Annie McBride on the Close Proximity of Families That Allows for the Transfer of Religious Values

By: Annie McBride

April 13, 2009

The social and familial structures within Florence, as well as many other cities in Italy, are also a significant reason why Christianity is so pervasive.
Italian families are incredibly close compared to most families in America, where independence and individual identity are celebrated. Familial bonds in Italy are undeniably strong, and respect of one’'s elders is basically culturally mandatory. This can be detected in many subtle situations throughout my daily routine in Florence.

The city of Florence was originally built without an underground transportation system. The train station, centrally located in Florence, acts as the main artery and allows a swift flow of movement in and out of the city. Otherwise, the localized bus system acts as a web of veins that allows access to the outskirts of the city (aka the true “heart” of Florence). I’'ve found that once you get out of central Florence and tantalize your senses with the excitement/uncertainty of wandering off the beaten track (around the Duomo and Uffizi areas) you can stumble upon the underlying beauty of the culture. The 25 minute bus trip up to Fiesole only draws the knowledgeable traveler to its summit for the incredible view, but is otherwise a solely local bus line, and, thus, has been a clear representation of Florentine culture. Elders get priority seating on the bus, and if you don’'t offer your seat up in time or falter for a moment with communicating a peace offering in Italian, they will simply nudge you out of the way, all the while mumbling something in Italian (most likely about the corruption and disrespect of the youth today).

Supermarkets, bustling with all types of people, are also somewhat of a microcosm of the local culture. Many times I have witnessed older women disregard the extensive lines and push straight through to the register, with everyone quickly slipping out of the way to avoid getting nudged by a cart or, even worse, knocked in the shin by a cane. Through simple experiences like these it has become very clear that elders are deeply respected in this culture. Cultural values and religious beliefs, in turn, are effectively passed on and embraced by the next generation.

It seems that Christianity might be so prevalent throughout the Italian culture because families are so close, which allows for the easy osmosis of these shared beliefs. The geographic proximity of families and communities in Italy is definitely a reason for this correlation of values. Since Florence was developed to accommodate a population a fraction the size of where it currently stands today, housing is both limited and expensive. Most high school graduates remain in Florence to attend the university here. College in America is seen as a time for students to break free from the security of the home and gain independence, whereas Florentines would view this as a waste of money when they can attend a perfectly good university and can live for free at home. Students generally live at home well through college, giving parents and grandparents the time to impart their religious values on the next generation.

Some professors have expressed that this conception of Italy as a local/community-oriented culture is slowly changing, which will simultaneously change the perception and importance of religion in each successive generation. Just the other day, I met a young Neapolitan who had “escaped” from home because his parents were too controlling. Slowly, I imagine, the level of independence of Italian youth culture will become more and more similar to that in America, and Christian values will dwindle and be less of a shared value within the familial matrix.
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