mammoni


 * The Italian "Mammoni"**

In Italy young people stay at home with their parents longer than in Anglo-Saxon countries. It seems that we are the only ones in Europe, and maybe in the whole world, to live with our family at 28, 30 or even 35 years old. This situation is in part a characteristic of modern life in Italy. Maybe foreign observers could link this fact to the stereotype according to which Italians, especially male one, are "mammoni" (mama’s boys), namely, too dependent on their over-protective mothers to leave the comfort of living with them. This idea can also seem positive, conveying a sense of good relationships, love and affection between the family members. Others, on the other hand, can find it ridiculous. First of all, not all young people in Italy stay at home until they are 30. Those who do it have often their good reasons, due to particular characteristics of our country. In Italy people usually finish high-school at 19 years old. If they go to university, they have to study for a minimum of 3 more years. On the average, students have a first university degree at 23. If they want to specialize, they have to study 2 more years. Most of the students, moreover, choose a university quite near to their town, so they can still live at home; Italian universities are not equipped with campuses, and there are less facilities for students than in other countries. Young people in Italy have also many problems finding jobs that can offer a real economic independence. Without that kind of independence, it is impossible to live alone. Moreover, it is more frequent for males to stay at home with their parents for a long time. This happens because sometimes they are not used to take care of themselves; for example, they don’t know how to cook, to use a washing machine or to iron clothes properly, so they prefer to be around their mothers. (Sometimes, however, they could do it better than women, but they are too lazy.) Furthermore, it can also be true that in Italy the family is still considered very important; the willingness of parents to help their children can be a proof of it. What matters most, however, is that we are not all pampered and treated like children by our parents till we are 30 years old. It’s not like young Italians don’t know how to live without their parents taking care of them. It is just the way our economic, social and cultural institutions are organized that determine this trend.

Italian Stereotypes