| Through centuries of unrest, the family in Italy
was a source of stability and strength in an unpredictable world where
governments and borders were always changing. Today, with more stable governments
and a more prosperous economy, the Italian family is undergoing a transformation.
One of the biggest changes is in its size.
Large families were once the ideal, particularly large families of boys.
Today, however, the birth rate in Italy has dropped to about 1.2 births
for every woman of child-bearing age. This means that the population is
not growing and the elderly are becoming a larger proportion of the population.
One regional government in the northwest of Italy has offered financial
incentives to encourage families to have more children. |
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| Although the birth rate is low, the extended family
remains important. Grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins are often invited
to share family celebrations and Sunday dinner. It is not unusual for extended
family members to live near each other or in the same household. When children
grow up, they often stay in the family home until they marry. Sometimes
married children move in with their parents to help with a family business.
The father was once the head of the family and the family's link to the
rest of the world. The mother had power within the family unit. These traditional
roles are changing today as more women enter the paid workforce. |
| Did
you know?
There is no national child care system
in Italy. About 7% of parents use private daycare. The daycare centres
are called nidi (nests). |
|
| Children have a special place in Italian
society. Italians make an effort to include children in social events.
Children go out with their parents to restaurants. They also stay up late
at night to play in the piazza while the parents and grandparents enjoy
a drink at a nearby cafe. Most babies are looked after at home by their
grandparents or by their mothers, if they don't work outside the home.
Meal time is family time in Italy. Family
members expect to eat together around the table. After dinner the family
may go out for the passeggiata, an evening stroll. It is a time
to relax and chat with neighbours and friends, to see and be seen, so everyone
dresses to look their best. |
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| Did
you know?
More than 70% of the population of
Italy live in urban areas. |
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