Italian
Children's Place in Society
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Picture courtesy of www.babies-rattles.co.uk
Children in Italy are placed very
highly on the social scale of Italian society. In Italy, children are
not only seen as one of the greatest gifts of life, but as central
figures of the family. Children are valued primarily for their
psychological, ideological, and political advantages. Psychologically,
children are seen as the core of adulthood. Most Italians aim to have a
child at some point in time to "complete" their lives.
Women see children as the center of their lives. An Italian child is
seen as a gift bringing joy and love to an Italian mother. Children in
Italy also have great ideological value. Italian culture views rasing
children as a culture obligation. Over time the ideological views
towards children have slightly shifted as Italian women have become
more than just mothers, but as women in the workforce. Lastly, children
have great politcal advantages to Italian society. Increased childbirth
rates increase the population of Italy which has great political
advantages for the country as a whole. Overall, Italian society places
children at the top of the social chain.
Children are valued members of an Italian family. Children are
centralized figures loved and cherished by their parents. About 90.2%
of the juvenile population lives with both parents, 7.9% live with one
parent, and 1.9% live with neither. Two-thirds of all one-parent
juveniles live with their mothers. The percentage of children born
outside of marriage is lower in Italy then the rest of the European
Union. A family is only formed when two people are married in hopes of
creating a family, not just simply to have a child. Therefore, children
in Italy are able to get an ideal family experience, where they have
both a mother and a father.
Research shows that mothers and
fathers interact differently with their children. These interactions
have important effects on children's social development. The Italian
concept of mothering involves a strong expectation for women to serve
their children indefinitely. Fathers, have more of a playful role with
their children, although they still display much affection. In a
playful setting, mothers tend to be more soothing and less
controlling while fathers are more playful and vocal.
References:
Jones, Rachel K and Brayfield,
April. 1997. “Life’s Greatest Joy?: European Attitudes Toward the
Centrality of Children.” Social Forces 75:1239-70.
Ronfani,
Paola. 2001. "Children, Law and Social Policy in Italy." International Journal of Law, Policy, and
the Family 15: 276-289.
