Hello there--I am currently studying abroad in Rome, Italy. For my ethics class, we have been given a VERY long series of questions about Italian culture that we are required to find answers to. I would greatly appreciate responses to any of the questions by Italians (or if you're from Rome, even better!) Sono una studenta americana chi studiando a Roma e per la mia classe, devo fare molte domande agli italiani. Spero che le persone chi sono italiani aiutimi--grazie mille!


1. Human communication
1.1 What offends you?
1.2 Is there respect for foreigners in Rome? [note questions 14!]
1.3 How do you think about foreigners and their language abilities?
2. Family
2.1 What constitutes a family? What about grandparents, uncles, aunts, nieces, etc.?
2.2 Are there must-visit family feasts (similar to Thanksgiving)?
2.3 When should a woman/man get married?
2.4 When should they become engaged?
2.5 When should a daughter/son move out of the parents' home?
2.6 How do Italians think of having children?
2.6.1 What are the reasons for the current low birth rate?
2.6.2 What would be the ideal (if we disregard the reasons of 2.4.1)?
2.7 Can a young couple have an apartment or move in at one of the parents' home before getting married?
2.8 What about civil marriage and marriage in Church?
3. Housing
3.1 What is an ideal family home, and what is reality?
3.2 Is renting or home ownership preferred?
4. Eating
4.1 What are standard meal times, and what are standard meals?
4.2 When is the family gathered for meal?
4.3 What is the purpose and what are the ideal times of
4.3.1 Breakfast
4.3.2 Lunch
4.3.3 Dinner
4.3.4 Other meals?
4.4 Anything about table manners.
4.5 Is there any symbolic, moral, spiritual meaning to bread, meat, or other food?
4.6 Any weight related problems?
4.7 Any observation regarding food quality, resources, purchase?
5. Drinking
5.1.1 Non-alcoholic: any particular meaning to water?
5.1.2 Any observation as to beverages?
5.2 Alcoholic
5.2.1 What is the purpose of drinking alcohol?
5.2.2 Which are the main alcoholic drinks?
5.2.3 Which are the occasions to have them?
5.2.4 Drinking age? How to explain?
5.2.5 Drunkenness in general?
6. Tobacco and drugs
6.1 What is the reputation of smoking?
6.2 And drugs (hashish, cocaine, others)?
7. Privacy
7.1 Where do we draw the line between public and private?
7.1.1 Personal relationships (friendship, love)
7.1.2 Religion
7.1.3 Quarrels
7.1.4 Health
8. Religion
8.1 Role of Christianity in Italian identity
8.2 Attendance at Church services (Sunday, major holidays)
8.3 Sacraments and prayer in daily life
9. Pets: Their role in families and in public life (restaurants, transportation, feces)?
10. Driving
10.1 What are your major concerns when driving a car?
10.2 Is car driving an expression of personality?
10.3 What about bicycles and motor bikes and personality?
10.4 Is small car driving purely practical or environmentally motivated?
10.5 What about alcohol and driving – any moral issues besides the law?
11. Public space
11.1 Is cleanness of streets and public buildings seen as important?
11.2 Is graffiti perceived as art, nuisance, defacement, or else?
11.3 Is the piazza the place to causally meet friends? If not, where else?
12. Environment: Do Italians support this cause?
13. Public service: What is the reputation of
13.1 Garbage removers and street cleaners
13.2 Police
13.3 Military
13.4 Administration officers
13.5 Politicians?
14. Information and education
14.1 What constitutes a well educated person?
14.2 What is the role of daily news about the city, the country, the world?
15. Immigrants and minorities
15.1 What are the major problems?
15.2 Are those of political, economical, or moral nature?
15.3 What should be done (integration, exclusion, other)?
15.4 Which group of immigrants is the source of most troubles?
15.5 Should immigrants learn Italian?

I've corrected some mistakes..
Sono una studenta americana che studia a Roma e per la mia classe devo fare molte domande agli italiani. Spero che le persone italiane possano aiutarmi--grazie mille!

1. Human communication
1.1 What offends you? What offends all..
1.2 Is there respect for foreigners in Rome? [note questions 14!] yes, but today it is decreasing
1.3 How do you think about foreigners and their language abilities? italian language is very difficult to learn..
2. Family
2.1 What constitutes a family? What about grandparents, uncles, aunts, nieces, etc.? mother, father and usually two sons.. what do you want to know exactly abou grandfhater uncles, aunts..?
2.2 Are there must-visit family feasts (similar to Thanksgiving)? usually for Christmas, all parents stay togheter
2.3 When should a woman/man get married? when he follow in love and has a lot of money for buying a home (money is the correct anwer of many question today.. for a family, for children.. witout many money how can you mantain them?)
2.4 When should they become engaged?
2.5 When should a daughter/son move out of the parents' home?
2.6 How do Italians think of having children?
2.6.1 What are the reasons for the current low birth rate?
2.6.2 What would be the ideal (if we disregard the reasons of 2.4.1)?
2.7 Can a young couple have an apartment or move in at one of the parents' home before getting married? we call it "convivenza", young "convivono" live togheter befor getting married.. it always increasingly widespread
2.8 What about civil marriage and marriage in Church? most get married in Church but don't accept the rules of the Church (for example divorce is a laic law and Church doesn't accept it)
3. Housing
3.1 What is an ideal family home, and what is reality? living room, bedroom, bedroom for children, kitchen and bathroom
3.2 Is renting or home ownership preferred? I prefer home ownership but today it is too expensive; few people can buy an house today
4. Eating
4.1 What are standard meal times, and what are standard meals? lunch between 1 and 2 p. m., dinner between 8 nad 9 p. m., breakfast when you get up
4.2 When is the family gathered for meal? usually at the dinner
4.3 What is the purpose and what are the ideal times of
4.3.1 Breakfast
4.3.2 Lunch
4.3.3 Dinner
4.3.4 Other meals?
4.4 Anything about table manners. like everywhere i think
4.5 Is there any symbolic, moral, spiritual meaning to bread, meat, or other food? they aren't in my life
4.6 Any weight related problems?
4.7 Any observation regarding food quality, resources, purchase? too expensive..
5. Drinking
5.1.1 Non-alcoholic: any particular meaning to water? usualy few people drink water of home.. people buy it in supermarket..
5.1.2 Any observation as to beverages?
5.2 Alcoholic
5.2.1 What is the purpose of drinking alcohol? wine is good during the dinner
5.2.2 Which are the main alcoholic drinks? wine on table.. beer and cocktails in a pub
5.2.3 Which are the occasions to have them?
5.2.4 Drinking age? How to explain? if think not before 18 years old.. but today drunk anyone
5.2.5 Drunkenness in general? too diffuse
6. Tobacco and drugs
6.1 What is the reputation of smoking?
it hurts but we smoke the same
6.2 And drugs (hashish, cocaine, others)? I havn't know people who use it but drugs are diffuses like in each country

Thank you VERY much for all of your help; I really appreciate it!

Your question about 2.1--In terms of grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc, we are just wondering if the whole family spends a lot of time together, or if usually just parents and their children are close.

1. Human communication
1.1 What offends you? Lotta things
1.2 Is there respect for foreigners in Rome? [note questions 14!] As far as I know yes
1.3 How do you think about foreigners and their language abilities? Any effort is welcome
2. Family
2.1 What constitutes a family? What about grandparents, uncles, aunts, nieces, etc.? Depends on family
2.2 Are there must-visit family feasts (similar to Thanksgiving)? Christmas and Easter
2.3 When should a woman/man get married? 28 or so
2.4 When should they become engaged? Whenever from 16 to 100
2.5 When should a daughter/son move out of the parents' home? When he/she can, possibly before 28
2.6 How do Italians think of having children? As everyone does
2.6.1 What are the reasons for the current low birth rate? Bad economy and occupation
2.6.2 What would be the ideal (if we disregard the reasons of 2.4.1)?
2.7 Can a young couple have an apartment or move in at one of the parents' home before getting married? Yup
2.8 What about civil marriage and marriage in Church? Depends on partner, personally I wouldn't marry in Church
3. Housing
3.1 What is an ideal family home, and what is reality? No idea
3.2 Is renting or home ownership preferred? Ownership
4. Eating
4.1 What are standard meal times, and what are standard meals? Like 2PM lunch 9PM dinner - Pasta and meat often
4.2 When is the family gathered for meal? Mine never
4.3 What is the purpose and what are the ideal times of
4.3.1 Breakfast
4.3.2 Lunch
4.3.3 Dinner
4.3.4 Other meals?
4.4 Anything about table manners.
4.5 Is there any symbolic, moral, spiritual meaning to bread, meat, or other food? Bread is like sacred in a lower way, like don't throw bread away it's sacred, can't explain it better
4.6 Any weight related problems? Not as much as USA lol
4.7 Any observation regarding food quality, resources, purchase? Wonderful
5. Drinking
5.1.1 Non-alcoholic: any particular meaning to water? You drink it :S
5.1.2 Any observation as to beverages?
5.2 Alcoholic
5.2.1 What is the purpose of drinking alcohol? Taste, effects
5.2.2 Which are the main alcoholic drinks? Wine and beer
5.2.3 Which are the occasions to have them? Saturday night for beer cocktails and liquors, meals for wine
5.2.4 Drinking age? How to explain? 16 you can drink
5.2.5 Drunkenness in general? Lots of
6. Tobacco and drugs
6.1 What is the reputation of smoking? Better seen than in USA, not a big problem if someone smokes. (I do)
6.2 And drugs (hashish, cocaine, others)? Very different: young people smoke lots of pot, and it's acceptable for them, while for old people it's "tha devil!!11!!1!" Cocaine and other heavy drugs are seen badly by all, but many young guys fall into it.
7. Privacy
7.1 Where do we draw the line between public and private? Very thin one, becoming a friend is easy
7.1.1 Personal relationships (friendship, love) Lots of love and friendship. and flowers and rainbows too
7.1.2 Religion Old people mostly, atheism is very strong for everyone under 30yo
7.1.3 Quarrels
7.1.4 Health Better than USA lol
8. Religion
8.1 Role of Christianity in Italian identity Invading and contagious
8.2 Attendance at Church services (Sunday, major holidays) Like 15% of population, there are surveys check em
8.3 Sacraments and prayer in daily life Not for me thanks
9. Pets: Their role in families and in public life (restaurants, transportation, feces)? There are some :|
10. Driving
10.1 What are your major concerns when driving a car? Holes and women
10.2 Is car driving an expression of personality? Nope, it's a way to get from X to Y
10.3 What about bicycles and motor bikes and personality? Dunno
10.4 Is small car driving purely practical or environmentally motivated? Also economically (question seems biased though)
10.5 What about alcohol and driving – any moral issues besides the law? Not many, till there's a law that puts you outlaw with 2 beers.
11. Public space
11.1 Is cleanness of streets and public buildings seen as important? Not much, just avoid epathitis.
11.2 Is graffiti perceived as art, nuisance, defacement, or else? They're ignored.
11.3 Is the piazza the place to causally meet friends? If not, where else? Every city and little town makes it different
12. Environment: Do Italians support this cause? Lol no, most don't even know there is such a cause
13. Public service: What is the reputation of
13.1 Garbage removers and street cleaners They wake up early and do a stinky job, poor guys
13.2 Police In average, mostly they suck, corrupted and frustrated abusers and fascist
13.3 Military People who hadn't skills to go to university
13.4 Administration officers Slow
13.5 Politicians? The garbage of Italy, corrupted, mafiosi, sons of bitches, despicable, thieves, horrible, old, useless, futile, all the worst of the world can be found in Italian politicians.
14. Information and education
14.1 What constitutes a well educated person? Many things
14.2 What is the role of daily news about the city, the country, the world? People just want to say their banal things about usual stuff, and they read news to do it.
15. Immigrants and minorities
15.1 What are the major problems? When they WANT things as if they were kings
15.2 Are those of political, economical, or moral nature? All
15.3 What should be done (integration, exclusion, other)? If people is ignorant or offensive, both intolerant italians or immigrants, not much can be done.
15.4 Which group of immigrants is the source of most troubles? Muslim, and not a hint of racism saying this, just the truth learnt living
15.5 Should immigrants learn Italian? If they want

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THANK you sooo much my project is pretty much finished now :-)

hupkwondogirl

I'm sorry I could not contribute as I'm an ex-pat Brit, but it is nice of you to take the time to thank those on this site who did help you - we get many "one off" enquiries and often no response to the answers - your thanks go a long way to ensuring people visiting this site will continue to get support from those of us that can help. Please let us know how you get on.

as someone who seriously hates stereotyping I was wondering what made you zidanie say that muslims are the group that causes most troubles, I know the question had to be answered, but I also disagree with asking such question, I don't think that people of a certain religion or nationality would all be tiresome or more trouble causing than others.
I know you are not being racist and I hope you don't read this the wrong way, I'm only wondering what would make someone (especialy an Italian) think a group of people are more trouble causing???

Just by making percentages. I've never seen any immigrant do something offensive, but for those who come from Maghreb.

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*Sigh*. Lovely.

That was a bit sarcastic Sienna, because how can one answer a question like that? No love and friendship in this country would sound strange

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