‘Double Yes’ for Whom? Gender Innovation in Italian Families

Effects of the financial crisis on university choice by gender

“…Still, females are expected to face greater difficulty than males in obtaining jobs in a constrained labour market, particularly considering the role of Italian women and expected family responsibilities (e.g. Falcinelli and Magaraggia 2013). Our findings are somewhat different from the findings of Sojkin et al (2015) concerning Poland, where females opted for a more career-centred orientation in their choices due to constrained labour markets, and a convergence trend between males and females is observed.…”

“…A youth unemployment rate above 40% from August 2013 to August 2015, according to Eurostat, justifies these expectations. However, these trends also mirror gender differences in Italian society; female and male students are driven by different expectations concerning their future, particularly when this future is in an increasingly difficult financial context and constrained labour market (see Falcinelli and Magaraggia 2013). Taking into account that males in general continue to be more career-centred in a financial crisis, whereas females assume a more adaptive or family-centred path, the preference theory expectation that labour markets will continue to be unbalanced for females in the future is likely.…”

The Italian family, motherhood and Italianness in New Zealand. The case of the Italian community of Wellington

“…To help new arrivals to settle (and to help their budget), they take in Italian lodgers: the wife reported that they only take unattached females, because Italian males do no housework, 'probably because they have been brought up by Italian mothers'. Her assessment of gender roles in contemporary Italy is confirmed, with reference to more complex scenarios, by sociological research (Anxo, Mencarini, Pailhé, Solaz, Tanturri, & Flood, 2011;Falcinelli & Magaraggia, 2013;Pacelli, Pasqua, & Villosio, 2013;Saraceno, 2000). This research is examined and compared with research on New Zealand in the final section of this article, to better tease out the ideals and realities of the lives of New Zealand mothers of Italian descent.…”

“…Collective as the solution to the problem of female life-work balance, enabling Italian women to say a 'double yes' to career and motherhood (Libreria delle donne di Milano, 2008). This proposal has been criticised for ignoring the constraints of female employment already mentioned, for assuming that the work of care is still primarily women's responsibility and for perpetuating gender inequalities within the family (Falcinelli & Magaraggia, 2013). Recent research on part-time work and on maternal identities among New Zealand women of European descent reveals similar assumptions.…”

“…Today, despite intervening changes in women's material circumstances and symbolic position, Italian working women must still be perfect mothers and housewives. Care of home, children and the elderly is still assumed to be primarily their responsibility, even though, with access to higher education in the 1970s, women have entered the labour market in greater numbers, especially since the 1990s (Falcinelli & Magaraggia, 2013). In Italy, norms in matters of cleanliness, food preparation, appearance and sociability have remained largely unchanged: very high standards are internalised by both sexes and expected of women, whether single or married, employed or not.…”