I don’t know about all of you, but before coming to Italy, I heard numerous stories of how amazing the study abroad experience is. I heard about how we would be able to form countless new friendships, experience a new culture and way of life, and, most importantly, we would be able to come away from our time abroad as truly new people who have grown and matured. I thought this all sounded great and everything, but I had no idea what that growth and maturity would actually entail. I mean, I kind of figured I may grow in size a bit from all the pizza, gelato, and nutella I would be eating, but I didn’t know exactly what this other kind of growth would include.
Now that we are about a month into our study abroad experience, I think I am finally starting to understand what everyone meant by personal growth. There are several benefits to studying abroad, increased personal growth and maturity included. I have found that even in this short time, I have experienced some of what they define as personal and intercultural development.
Prior to coming abroad, I thought I was well aware of the cultural differences that exist around the world, and I actually did not think I would have a hard time adjusting to this new environment. Upon arriving, however, I soon realized how wrong I was. Though there are some similarities, I did not realize just how different life in Florence would be from home. There have been several things that have taken some getting used to while being here in Italy. The language barrier, the limited to no access to free wifi, and the lack of Target stores are just a few examples, but I think one of the differences that has struck me the most is gender relations. I guess I have just always taken for granted the relationships we have between men and women back home. I am not saying that the men in America are perfect (because they most definitely are not) or that the men here in Italy are horrible people (because they are not, either), but I feel as though compared to the American men I have grown up around, I sometimes consider some of the Italian men I come in contact with to be less respectful. I don’t know if any of you have experienced this, but they are just much more forward and aggressive (not in the violent sense, though) with women, and I feel as though women are objectified much more.
At first I was quite upset about this and I did not feel comfortable, but I have come to realize that this is just the culture these men grew up in. Many Italian men are so focused on getting foreign women to notice them and they think that persistence is the key to success—but this is not true. For me, and most American women I presume, over-persistent men can be seen as creepy and sometimes disrespectful. I have come to realize while being here in Italy, however, that these men probably do not consider such forward comments and gestures to be disrespectful, despite the fact that they are often perceived as such. I now know that I should just ignore the comments and gestures from these men, and no harm is likely to come my way.
I guess the essence of what I am trying to say, though, is that since being here in Italy, I have learned to be more open to new cultures and ways of life. The study abroad experience helps many people develop and better understand their own values and beliefs, and I feel as though I have started to do this. In particular, I now have a greater appreciation for the gender relations we have in the United States. I am also more aware of the fact that all cultures are not the same, and do not have the same standards in regards to gender relations as we do in America. I now understand that there are differences among cultures greater than I previously realized, and I feel as though I am learning to become even more tolerant of others through this experience.
