Wednesday, June 26, 2013
A1.18C (Oudemanhuispoort)
Many European governments are struggling to reconcile the balance sheets of pensions, social welfare, debts, and austerity measures amid social and economic crises. These struggles are especially visible in heated political debates about the anticipated needs of aging populations. Yet, in the midst of these discussions, there remains little inquiry into understanding how the not so elderly are experiencing this uncertain era. In Italy, in particular, this uncertainty is notable in the lives of “women of a certain age,” who have fulfilled the daily responsibilities of childrearing, and are now chronologically poised to be close guardians of grandchildren, as well as primary care providers for elderly parents. Under the pervasive influence of Catholic ideology, Italian women have historically been the principal providers of family care. Nonetheless, women who are currently in their mid-50s to mid-60s came of age in the socially turbulent and transformative years of the 1960s and 70s. By being the first to successfully challenge the patriarchal legal system, they achieved what many would consider autonomy, negotiating the boundaries between fulfilling familial responsibilities and prioritizing their own careers and interests. They have new opportunities available to them, and occupy an unprecedented demographic and social space between the two traditionally recognized age-specific gender roles of mother and grandmother. This paper examines the opportunities and challenges of daily life for these "woman of a certain age," with a specific focus on the nuanced meanings of autonomy in the current economic crisis.
