. I have also heard that the pace of life in general is much slower in Italy than it is in the United States.

I think that sources for these stereotypes could come from a variety of places. For the stereotypes regarding Americans, they could come from our political activities and the media representation of them. They could also come from movies about Americans. A lot of American movies are sent all over the world and translated into many languages. Movies oftentimes present situations and characters who are meant to represent average Americans but in actuality do not. The sources for stereotypes about Italians could come from movies, like The Godfather. Also, there are many Italian immigrants who live in the United States. Seeing how they act with each other could cause people to generalize as to the entire Italian population. The pace difference stereotype I learned in a social psychology class. It ranked the differences in paces of life for different cultures by measuring how fast people walk. Americans walk very fast while Italians tended to be one of the slower-moving cultures.

These stereotypes could have a really negative impact on intercultural communication. Much of the international community does not agree with the actions of the current American government, and if they believe that all Americans share the same ideals, then they may project their dislike when conversing with Americans. They could assume that in their interactions with Americans, the Americans are going to be rude. Conversely, because of the differences in the cultures, Americans may also have some difficulties in communicating with Italians. The differences in pace may be difficult for Americans, who may see the slower moving Italians as being weaker.