Family, Work and Old Women’s Situation in Italy and Spain: New Gender Inequalities

Authors

  • Isabella Crespi Università di Macerata
  • Maria Letizia Zanier Università di Macerata
  • Claudia Santoni University of Macerata, Italy
  • Alessandra Fermani Università di Macerata
  • Lucia D'Ambrosi University of Macerata, Italy

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15167/2279-5057/ag.2015.4.8.254

Abstract

The discussion about women’s situation in old age has often been restricted to their employment biographies. For women, however, family factors play a large role in connection with welfare state models. The key research question is: “How has the condition of older women, including their retirement, been influenced by family- and job-related factors in Southern Europe?” Italy and Spain, particularly, exemplify the Mediterranean, familistic welfare model. This paper shows results from the Survey of Health and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) relative to these two countries (Wave 1). The data analysed highlight the impact of different experiences of motherhood, marriage and career, on women’s retirement years. SHARELIFE contains standard questions concerning job and family life aspects. The samples thus obtained provide cases for further research on the situation of ageing women, including those who live alone. SHARE data show that, since the beginning of 2000, women have had shorter careers compared to men, with many career breaks. These differences, which were not followed by any balancing policies in the Lisbon agenda decade, are now affecting women’s retirement and creating new gender inequalities. 

 

Keywords: old women, gender inequality, job and career, motherhood, welfare state, Southern Europe

 

Author Biographies

Isabella Crespi, Università di Macerata

Dipartimento di Scienze della Formazione, dei Beni Culturali e del Turismo

Professoressa Associata di Sociologia dei processi culturali

 

Maria Letizia Zanier, Università di Macerata

Ricercatrice in Sociologia

University of Macerata, Italy

Dipartimento di Scienze Politiche, della Comunicazione e delle Relazioni Internazionali

via Don Minzoni 2 - 62100 Macerata, Italy

Claudia Santoni, University of Macerata, Italy

Dipartimento di Scienze della Formazione, dei Beni Culturali e del Turismo,
P.le Bertelli 1 - 62100 Macerata, Italy
Cultore in Sociologia e Presidente Osservatorio di Genere Macerata

Alessandra Fermani, Università di Macerata

Dipartimento di Scienze della Formazione, dei Beni Culturali e del Turismo,
P.le Bertelli 1 - 62100 Macerata, Italy
Ricercatrice in Psicologia Sociale

Lucia D'Ambrosi, University of Macerata, Italy

Ricercatrice in Sociologia

Dipartimento di Scienze Politiche, della Comunicazione e delle Relazioni Internazionali

via Don Minzoni 2 - 62100 Macerata, Italy

Published

2015-11-09