A crisis of births : population politics and family-making in Italy / Elizabeth L. Krause.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Krause, Elizabeth L.

Series:

Case studies on contemporary social issues

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Human geography.

Women.

Italy--Population.

Italy.

Population.

Families--Italy.

Families.

Women--Italy--Attitudes.

Human geography--Case studies.

Genre:

Case studies.

Physical Description:

xvi, 208 pages : illustrations, map ; 23 cm.

Place of Publication:

Belmont, CA : Wadsworth/Thomson, [2005]

Summary:

When reproduction becomes a political issue, where do you stand? A CRISIS OF BIRTHS: POPULATION POLITICS AND FAMILY MAKING IN ITALY tells the fascinating story of Italian families in the 1990s, when Italy had the lowest birthrate of any nation in the world. You'll gain an in-depth understanding of why Italy's birthrate has fallen so low and what this means for Italians as individuals and Italy as a society and how reproduction has become politicized. Personal dialogues with ordinary people ranging from sweater-makers to counts, and aging bachelors to doting mothers reveal how a silent revolution against patriarchy reshapes social and sexual morality to create new imperatives for family making.

Contents:

Chapter 1 Population Politics, Cultural Struggles 1

A Crisis of Births 2

Why "Culture"? 6

Entering the Field 10

Nicoletta: Sacrifices Unfulfilled 16

Cultural Politics and the Quiet Revolution 19

Chapter 2 Family Tree, Revolutionary Roots 21

A Quiet Revolution 22

A Peasant Protest 24

Rags and History 25

Diffuse Industry and the Family 29

The Labyrinth of History 32

Dust and Documents 35

Weavers and Wet Nurses 37

A Sold Woman 41

The Last Laugh 43

Chapter 3 Fieldwork, Sweater Work 45

Locating Diffuse Industry 46

Jealousy and Fieldwork 48

Sweater Work 49

Hidden Labor 52

The Apprenticeship 53

Family Firms, Family Obligations 55

Impressions 56

Buttons and a Family Firm 59

Rushing to Rush 63

Searching for Self-Respect 64

Integrated yet Unending Obligations 65

Chapter 4 Displaying Class, Consuming Distinction 68

Order as Morality 75

Genterella, or Low-Class Folks 77

Praying for a Sibling 79

Catholics and Communists 81

Antidotes to Consumerism 83

La Cucina Povera 86

Poverty versus Prosperity 90

Chapter 5 Labors of Love, Love's Labors 92

Real Love 93

Uneasy Love 94

Rags, Romance, and Negotiated Love 96

Unmaking and Remaking Love 99

Sunflowers and an Etruscan Tomb 102

A Challenge to the Priest 104

Son Robbery 105

Mother Robbery 107

A Hard Move 108

Public Prying 113

Nuptial Beds and Virgins 115

Unrequited Love 117

Rational Love 119

Stigma and Family-Making 121

Love as Risky Business 122

Hues of Love 124

Chapter 6 Gendered Myths, Gender Strife 127

Noble Clues to an Ignoble Myth (Myth #1) 128

The Journey toward Equality (Myth #2) 133

Culture of Responsibility 134

Responsibility and School 135

The Traitor 140

The Craft of Motherhood 144

Responsibility and Food 146

The Men in the House (Myth #3) 151

Myth Puncturing 158

Chapter 7 Demographic Alarms, Racial Reverberations 161

Demographic Alarms 163

Racism Clothed as Culture 164

Panic over Immigrants 167

A Crisis of Birth 169

Italy's Strange Race Question 172

The "Octopus," Criminal Anthropology, and Racial Formation 174

Demographic Malaise 175

Irrational Sex 176

Sneaky Pronatalism as Policy 178

Challenging Whiteness 181

Consequences of Alarm 182

Chapter 8 Globalizing Policy, Policing Populations 184

Global Fertility and Policy Trends 187

The Three Pigs: A Local Theory 194.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 199-205) and index.

ISBN:

0534636934

OCLC:

54617778