Who cares about lone mothers in Italy?

Abstract

This paper examines how lone mothers are taken care of in municipality of Parma in Italy, in a welfare model that does not have special social policies for lone mothers. The aim of this study is to see the relationship between lone mothers and the welfare services in a local Italian context. In this study lone motherhood is examined from the perspective of welfare state models. The research has been done with qualitative method and inductive approach. The empirical data was collected with semi-structured interviews. Analyses are based on interviews with five social sector workers in public social services and in voluntary organisations. The data is analysed in the light of theoretical framework including the theories of different welfare models by Titmuss (1974) and Esping-Andersen (1987, 1990, 1992). In Italian welfare model social security is income related and that is why church, voluntary organisations and family are playing a vital role in social services. The public allowances are rare in Italy and that is why Italians are more dependent on their families and private organisations economically that for example in a social-democratic states. This kind of features can influence negatively in lone mothers who are in risk of poverty and exclusion.