The stereotyped image of the large and traditional Italian family, with more than six children, is just an old memory. In fact, in the last thirty years the structure of the Italian family has dramatically changed from the traditional model we were used to see in old movies. In the past, Italian families, especially those of the South, were made up of a lot of children and they were patriarchal units where women usually didn’t work.
In the last 100 years, the evolution of the country from an agricultural system into an industrial system brought many changes to the culture, mentality, and habits of Italian society – and families have changed as a result. However, heirlooms of the traditional model of family can still be found in the modern system.
