Alla base di uno stereotipo: il successo dei mungitori punjabi in Emilia-Romagna

Abstract

Starting from the ‘90s, Emilia-Romagna’s milking niche has experienced the progressive involvement of workers coming from the Indian state of Punjab. Over the past few years, the extraordinary rise of milk production made possible by the Punjab workers led to a stereotype: the holiness that cows are appointed with in India would make Punjab workers “ethnically susceptible” to perform milking. This originates from a superficial and incorrect belief. Nonetheless, it helps to stimulate a discussion about the reasons of the ability Punjabis indeed demonstrate in their work. Through the ethnographic method, it will be shown how Punjabis are qualified because they embody specific skills, displayed in Italian cowsheds, on account of the rural environment they grew up in.