Communication as a strategic resource to promote Italian Institutes of Culture

Abstract

One of the ways in which Italy presents itself to the world is through the Italian Institute of Culture (IIC), an institution that aims at offering a cross-section of the Italian world and at the same time disseminating the rationale for its own existence. The IIC acknowledges and embraces the historical, political, and linguistic evolution of Italy and regards these as constitutional factors of its identity. In this article, we first provide background information about the Institute and display the key principles that determine how communication with outside communities takes place. Next, we adopt a theoretical model of communication in order to show how communication in and of itself has the potential to lead individuals on a path of cultural appreciation, as well as towards an appreciation for and acquisition of the Italian language.