Tartu – 7th June 2006

1. Main Characteristics of Present-day Italian Families Edited by Tartu – 7th June 2006

2. Definition of Family • Basic unit of our society made up of parents and children (1st meaning). • A group of individuals united by the same bond and having common ancestry, thus sharing past, present and future (2nd meaning). (Lo Zingarelli, Italian Dictionary, 2002)

3. The notion of family in the Italian body of rules • Official Constitution of the Italian Republic (articles 29-30) • Law no. 151 of 19th May 1975 – Reform of Family Law Italian laws directly or indirectly regulating family matters: • Law no. 285 of 1997 -“Provisions for the Promotion of Children’s and Adolescents’ Rights and Opportunities" • Law no. 451 of 1997 -“Establishment of a Parliamentary Committee for Children and the National Childhood Observatory" • Law no. 53 of 2000 -“Provisions aimed at supporting Motherhood and Fatherhood, the right to childcare and training as well as the coordination of municipal actions“ • Law no. 328 of 2000 “Outline Law for the Introduction of an Integrated Sstem of Social Actions and Services"

4. Different meanings of the current notion of family in Italy: a question under discussion • According to the Italian legislation, married couples are the only ones entitled to form a family. (“The Italian Republic acknowledges the rights of a family as a natural society rooted in marriage”, article 29, par. 1 of the Italian Constitution) • At present the notion of family is going through a transition period. From a personal standpoint, in fact, families can be of different types, such as: de facto couples, customary marriages, single-parent families, extended families, singles... • All these different definitions testify to the complexity of this issue, which is currently under debate on all levels: social, cultural and political.

5. Different meanings of the current notion of family in Italy: a question under discussion • The debate is still open and reflects the clash between the notion of family rooted in marriage as a social basis of our society, as established by the Italian Constitution, and the socio-economic transformations that have deeply impacted on the characteristics of Italian families. • Since the nineties, the political debate on the protection and recognition of de facto couples has become more intense in accordance with the increased number of bills aimed at regulating civil marriages.

6. The notion of family from a sociological standpoint • ... the word family epitomises the most unclear concept ever (...) A family does exist when there’s an ongoing, stable and unincidental commitment vis-à-vis somebody else in a given place (...). That’s why for some cultures a family is recognised when there is an actual commitment versus other generations, especially future ones... (Chiara Saraceno, Ha ancora senso la famiglia ? 1998)

7. The notion of family from a sociological standpoint According to sociology, the primary task of a family is to guarantee biological and socio-cultural reproduction, which has an impact on our society. For this reason, both family and society change on a mutual basis from a spatial-temporal standpoint.

8. Who’s monitoring Italian families and related trends? • National Statistical Institute (Istat) Its main activities include: censuses of the population, industry, services and agriculture as well as surveys on families (consumption, workforce, daily life habits, health, security, leisure, family and social subjects, time allotment...). • National Observatory on Family Matters Established in 2004, it comprises 25 Municipal Authorities representing all Italian regions. The Municipal Authorities of Bologna act as project leader. • Eurispes This non-profit institute of political, economic and social studies was established in 1982. • Censis This institute of socio-economic research carries out studies, consultancy, assessment and puts fowards proposals in the vital social sectors on a regular basis.

9. Definition of family provided by the Italian National Statistical Institute (ISTAT) As a rule, the word family indicates “a group of people sharing a common bond, such as marriage, kinship, affinity, adoption, protection or affection, living together or resident in the same Municipality. A family can be formed also by a single person” Definition provided by the National Statistical Institute (ISTAT)

10. Family Types identified by ISTAT According to Istat there exist two family types: • Families with nuclei, nucleus meaning the whole of people having a love or a parent-child relationship; • Families without nuclei, including: singles, families made up of two sisters or brothers, a separated, divorced or widowed parent with a child, etc. These two family types can be formed by one or more generations

11. Istat Data

12. Istat Data

13. Istat Data

14. Changing Trends in Italian Families • Diffusion of “long families in young adults”, meaning the tendency to stay home beyond the average age of marriage. In 2003 60.2% of sons and daughters 18 to 34 were living with at least one parent (34.9% of 25 to 34). Said longer stay is mainly due to economic reasons or the will not to renounce to the related advantages • Increased Age of Marriage (both men and women). In 2003 15.1% of women up to 34 years of age were married (43.6% not married), versus 9.3% of men up to 34 years of age (32.8% not married). In the age bracket 35 to 44, married women account for 25.5% (30.1% not married); married men account for 23.2% (31.4% not married) • In relation to this, childbearing age was also increased, that is between 30 and 35 years of age. In 2003 couples with children whose mother is 15 to 24 accounted for 1.3% (2.1% in 1994-95); 25 to 34 accounted for 16.5% (22.1% in 1994-95); and 35 to 44 accounted for 34.4% (31.1% in 1994-95)

15. Changing Trends in Italian Families • Decreased Birth Rate. The decrease in the birth rate has not only implied a reduction in the number of couples with children, but it is encouraging a constant increase of couples with one child, which in 2003 accounted for 45.1% of total couples with children (43.4% in 1994-5), and a constant reduction of couples with three children or more (13.3% in 1994-5 and 11.5% in 2003) • Increase in the separation and divorce. In 2002 a 4.9% and a 4.5%, increase were respectively recorded compared to 52.2% and 54.7% in 1995. More specifically, 158 separations and 80 divorces out of 1,000 marriages were recorded in 1995, whereas seven years later this ratio was 257 to 131 • Diffusion of new family types: customary marriages or common law marriages, extended families, non-widowed singles and single parents are playing a key role. In 2003 they accounted for 23% of families (18% in 1993-94). Over the last twenty years, customary marriages have gained ground especially among young people, thus recording and increase from 1.3% to 3.8% of total couples. Extended families to unmarried couples account for 40.3% (married: 59.7%).

16. Changing Trends in Italian Families • Singles are increasing, one fourth of Italian families is represented by singles (25.8%). Non-widowed singles account for 5.5% of total population, mostly men (53.5%), whose average age is six years below that of women (46 years versus 52). • Single-parent families (a parent living with at least one child) have increased from 3.9% in 1993-94 to 5.6% in 2003. Single mothers account for 85.2%, versus 14.8% of single fathers. • Increase in the number of elderly families, and elderly singles in particular. A better life expectancy also implies an increase in the number of elderly couples. The number of the elderly 75 to 84 living together increased from 40.4% in 1993-94 to 48% in 2003. Single elderly account for 52.5% of singles.