1.1 Families in Different Societies

Unit 1 Overview

Unit 1 explores themes related to Italian-speaking families and communities. It also discusses the ideas of contemporary life, global challenges, and personal identity/characteristics.  

👨‍👩‍👦 Families are an essential part of society. As you study Italian communities, ask yourself a few questions regarding Italian families. Here are some guiding questions to help you get started:

• What does a typical Italian family look like?
• How do families influence values, beliefs, and traditions in Italian communities?
• What are some challenges that f

Family Structures/Dynamic 

In the past, the traditional Italian family consisted of a large home with many children, where the men worked and the women stayed home. But, the dynamic has significantly changed in Italy. The importance of the extended family and having a strong relationship with parents and grandparents still exists, but there are MAJOR changes:  

• More women work outside of the home—families have more equal roles (alla pari)
• Increase in the # of mixed families
• A high number of families with only 1 or even 0 children
• Decreased marriage rates, delays in weddings

Family is considered one of the most important aspects of life for many Italians and is central to the culture.

Men

Traditionally, the father or the head of the household in an Italian family is responsible for providing for the family financially. This may include working a full-time job, running a business, or managing family property or investments. The father is also often seen as the authority figure and decision-maker within the family. However, with the increasing participation of women in the workforce and changing societal norms, these traditional gender roles are becoming more flexible.

Women 👩🏾👧🏻👩🏻‍🎓👩🏼‍💻

In the past, women were seen as simply homemakers (le casalinge), but now more women work outside of the home. Similarly to the United States, the level of equity between men and women is increasing every year. There is still a divide between the two genders, but there is no denying the importance of women in Italian society:

• "Soul" of the family—cook, clean, care for the children
• Receive higher education and take high-paying jobs— the greater presence of women in the workforce- Help sustain families and themselves on a monetary level
• Compassionate, kind, hard-working, helpful, incredible, powerful- Per esempio: Nel film "La Vita è Bella, la madre, Dora Orefice, è una donna ricca che decide di sposare un uomo ebreo in una classe sociale inferiore. sacrifica una grande casa, abiti eleganti e altro per una famiglia. poi, dato che il film si svolge durante la seconda guerra mondiale, sceglie di andare con suo figlio nel campo di concentramento nonostante non sia ebrea perché vuole proteggerlo dagli orrori della situazione

Grandparents 👵👴🏽

In Italy, the elderly tend to live closer to the city so that they can have greater access to healthcare (assistenza sanitaria) and other social benefits. They love to go out with their friends, often taking trips to the neighborhood church, movie theater, or local restaurant. One of the biggest differences between the role of grandparents in the USA and Italy is that in the states, families often put their elderly relatives in a nursing home (casa di riposo), but in Italy, the families take care of one another and the old live with their children.

• Per esempio: Per contesto, dopo l'università, molti ragazzi scelgono di tornare a casa perché l'economia italiana è debole e vogliono risparmiare in cerca di lavoro. Anche i nonni vivono a casa e di conseguenza, sviluppano un rapporto molto forte con la famiglia

Strive for Five Vocab 🔑 🔑 

• Legame - bond
• La casalinga - housewife
• Monogenitoriali - single parent
• Allargato/a - expanded
• La famiglia patriarcale - patriarchal family
• La famiglia alla pari - both parents have equal rights
• L'anziono - elderly person
• La famiglia nucleare - nuclear family
• Condiviso/a - shared
• Il divorzio - divorce
• Il matrimonio - wedding
• Occuparsi dei figli - to care for the children
• Il badante - caregiver
• Sacrificare - to sacrifice