Meeting Cagliesi

by Candice Ward-Ferris 

Gonzaga University When hearing all the names of the characters I would meet in Cagli, I crafted an image in my mind of an Italian town that was warm, welcoming, and open to meeting new people. The reality was different. While I understood that, culturally, Italians do not smile at every passing person as Americans may be inclined to do, I found them to be harder to meet. From the first day in Cagli, I tried going to a café where there were no other Gonzaga students. I would sit in what I thought was an open position, but no one seemed to notice or care about the "straniera" in their town. However, when I was introduced to someone, the exchange was quite different and in general, positive. This made me question: Is it me? Is it them? Is there some rule about meeting people in a high context culture I don't know? Richard Lewis (2014) wrote that Italians are in a multi-active cluster, so perhaps the importance of family, relationships, and loyalty requires being introduced? Could it also be a form of etic knowledge in that I am learning how it works in Italy and because of that, I am projecting my own ideas on what works and what doesn't work in that process?

Culture refers to a "shared social experience," so determining where a communication mismatch, or an unconscious reaction when we don't know what to do, is an interesting question to ponder (Caputo, 2002, p. 291)? Nonverbal behavior and language are both important, but I think it may also be in what our expectations are. I came to this conclusion as people within the U.S. experience this same mismatch when moving from one region to another. For example, in the south it would not be unusual for a stranger to start talking to you in a café. However, if you were new in a large city, you may not receive the same reception from a stranger. I have to recognize that I might have unknowingly projected Cagli to be like a small, southern town. With that projection comes expectations. It can take time for people (in any culture) to warm up to a new person in their community. In this communication maze we are navigating, we aren't all working off the same map, so meeting new people isn't always a fast process. Maybe the art of meeting people in a new place, and not just Cagliesi, is one of patience and open expectations. 

Caputo, J.S. ( 2002). Chapter 12, Interpersonal Communication in a Global Village: Issues of Culture and Gender. In J.S. Caputo, Hazel, H.C., McMahon, C. & Dannels, D. (2002). Communicating effectively: Linking thought and expression. Dubuque, WI: Kendal-Hunt Publishing. 

Richard Lewis Communications. (2014). Introducing the lewis model. Retrieved from http://www.crossculture.com/rlcintro.html.