A Feminist Reading of Italy’s North–South Dualism in the Wake of COVID-19
从女权视角分析意大利南北地区社会规范与家庭习惯差异，利用时间使用数据探讨家庭角色是否在疫情中保护了南方老年人，强调认可照料劳动价值并关注老年照护质量。
Italy has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. According to official data by the Italian National Institute of Health (as of July 22, 2020), more than 34,000 patients, mostly elderly men, have died of COVID-19. The majority of these deaths (82 percent) are concentrated in the Northern regions. This study investigates Italy’s North–South dichotomy, exploring differences in social norms and family habits among Italian regions from a feminist perspective. Relying on time-use data, it analyzes whether family roles have protected elderly people from the pandemic in the South as compared to the North. The paper emphasizes the need to recognize the value of care and support unpaid care work performed by elderly people within and across households. Further, the paper argues for the need to consider the changing conditions of eldercare and contributes to the growing debate about its quality in Italy and elsewhere.