The Modernization of Female Employment in Italy: One Country, Two Patterns

In this chapter, we explore the two cases of transformation of women’s roles, stressing the growing tensions in each case concerning social and gender inequalities and welfare/caring arrangements. The chapter is divided into three sections. In the first, we will document the different forms of integration of the female labour force in the two macro-regions, while in the second we will identify the distinct forms of modernization which characterize these two areas of Italy, associated with distinct pressures and contradictions in terms of social inequalities and care arrangements. Finally, we will seek to assess the impact of the recent financial and economic crisis on the situation of Italian women in the North and the South of the country.