Journal of Romance Studies

Motherhood and work in Italy

A socio-cultural perspective

Journal of Romance Studies (2015), 15, (3), 1–21.

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3828/jrs.2015.150301
Language
English
Pages
21

Abstract

This Special Issue on Mothering and Work in Italy in the Twenty-first Century: Culture and Society* originated in the second workshop of the Motherhood in Post-1968 European Literature Network, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council and organized by the Centre for the Study of Contemporary Women’s Writing (Institute of Modern Languages Research, University of London). The workshop, entitled ‘Mothering and Work: Employment Trends and Rights’ and held on 26 October 2012, explored, starting from literary texts, the interface of social, economic and political forces that have affected women’s access to the labour market and experience of motherhood in Europe. Regrettably, it has not been possible to keep the cross-cultural, European focus of the original workshop. This Special Issue deals solely with the Italian case. In narrowing down the scope of the Issue, we have nevertheless kept faith with the ideas that animated the Network: first of all, the belief that only by adopting an interdisciplinary approach can we truly advance our understanding of the situation of mothers in today’s societies, initiate change in current attitudes to motherhood, and work towards improving policies and provisions which will facilitate mothering; secondly, the vital role of literature, within this interdisciplinary approach, in the attainment of these goals. Literature can accomplish two things: first, it has the power to bring real-life situations to the attention of a wide public who would otherwise either have no experience of them or feel unmotivated to engage with them; secondly, in being able to delve deeply into these situations, it may afford insights and, on occasion, offer solutions which the institutions, politicians and policy makers are not able to envisage.

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Giorgio, Adalgisa