Made in Italy Final 25 terms

Myth of Homogeneity

The belief that Italy is naturally culturally and ethnically uniform; used historically to justify exclusion.

Ius Sanguinis

Italy’s primary citizenship rule: citizenship based on bloodline, not birthplace.

Interculturalism

Identity formed through exchange, dialogue, and everyday contact; cultures hybridize.

Hybridization

Cultures change and blend through social interaction, migration, and media.

New Italians

Children of immigrants raised in Italy who challenge traditional ideas of Italian identity.

Colour-Blindness

Claiming “we are all just Italian” while ignoring racism and structural inequality.

Hyper-Visibility

Minorities seen mainly in crime/poverty narratives; rarely represented positively.

Diaspora

People living outside homeland but preserving identity, memory, and traditions.

Italian Migration Waves

Three major waves: skilled workers, rural peasants, and political migrants.

Consumption as Identity

People express belonging by buying and using certain products.

Afro-Italian Entrepreneurship

Black Italians use business to claim space and redefine Italianness.

Racial Capitalism

Structural system where economic inequality is linked to race.

New Made in Italy

Hybrid products that merge immigrant cultures with Italian traditions.

Fashion & Food as Cultural Industries

Both express identity, lifestyle, class, and national branding.

Slow Food / Slow Fashion

Movements promoting sustainability and craftsmanship over mass production.

Taste (Cultural Meaning)

Taste reflects class, identity, and distinction—not just personal preference.

Fast-Food Chic

Fashion uses fast-food imagery to critique consumer culture and capitalism.

Circuit of Culture

Framework of Production, Consumption, Representation, Identity, Regulation.

Pasta as Italian Identity

Pasta represents family, tradition, and the symbolic “Italian lifestyle.”

Origins of Pasta

Ancient Mediterranean origins; not invented by Marco Polo.

Mediterranean Diet

Carb-heavy, plant-forward; global model for healthy eating.

Fettuccine Alfredo

Created in Rome; Americans added cream; example of cultural reinterpretation.

Terroir

Wine is shaped by land, climate, and people—linking culture and geography.

Italy as Top Wine Producer

Italy is the world’s #1 wine producer by volume.

Wine Consumption Shift

1960s: wine as everyday “food”; today: wine as experience and lifestyle.

Cantina Valtidone

Cooperative model showing community, shared resources, and collective identity.