Blue Collared, White Collared..what's the difference?

In class this morning the point was brought up that the locals here in Rome seem to hold more blue collared jobs as compared to white collared, which is different from cities back in the states, at least Pittsburgh. I made the argument that Romans also seem to be much more proud of their jobs than most Americans do.
As I was walking to class this morning, Brand New playing on my i-Pod, I passed the locals vendors selling everything from shoes, to shirts, to knock-off Prada bags along Viale di Trastevere. All of a sudden a man in a white trench coat stained with blood walked in front of me. I was thrown off for a second, until I remember what I was near. A butcher shop. This young man was not ashamed that his job was to cut meat and sell it to those who could afford to pay 25 Euro for a steak. He simply walked out and started shopping, on what I assumed was a break in his slaughtering action. No shame for his blood colored clothing. When he was done, he went back in to his shop and resumed his business as usual, as if this was a normal part of his day.
Fast forward to the cafe where I grabbed espresso this morning, and the restaurant where we ate lunch today. I noticed a trend in both these places. Photographs. The workers of these shops placed photos of family and friends on the counters and walls of these shops, as if it were their own personal cubicle. These were professionally done photographs as well, with the workers of the shops in them!
I know we shouldn't keep comparing Italian culture to American culture, but it's hard not too. I keep thinking that if I walked into Starbucks on College Ave. and saw the Barista hanging a picture of her and her husband on the wall behind the cash register, I would be a little freaked out. But to these people it is normal, and accepted.
Why not show off who you love? Why be afraid to walk in the streets in your dirty work clothes, when this may show others that your job places you in a lower class than them? The lesson here? Be proud of what you're doing, because to you it's completely unique. Don't let anyone else's opinion dictate your actions. And finally, hang up those cheesy family portraits wherever and whenever you please. Why not?