2025 Robert's Blog

In the previous class, we talked about Hofstede’s Individualism vs. Collectivism. His theory describes how societies prioritize the needs of individuals versus the needs of the group. In collectivist cultures such as Japan, the group’s needs come before individual desires. People are more likely to act in ways that benefit their family, workplace, or community. Decisions are made with the group in mind, and people often define themselves through their connections to others rather than personal accomplishments. Italy is a more individualistic society, scoring 76/100 on Hofstede’s Individualism dimension. People value personal freedom, independence, and self-expression, often prioritizing their own goals over group interests. Family is important, but focus is usually on the nuclear family, and children are encouraged to be independent. In work and social settings, Italians favor direct communication and reward personal achievement, while group loyalty is less dominant than in collectivis...

In the previous lesson, we talked about school life in Japan and watched a video about a typical day in the life of a Japanese student. From early childhood and the first schools children attend, their path seems to be clearly defined by society and its expectations. Students grow up in an environment where school life takes up most of the day and requires great sacrifices, while also providing a certain social status. The differences between the Japanese and Italian school systems are numerous and start from the very approach to education. In Italy, social expectations regarding school are not as strict, even though finding a good job without a university degree can be difficult (and sometimes even with one). In middle and high school, students are assigned a lot of homework (and there are almost no extra hours or the concept of cram schools), while at university the structure of lessons and exams is completely different. Classes are mostly lecture-based, with students taking notes, a...

In our previous class we started discussing Hofstede's cultural dimension theory, with a focus on the power distance one. The definition he gave for this theory is the following: "The extent to which less powerful members of a society, organization, or institution accept and expect that power is distributed unequally." Italy is generally considered to have a moderate high power distance, but not as high as many other countries such as many in Asia, Latin America, or the Middle East. It means Italians accept some hierarchy and inequality in organizations and society, but they also value individual initiative, consultation, and personal relationships. Italians often express opinions directly, especially in professional settings, but they still show respect for titles and seniority. In schools, teachers are respected figures, but students are not afraid to debate or question them. This reflects Italy’s balanced approach, valuing both authority and individual expression. Inte...

 In last week’s class we discussed the work culture in Japan and the world. Previously we’ve seen that the rigor of Japanese society can already be found in a school system that occupies a large part of students’ daily lives. When said student becomes an employee, this trend doesn’t seem to change too much. The video we watched at the end of the class showed us the busy day of a salaryman. While creating a parallel with the after-class club activities or additional classes, the man was expected to do volunteering or “home overtime”. If that could still be an unquestionable normality for many Japanese people, in my culture it would be considered a huge work-life balance issue.  In the unfortunate need to generalize I would say that Italians are very hard-working, but even more laid-back people. The contrast emerges from a clear divide between work and personal life. For instance many stores will close at lunch-time for the owners to enjoy a calm meal with the family and it woul...