This paper examines the impact of welfare and labor market policies and of other institutional and cultural relevant factors on gender relations and motherhood and fatherhood constructions of Italian expectant parents. The study is divided into two parts. The first one illustrates the Italian institutional context which serves as reference point for understanding parents’ beliefs and attitudes which guide their decision processes regarding the gender division of labour between care and employment. The second part of the paper stems from a qualitative study, part of an international comparative project, that using a life course approach reconstruct the first transition to parenthood of 22 Italian working couples, living in Northern Italy. The findings of the study suggest that changing lives of “young generation” of dual-earner couples in Italy in terms of balancing work and care are colliding with the “incomplete” revolution (Esping- Andersen, 2009) of Italian welfare state, in terms of family policy, equal opportunities and labour market policies. The “traditional” vision of gender roles widespread in the workplaces contribute to the persistence of a gendered pattern of work in the family and in the labour market. Our expectant parents’ plans about how to balance paid work and family life after childbirth involve that mother will take parental leave while the father will not, and that the mother will be the main provider of childcare. One argument used frequently to motivate their decision and plans for not taking up parental leave was the widespread gender culture in the workplace. A second argument was that the presence of mother is the best for the child. The "Family care model", is a better solution for the baby.

Motherhood and Fatherhood. The Role of Institutional Context in Italy

BERTOLINI, Sonia;MUSUMECI, ROSY;NALDINI, Manuela;TORRIONI, Paola Maria
2013-01-01

Abstract

This paper examines the impact of welfare and labor market policies and of other institutional and cultural relevant factors on gender relations and motherhood and fatherhood constructions of Italian expectant parents. The study is divided into two parts. The first one illustrates the Italian institutional context which serves as reference point for understanding parents’ beliefs and attitudes which guide their decision processes regarding the gender division of labour between care and employment. The second part of the paper stems from a qualitative study, part of an international comparative project, that using a life course approach reconstruct the first transition to parenthood of 22 Italian working couples, living in Northern Italy. The findings of the study suggest that changing lives of “young generation” of dual-earner couples in Italy in terms of balancing work and care are colliding with the “incomplete” revolution (Esping- Andersen, 2009) of Italian welfare state, in terms of family policy, equal opportunities and labour market policies. The “traditional” vision of gender roles widespread in the workplaces contribute to the persistence of a gendered pattern of work in the family and in the labour market. Our expectant parents’ plans about how to balance paid work and family life after childbirth involve that mother will take parental leave while the father will not, and that the mother will be the main provider of childcare. One argument used frequently to motivate their decision and plans for not taking up parental leave was the widespread gender culture in the workplace. A second argument was that the presence of mother is the best for the child. The "Family care model", is a better solution for the baby.
2013
11th European Sociological Association Conference “Crisis, Critique and Change”
Università di Torino
28-31 Agosto 2013
11th European Sociological Association Conference “Crisis, Critique and Change” Abstracts book
xx
703
703
9788897523499
Sonia Bertolini; Rosy Musumeci; Manuela Naldini; Paola Maria Torrioni
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/2318/157786
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