Sara Mazzucchelli

Family Relations as Social Capital

Today, as stated by Beck-Gernsheim in this book, the need for a comparative analysis of the family in Europe is rather compelling, both because of the drive towards globalization as a distinctive feature of contemporary society and the diversity of family forms. Such a diversity emerges for two reasons: first, because of the growing differentiation of the constituent elements of the family (relations between the sexes and between generations) and, second, because of the growing complexity of underlying relational interlacements (Rossi, 2009). Sociologically the development and dynamics of the family can be understood if seen as a reflection of the morphogenetic process of society (Archer, 2003); this enables us to understand the intense differentiation processes at work in our contemporary society. The relational approach conceives the family relationship as a social configuration (Widmer and Jallinoja, 2008) or, better, as a relationship of complete reciprocity among the sexes and generations.

The invisible gap between public policy and company practices in supporting fatherhood: the Italian case

ABSTRACT Work and family reconciliation is a key issue for many countries; in Italy, it is also an important and crucial challenge. Though initially considered a predominantly female issue impacting the maternal employment rate, the importance of fathers in the family domain is now widely acknowledged in policy discourses (such as leave policies). However, an emphasis on ‘fathers’ rights’ has not yet produced the expected improvements in term of men’s sharing care responsibilities and fathers’ involvement in children’s lives. This paper first describes the legislative context along with data on the use of leaves by employed parents. Then three company case studies in the North of Italy are presented and analysed, where both managers and fathers were interviewed to understand the facilitators and barriers for fathers’ leave-taking within companies.

Is The Family Really An Outdated Institution In Italy As Well As In Europe? Findings From The European Values Study

The concept of institution, one of the main issues in the social sciences, has been developed in a number of anthropological, economical, juridical, political, and sociological institutional theories. There is no overarching theory, however, to explain what institutions are for, how they are formed and why they change. This contribution takes into account, in particular, the institution of the family as a fundamental institution of society, not only because it ensures reproduction over time but because it shapes the personal and social identity through socialization of new generations, and will verify whether the family is still considered valid as an institution. In particular, the research questions to be addressed are: is the (marriage-based) family still considered a valid institution by Italians and Europeans? Is it possible to identify specific elements linked to a strong idea of the family? Which elements? Using data from the European Values Study (EVS) 2008–2009, an index was devised to measure the (high, medium, low) importance attributed to the family as a social institution, and its structural and cultural characteristics in both Italy and Europe (with a total of 28 countries considered), as well as with clusters correlated to it.

The Importance of the Family as an Institution: Findings from an Italian Survey

Institutions are the focal points of social organizations that are common to all societies; they address the basic problems of an ordered social life, to which the differentiation of the major institutional spheres or activities corresponds: family and kinship, education, economy, politics, cultural institutions, and social stratification. The concept of institution, a main issue in the social sciences, has been developed in a number of anthropological, economic, juridical, political, and sociological institutional theories (Bumpass 1990).

Flexibility and work-family balance: a win-win solution for companies? The case of Italy

ABSTRACT Flexibility of working time is currently coming to the fore, with varying degrees of intensity, in European countries. After a brief analysis of flexibility (origin, characteristics, spread) in Europe, this paper will focus in particular on the Italian case by presenting a phenomenon attracting growing attention: ‘Smart Working.’ This is an innovative approach to work organisation that integrates and exceeds concepts such as teleworking and mobile working, thus questioning traditional constraints (such as physical space or work times and tools) and seeking new balances based on greater freedom for workers, as well as their empowerment. By taking advantage of two recent empirical investigations carried out in Italy (2011–2012) we could illustrates the relevance of S.W. in terms of both aspiration and practice, and its high incidence on core issues such as care, fertility rate, and the daily challenge of balancing family and work. In light of this, we tried to discover whether and under what conditions the introduction of different S.W. forms could be a win-win solution for companies and employees alike.