Mai Mamma: An exploratory qualitative case study of Apulian mothers' perception of childcare

Abstract: In Italy, ideas surrounding family and motherhood seem to be unveiled as myths rather than values. Despite the historical prominence of these notions within the national political and social agenda, the country's support to families and predominantly female caregivers remains severely inadequate. This insufficiency not only hinders progress in female employment – already one of the lowest in Europe – but also reinforces traditional gender roles within households that are already hard to be eradicated from the socio-political fabric. There is a scarcity of qualitative research on motherhood and childcare in Italy, with even fewer local studies focusing on specific regions, especially in the South. This research attempts to fill this gap, representing an exploratory qualitative study of mothers residing in Puglia with preschool-aged children (0-6). The interviewees' perceptions of the care they undertake for their children is the primary focus of investigation. The study employs a theoretical apparatus that draws from Silvia Federici and other Marxist-feminists' concept of social reproductive labor, to be then streamlined by Kathleen Lynch's theorization of love labor given the intimate nature of the care relations investigated. These theoretical underpinnings help identify four key themes linked to the interviewees' perspectives on childcare: lack of State support, intensive attitudes toward childcare, affective reasons for assuming childcare responsibilities, and use of formal vs. informal care support. These elements interact with the interviewees' perceptions of childcare, shaping their choices and experiences with it.