Italianness on the Strip: Stereotypes, Dreams, and Nostalgia in Las Vegas Italian-Themed Attractions
Award Date
8-1-2021
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Sociology
First Committee Member
David Dickens
Second Committee Member
Bo Bernhard
Third Committee Member
Simon Gottschalk
Fourth Committee Member
Michael Green
Number of Pages
189
Abstract
I conducted a multi-sited ethnography with tourists and Italian employees in four Italian-themed locations in Las Vegas: two resorts, The Venetian and Caesars Palace, and two food-related venues, Cipriani and Eataly. I tried to answer the research questions: How do Italian-themed attractions attempt to transmit Italianness to tourists? How do Italian employees and tourists decode the Italian theme? and What is the role of Italian food in constructing Italianness on the Strip? As emerged from my analysis, Italianness on the Strip is the outcome of different kinds of negotiations. While Caesars Palace and The Venetian aim at creating representations of Italy that match tourists’ imaginaries, Cipriani and Eataly are more tied to an authentic image of today’s Italy, both in terms of architectural features and menu items. My data showed that tourists’ opinions were contradictory, with some declaring that those attractions did a good job replicating the Italian theme and others describing them as inauthentic. Similarly, while a few Italian employees stated that those themed attractions were fake, most claimed that they reminded them of their home country. This was especially the case of Cipriani and Eataly since, as employees proudly described, they serve Italian traditional food without accepting compromises, even if that entails a significant effort in terms of emotional labor. Italian employees’ reflections on Italian-themed attractions often triggered emotional reactions, which ranged from the nostalgia for Italy to anger towards their home country’s inability to offer them the same opportunities they found in the United States.
Controlled Subject
Italian Americans; Nevada--Las Vegas Strip; Culture
Disciplines
Sociology
File Format
File Size
1064 KB
Degree Grantor
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Language
English
Repository Citation
Soligo, Marta, "Italianness on the Strip: Stereotypes, Dreams, and Nostalgia in Las Vegas Italian-Themed Attractions" (2021). UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones. 4266.
http://dx.doi.org/10.34917/26341203
Rights
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