Italian Society Today

 Italian Society Today, Thalby Originals, 2020

Part of a series, this book is a basic introduction to present-day Italian society.

Family is still everything in Italy, but more and more families are multicultural. There is much more of a regional identity among residents of Italy than a national identity. It is more important to say, for instance, "I am from Venice" or "I am Sicilian" than to say "I am Italian." Italy's citizenship laws are based on blood, not birth.

Italy has one of the lowest rates of condom use in Europe. Part of the reason is because of the influence of the Catholic Church, and part is because Italian sex education "needs improvement."

Education in Italy is more and more inclusive, affordable and usually public. You can't talk about Italy without talking about food, and the Italian appreciation for beauty, whether in cars or fashion. The Catholic Church still dominates Italy, but it is becoming more progressive. Things have started to improve for women, but Italy still has the highest gender inequality in Europe.

As with the other books in this series, this includes a list of places to visit while in Italy. It also includes some Italian phrases (learning a few words of the local language is always a good idea), and some Italian etiquette (dinner starts at 7:30 PM; if you are an early eater, you are out of luck). This does not try to be a comprehensive guide to Italy. It is a brief introduction to Italy, something to read while on the plane. In that respect, it works really well. It is very much worth reading.