Between change and continuity: fathers and work-family balance in Italy

The chapter discusses the changing role of men and fathers and particularly fathers’ work-family concerns in the Italian context. A review of international literature on fathers’ identity and roles, on policies supporting fathers in work-family balance and an analysis of Italian national data (ISTA Multipurpose Survey on Households) will allow us to explore the transformation that affects fathering. Our data confirm that although the time spent by fathers with children is increasing, there is still a considerable gap between the maternal and the paternal involvement. Parenting is still deeply gendered in terms of daily childcare activities, the relationship between care and paid work, discourses on what is appropriate and who has ultimate responsibility for nurturing and caring The help offered by grandparents is crucial but does not challenge the gendered division of care. Data also suggest a strong relation between paternal and maternal job patterns, thus our hypothesis that gender roles are relational and influenced by the family/couple structure seems confirmed.