Introduction

This chapter focuses on the peculiarities of early motherhood in Italy. Italy is undoubtedly an interesting case study as it displays one of the lowest teenage birth rates within the countries of the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). With a birth rate of 6.6 children per 1,000 women aged 15 to 19, it ranks in sixth position – behind Korea, Japan, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Sweden – in the United Nations Children's Fund's (UNICEF’s) league table of teenage births (Singh and Darroch, 2000; UNICEF, 2001 ). This fact can be explained through the mix of continuity and diversity that characterises Italian society: traditional behavioural patterns and family relationships still exist alongside dramatic socioeconomic changes and rapid modernisation.

Italy has one of the lowest divorce rates in the European Union (EU) although the number of divorces and separations is slowly rising. Despite the growing trend towards the postponement of first marriages and the increase of out-of-wedlock parenthood – also observable in the rest of Europe – marriage continues to represent the prevalent form of union and parenthood is placed almost solely within it. This norm is accompanied by a delayed entry into adult sexual life both compared with Europeans of the same age and with previous generations. Moreover, birth control is still entrusted to relatively traditional methods (De Sandre et al, 1999).

Italy is indeed characterised by a specific arrangement between the family, the labour market and the welfare state in which the family plays a predominant role. Especially in the southern part of the country, the network of social relationships between extended family, kin and neighbourhood – which rests upon personal connections, affective links, networks of exchange and a non-cash economy – still constitutes a safety net against poverty and social exclusion. Even in families with a single breadwinner, young adults (both male and female) tend to reside with their parents until they get married, even when they earn an independent income. This prolonged cohabitation is often seen as the outcome of long study periods, high housing costs and the lack of employment opportunities. However, explanations referring to the lack of jobs as the main reason for this prolonged cohabitation are insufficient and fail to grasp the true nature of the problem, all the more so since this phenomenon is more frequent in Northern Italy, where youth unemployment is less concentrated.