Stereotype: White, middle-class Anglo

Stereotype: Southern middle-class Italian

Everyone responsible for class discipline;
self-control during lessons (no chatting).

Teacher responsible for class discipline;
chatting OK until teacher complains.

Teacher & student monitoring during exams;
cheating not tolerated. Also when filling out attendance sheet and giving marks for tasks.

Teacher monitoring during exams: various degrees of cheating, some tolerated. (No attendance sheet, no tasks, no self-marking.)

Punctuality expected: tardiness, leaving early are stigmatized (no admittance, reprimand).

Elasticity as to time (teachers often tardiest, most chronic in leaving early); no excuses.

Class discussions: self-selection to speak; occasional teacher interrogation, student questioning common.

Few class discussions, only top students speak up, occasional interrogation; student questioning rare.

Use of professional/social title and family name (or just first name) when addressing superiors (“Hello, Professor White / Mr. White / John.”)

Use of professional title alone or with family name when addressing a superior (“Buon giorno, Professore / Professor Bianco.”)

Self-confidence in speaking, giggling rare, self-admission of not knowing.

Embarrassment in speaking, occasional giggling; excuse-giving for not knowing.

Must be told exactly what to do: in assigning homework, organizing group work, etc.

High degree of inventiveness in resolving class management problems.

Naiveness and immaturity in judging social implications of discipline or discipline itself.

Sophistication and maturity in judging social issues, less so in purely disciplinary issues.

Reasoning by analogy (e. g. hard sciences applied to soft), difficulty in conceptualizing.

Ability to reason using original conceptualizations (except in hard sciences).

Expectation of teacher/lesson: well-organized, entertainment.

Expectation of teacher/lesson: intellectual prowess, however disorganized and boring.

Knowledge valued as tool for productivity (and getting rich).

Knowledge valued for social prestige (and getting a job).

Stereotype: White,
middle-class Anglo

Stereotype: Southern
middle-class Italian

Everyone responsible for class discipline;
self-control during lessons (no chatting).

Teacher responsible for class discipline;
chatting OK until teacher complains.

Teacher & student monitoring during exams; cheating not tolerated. Also when filling out attendance sheet and giving marks for tasks.

Teacher monitoring during exams: various degrees of cheating, some tolerated. (No attendance sheet, no tasks, no self-marking.)

Punctuality expected: tardiness, leaving early are stigmatized (no admittance, reprimand).

Elasticity as to time (teachers often tardiest, most chronic in leaving early); no excuses.

Class discussions: self-selection to speak; occasional teacher interrogation, student questioning common.

Few class discussions, only top students speak up, occasional interrogation; student questioning rare.

Use of professional/social title and even first name when addressing superiors (“Hello, Professor White / Mr. White / John.”)

Use of professional title alone or with family name when addressing a superior (“Buon giorno, Professore / Professor Bianco.”)

Self-confidence in speaking, giggling rare, self-admission of not knowing.

Embarrassment in speaking, occasional giggling; excuse-giving for not knowing.

Must be told exactly what to do: in assigning homework, organizing group work, etc.

High degree of inventiveness in resolving class management problems.

Naiveness and immaturity in judging social implications of discipline or discipline itself.

Sophistication and maturity in judging social issues, less so in purely disciplinary issues.

Reasoning by analogy (e. g. hard sciences applied to soft), difficulty in conceptualizing.

Ability to reason using original conceptualizations (except in hard sciences).

Expectation of teacher/lesson: well-organized, entertainment.

Expectation of teacher/lesson: intellectual prowess, however disorganized and boring.

Knowledge valued as tool for productivity (and getting rich).

Knowledge valued for social prestige (and getting a job).