In 2024, researchers set out to compare how Swedes and Italians use gestures while speaking. Their goal was to uncover not just how much each group gestures, but also how gestures differ in purpose between the two cultures. As many might have guessed, the study found that Italians gesture more often than Swedes. But the real insight lies in the why behind those gestures.
In the study the Italian speakers tended to use pragmatic gestures - those that emphasize a point, manage conversations, or guide interactions. On the other hand, the Swedish speakers favored referential gestures, which describe or represent specific parts of their story, like objects, actions, or spatial relationships. In other words, Italians and Swedes do not just gesture differently, they also use gestures for different reasons. This suggests that Italians and Swedes may conceptualize storytelling - and perhaps communication in general - in fundamentally different ways.
This is of course very interesting from a linguistic perspective, but what does it tell us about our cultures?
As a Swede living in Italy, I find this research fascinating. It sheds light on deeper cultural differences - Swedes may focus more on being direct and factual in their communication, while Italians emphasize the social and relational aspects of storytelling. These subtle differences offer a window into how culture shapes the way we express ourselves.
