WHAT: Throughout the semester, we have discussed a lot about our stereotypes of Italians. Brooke Christensen and I wanted to explore the stereotypes Italians and all Europeans have about American. Americans are very patriotic and tend to veiw America as the leader in world culture. As a result, we may not realize that our cultural outlets give off specific perceptions that aren't always positive.Therefore our overarching research question was: What stereotypes do Europeans have about the United States based on the information they receive from the media?
WHY: In our definition, a good citizen is someone who takes the time to learn about the culture and attitudes of a particular location – whether it is where you actually live or a place you are just visiting. The good citizens will respond to how others are acting towards them and modify their behavior in a way that complements the culture rather than disregard it. As study abroad students, we feel that it is imperative to understand Europeans’ conceptions of America so we can:
Combat the negatives.
Reinforce the positive.
Coexist in an increasingly global society.
Future study abroad students can use our handout as a study material, a way to inform themselves on the culture of the place they choose to live for four months. By preparing them for a new culture, we are assisting them in their journey to be good citizens during their semester abroad. Moreover, by deterring some of the negative stereotypes of Americans, we will encourage positive interactions between Americans and Europeans.
OUR PROCESS: We decided to interview local Venetians that we met throughout the semester to determine their opinions of Americans and their consumption of American popular culture. We interviewed some of the students we worked with from our Venice Today class that attend Ca’Foscari. They are all approximately 20 years old. We then interviewed the Bar di Gino staff and Alessandro, Davide, and the rest of the Corner Pub (including a customer who decided to jump into the conversation) to get a representation of the older population. Our Italian students asked us about what we knew of Venice before we arrived, so we expect them to give us as honest of an answer as we gave them. Moreover, asking people that we see on a regular basis may make them more comfortable sharing their true opinions.
END PRODUCT: We named our project "Don't Be That Guy" in reference to the show Wake World that every freshmen at Wake Forest sees duing their orientation week. It was one of my favorite parts about orientation, and I still remember it to this day. Therefore, Brooke and I thought Wake students would associate our project with that experience and be more likely to pick up our handout. We included Uncle Same because this list will help study abroad students become good ambassadors of the United States. SO our final project is a helpful DO and DON’T LIST for future Wake Forest, study abroad students, particularly those studying abroad at Casa Artom. By preparing them for a new culture, we are assisting them in their journey to be good citizens during their semester abroad. The DOs will help them feel more comfortable and part of the community. The DON’Ts will help students avoid being “those Americans” that are insensitive to the culture of others.
THE FUTURE: We are currently in contact with the professor for the INS 150 and 152 courses about studying abroad at Wake Forest. He is helping us perfect our list and expand it so that he can include it in his syllabus at Wake Forest. We are also working with the Casa Artom administration - Roberta Cimarosti - to get our handout into the orientation program and handout.
Check out Brooke Christensen's website and what she has to say about "Don't Be That Guy" at
WHY: In our definition, a good citizen is someone who takes the time to learn about the culture and attitudes of a particular location – whether it is where you actually live or a place you are just visiting. The good citizens will respond to how others are acting towards them and modify their behavior in a way that complements the culture rather than disregard it. As study abroad students, we feel that it is imperative to understand Europeans’ conceptions of America so we can:
Combat the negatives.
Reinforce the positive.
Coexist in an increasingly global society.
Future study abroad students can use our handout as a study material, a way to inform themselves on the culture of the place they choose to live for four months. By preparing them for a new culture, we are assisting them in their journey to be good citizens during their semester abroad. Moreover, by deterring some of the negative stereotypes of Americans, we will encourage positive interactions between Americans and Europeans.
OUR PROCESS: We decided to interview local Venetians that we met throughout the semester to determine their opinions of Americans and their consumption of American popular culture. We interviewed some of the students we worked with from our Venice Today class that attend Ca’Foscari. They are all approximately 20 years old. We then interviewed the Bar di Gino staff and Alessandro, Davide, and the rest of the Corner Pub (including a customer who decided to jump into the conversation) to get a representation of the older population. Our Italian students asked us about what we knew of Venice before we arrived, so we expect them to give us as honest of an answer as we gave them. Moreover, asking people that we see on a regular basis may make them more comfortable sharing their true opinions.
END PRODUCT: We named our project "Don't Be That Guy" in reference to the show Wake World that every freshmen at Wake Forest sees duing their orientation week. It was one of my favorite parts about orientation, and I still remember it to this day. Therefore, Brooke and I thought Wake students would associate our project with that experience and be more likely to pick up our handout. We included Uncle Same because this list will help study abroad students become good ambassadors of the United States. SO our final project is a helpful DO and DON’T LIST for future Wake Forest, study abroad students, particularly those studying abroad at Casa Artom. By preparing them for a new culture, we are assisting them in their journey to be good citizens during their semester abroad. The DOs will help them feel more comfortable and part of the community. The DON’Ts will help students avoid being “those Americans” that are insensitive to the culture of others.
THE FUTURE: We are currently in contact with the professor for the INS 150 and 152 courses about studying abroad at Wake Forest. He is helping us perfect our list and expand it so that he can include it in his syllabus at Wake Forest. We are also working with the Casa Artom administration - Roberta Cimarosti - to get our handout into the orientation program and handout.
Check out Brooke Christensen's website and what she has to say about "Don't Be That Guy" at
For our official handout go to: