The views of British people towards Italian people and their culture are the focus of new research being carried out at the University of Aberdeen.
Christopher Thorpe, a PhD researcher in the Department of Sociology, is examining British impressions of Italy from the 15th century up to the present day. His research is believed to be the first of its kind that will try to understand the way we think about the Italians and their culture from a sociological perspective.
Mr Thorpe, who is in the final year of his post-doctoral studies, is working towards publishing his thesis topic, which sets out to explore the shift in the British viewpoint of Italians and their country including culture, art, fashion, and food. Mr Thorpe also hopes to uncover the reasoning behind the idea that travel to Italy, and knowledge of Italian culture, leads to social and cultural distinction among friends and peers.
His research covers a broad range of topics relating to the reasons why the British have sought out Italy as a travel destination. Mr Thorpe cites five clear periods of time over the past 500 years to demonstrate how different ideas and beliefs combine to form the imagined concepts of Italy.
Mr Thorpe said: “Since as far back as the 15th century until now, Britain has always sought out Italy as a source of inspiration whether it be philosophical, literary, artistic, or otherwise.
“Over the last 500 years, the ways in which the British have thought about and imagined Italy and Italian culture have varied considerably. Historically, depending on one’s social location, the concepts of Italy and Italian culture have meant very different things.
“When people think about Italy and the Italians they often have a number of distinct images that come to mind. These images combine to create a ‘vision’ of what life in Italy is like and how the Italian people are. Understandably, people devote less time to thinking about why these particular images have come to be associated with Italy and the Italians and how they might differ depending on whether they were either further up or lower down in the social hierarchy.
“On this view, I will focus my research on trying to understand the processes by which different social groups compete with each other in order to establish their own particular vision of Italy and Italian culture as the ‘right-one’.
“The advantages for the particular social group whose ‘vision’ becomes the definitive one takes the form of increased social cache and cultural standing for the individuals who make up that group. In these terms, the concept of Italy and Italian culture creates an ideal opportunity for examining the struggle between competing social groups.”
“The reasons motivating travel to Italy has also changed over time. My report will look at present day images of Italy, such as its fashion houses, sports cars, pizza, and how films such as The Godfather, seem to epitomise societies’ view of Italian culture.”
Mr Thorpe, who has spent time living and working in Italy, has split his research into five definitive periods in time: The Elizabethan, The Classical, The Romantic, The Victorian, and The Present Day.
The Elizabethan research will focus on the impact of imported Italian cultural forms on English social and cultural life, with particular reference to Shakespeare. The main focus for The Classical will be the shift in British attitudes towards the purposes of travel and the emergence of the notion of travel to Italy as an indispensable form of social cache among the social elite.
In The Romantic era, Chris will use the romantic poet Byron to demonstrate how a whole generation of romantics were inspired to travel to Italy and the prevalence of the view of Italy as a natural and earthly paradise in contrast to the smog-ridden and industrialising Britain of the day.
In The Victorian, a great shift begins to take place that continues until the present-day. The Italians and their way of life begin to become the source of much veneration.
Finally, in The Present Day part of his research, Chris will examine a number of modern British ‘lifestyle’ magazines including: Italy: the magazine for lovers of all things Italian; Italia! - The Italian Magazine. He will also examine a number of wider cultural phenomena, that include the rise of ‘Chiantishire’ on the one hand, and Marks and Spencer’s fashion and food range that are built upon popular conceptions of Italian life and the Italians, on the other.
“Nowadays, Italy seems to have less mass appeal to travellers and holiday-makers, which could be attributed to a variety of different factors,” said Mr Thorpe.
“Today, holiday-makers and travellers are given such a variety of choice on where to holiday and the type of holiday to suit their every need that it’s perhaps unsurprising that the ease of travel and the cost-effective nature of holidays on the Spanish coast, and in the Mediterranean islands, influence people against a more challenging option like Italy.
“The rise in popularity of back-packing holidays to destinations in the Far East, Australia, and South America, has also undoubtedly impacted upon travel to Italy.”
Mr Thorpe presented his research to an international audience at a conference last month on the sociology of culture in Trento in northern Italy.
He added: “Italy is a timeless classic and I believe we cannot underestimate how much the British owe to Italy and Italian culture in provoking change and growth among our culture.”
* Mr Thorpe has already received interest from major publishers looking to find out more about his research.