University of Applied Sciences, Fulda

Italy

First Part

According to Hofstede, Italy is a country which falls into the category of cultures with a large power distance. The Italian interviewee provides evidence of power distance in the educational system: "Well, the Italian system is like this, that you are controlled, ja. Every time they write down who was present and who wasn’t, . . . in our system the universities, for example, are full of people. There are a lot, and sometimes one can’t profit from the lectures that much. So students go there just because they want to take the exam, it is not– em, –On the other hand I believe that students feel responsible. I have studied in a very small university, and that had advantages that the relationship between the professors and the students were more relax than a big city. People felt responsible to go to the classes, but they also wanted it, too. I believe that was a bit an exception . . ." Strict rules and regulations characterise the relationship between the students and the professors, on the one hand, and on the other hand, students have a feeling of duty towards the establishment, in this case the university. Adhering to the rules is important, because not doing so could result in being barred from taking the exams which are decisive in the course of the studies. ". . . when you don’t have a minimum of presence," the interviwee states, "then you are not allowed, for example, take the exam . . . "
The students are not the ones who decide on the subjects to be taken nor do they have the freedom to change things in the curriculum. Italy, according to Hofstede, has a culture of strong uncertainty avoidance, and therefore everything should be regulated and decided upon beforehand. "The timetable is not flexible like here," says the interviewee. "I mean, it is like this, for example, in a few subjects one can choose, but that’s all. And it is like this in all the faculties, almost in all of them . . ."
In an environment where the rules are applied vigorously and a large power distance prevails, the relations between the professors and the students are far from relaxed. The professors are the ones who have the authority and rank higher than the students. They decide whether the students are allowed to take the exams or not, and whether they pass or fail. The interviewee explains this very well : ". . . with us the relationship [between the students and professors] is very cold, em—one speaks very little with the professor. And sometimes one doesn’t speak at all with the professor, and the first time is at the exam, exactly at the exam. Professors don’t want it, because they want to keep this distance, I mean, who has the power and who hasn’t the power. I mean, it is like this, well, naturally there are exceptions but in principle it is like this . . ."
In Italy family ties are strong. Once again a person finds their place in the hierarchy according to status and rank. The university is also an organisation which requires people to act according to their rank and place in the picture. In such a hierarchy, politics plays an important role. Each person has to be careful about her/his behaviour and how thoughts and attitudes are communicated. One is not judged by one's function , thoughts, or the values that one has as an individual, but by how one behaves or looks, even if it is fake.
The interviewee makes the following observations: "It is important in Italian
system to be serious - no serious is not the right word, because everybody is serious, ha ha, supposedly. But unfortunately they put a lot of value on what you put on.. For example, one shouldn’t be definitely elegant, but one shouldn’t put on sportive clothes. Em, ja, it is very important how you speak. I mean all these things play a big role. The interviewee makes the following comments about the foreign students in Italy who don’t know these codes: ". . . but it is also clear that they are a little bit, em, well, funny, well, specially the students who are politically on the left, they try to behave in a very radical way, but one has to simply count on being looked at in a funny way, well, a bit of respect and a bit influence . . ."
The relationship between the students and the university is also strict: "With us the situation is catastrophic. I believe that it is not only my university, but it is all over. I mean, it is the Italian system. There is no concept, I mean, about the categories of students, well, there are student organisations, for example, but they don’t do much, and on the other hand they don’t have enough means, because they are either not listened to or there is, for example, no meetings organised [between the university and the student organisation] . . . and there are no consultation services whatsoever . . . "