Changing Italian Families in the Era of Fertility Decline

Abstract

Over the past few decades, in examining the social causes of low fertility in advanced societies, sociologists and demographers have shown increasing interest in southern European countries. Italy has been recognized as one of these countries plagued by lowest‐low fertility. In general, the literature has depicted certain characteristics of Italian families as possible causes of fertility decline. This article examines the situation of contemporary Italian families and intergenerational relationships from a sociological point of view, particularly in comparison with Japanese families. It has sometimes been argued that strong familism characterizes Italian families and society. According to this view, one of the causes of fertility decline in Italy is the continuity of strong families. Empirical data suggest, however, that this familism perspective cannot explain the differences in family patterns observed among Italian regions. In addition, a comparison between Italy and Japan with respect to intergenerational relationships suggests that there are substantial differences between the two countries. It is suggested that a further exploration of the various aspects of social contexts is needed in order to clarify what is distinctive about contemporary Italian families.

Attributions and Attitudes of Mothers and Fathers in Italy

“…Based on a study of a small community in the South of Italy, Banfield created the term “amoral familism,” meaning a behavior highly concerned with family needs, and a much lesser concern for larger social and political dimensions. Familism was afterwards studied not only by Italian social scientists but also by scholars from other countries (for a recent international contribution see Tabuchi, 2008). …”