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The issue of the family has taken on a new dimension in the political debate and in sociological research, given the impact its changing settings have produced on the welfare system and on its redefinition, as well as on labour market conditions. The article analyses the motiva-tions underlying this particular focus from the perspective of the social change involving relations within the family, those between family and labour market and lastly between family and welfare settings. The author assumes a critical sociological standpoint to avoid the risks of redundancy that the sociological analysis is exposed to when guided by policy requirements providing exclusively descriptive and exces-sively simplistic perspectives. However, it is now important to ask new questions and develop new theoretical and methodological approaches.

The paper states the necessity for substantial investment in policies to support childhood. Children, considered both in quantitative and qualitative terms, are identified as the focus for the definition of the new welfare balance. First of all, the article considers the reasons that influence the reproductive choices of women and the reasons behind the low fertility rate, analyzing the negative effects on growth and development resulting from present circumstances. In the light of the importance of human capital as a strategic factor of economic growth, the author supports the necessity to invest in a mix of policies which, on the one hand, allows people, especially women, to satisfy their reproductive desires without them becoming an obstacle to participation in the labor market; on the other hand, it aims to support the growth and development of children by overcoming the social and cultural inequalities inherited from their parents, allowing them to acquire skills that can be put to use in the labor market when they are adults.

The intent of the article is both to elaborate the nature of family change in European societies and to interrogate contemporary policy on the family in the light of emerging changes and risks. The first part of the article undertakes an overview analysis of the main changes affecting families, looking at structure, organisation and relations. It then moves on to consider the key risks and challenges posed by recent changes for individuals, states and society. The risks discussed include the seeming lack of readiness to commit to parenthood, a polarisation between parenthood and partnership, overburdening of women and risks around care. The final section of the article turns to the state’s response, in terms of what it has been and what it might (need to) be.

The Mediterranean model of family consists basically of a few rules: the moral engagement to support with one’s own means the frail members of the family and the golden rule of reciprocity between parents and children. This powerful clearing house between resources and frailties of children and parents is a precious tool to explain the peculiarities of both the current demographic behaviour and the welfare system in the South of Europe. The author explores the current changes in the intergenerational pact and claims for a frame of well tuned social policies, capable of transforming present resource restrictions and rekindling the inert aspirations of the younger generations.

The paper analyses the development of child care policies in Italy. In the last decade two trends have been observed: the widening gap be-tween supply and demand, and a strong differentiation of suppliers. In particular there has been a diffusion of private services due to the introduction of market and also as a result of national and local public incentives, those objective is to increase total supply and to contain public spending. These two trends have developed in a highly differ-entiated territorial articulation, with a classic rift between Centre-North and South of Italy , as well as local varieties of public, profit-making private and social private arrangements. Through three local cases - Monza, Pesaro and Cosenza - the article analyses how different local configurations cause tensions and inequalities in access to the services.

The paper examines the main effects of the difficulties of reconciling life and work times in Italy. It then goes on to analyse a particular aspect of this difficulty, namely the incapacity of satisfying desired fertility plans. Analysing data from an inquiry on living conditions of families from a well off Italian province, there is empirical evidence of the positive effect of the type of work performed by the woman on the gap between children desired and effective. Some policy considerations are given in the conclusion.

The paper analyses the results of a research conducted in a Naples’ district, focusing in particular on links between work flexibility, couple life and reproductive choices. An insight is given on family plans, variables of unstable work and problems faced by young couples on the matter of becoming parents, distinguishing between «partially flexible», «totally flexible» and «one-income» couples. A well-constructed framework emerges whereby couples have difficulty planning and organising the «spill over» between work and parenting and where female work flexibility seems to hinder, rather than favour, the couple’s reproductive choice.

Childhood and family were important issues in the 20th century for public authorities, with various connotations in each country. Yet it is difficult to precisely define the notion of family policy especially from the perspective of an international comparative analysis. Firstly this paper gives an overview of the obstacles to reach a definition of this area of public action. Secondly, it shows, from the French case, how a strategy of genealogical interpretation of family policy can bring about an understanding of the modalities through which national history participates in its progressive definition. Lastly, the role of the European debate in the structuring of these public policies will be discussed.

The article analyses recent developments in families and social policy-making in Spain. First, the impact that «superwomen» have had in underpinning Spanish welfare arrangements in the last decades is analysed. The latter type of mater familias, that has contributed decisively to the economic prosperity and stability of the country, is gradually vanishing. Rapid societal change has encouraged social policy-making in order to provide with new public benefits and services to support families. In subsequent sections of the article, public programmes and legislation carried out by PP (1996-2004) and Psoe (2004- ). Governments are reviewed contrasting the approaches taken by both main Spanish political parties in recent years. Concluding remarks underline the idea that what was considered to be a «women’s issue» can no longer be coped with «behind-closed-doors».

This article reviews Swedish family policy from a gender equality point of view. Family policies and gender equality policies in Sweden are not two separate entities, but are closely interwoven and constructed to mutually support each other. Swedish family policy comprises three parts: 1) child and family benefits, 2) parental insurance, and 3) high quality day-care, which are discussed in the paper. Back-ground information on the societal context of Swedish families is also provided. It is argued that gender-equal family policy in Sweden has been successful, both in promoting a gender-equal society, in keeping up the birth rate and in providing support for families and children.

In 2003, with the publication of the Green Paper on childhood, under the slogan «Every Child Matters», the British government announced the reform of the social assistance for children, young people and families. The policy is still at the initial stage of , implementation so it is not yet possible to assess its effects. In any case, the analysis of discourses constructed around it allows ascertaining the type of relationship created between value systems and policy mechanisms, beliefs behind the policies and hypothesised implementation tools. The arti-cle analyses, on the basis of documents available on the net, the intentions of the policy-makers responsible for the introduction of the new UK policy on childhood, focusing mainly on the conceptual and theoretical premises.

The pensioners’ unions Spi-Cgil, Fnp-Cisl and Uilp-Uil have decided to promote an act on non self-sufficiency. The reasons for this choice stem from the need to prevent, contrast and accompany this phenomenon which is on the rise, involving more than 2,800,000 Italian citizens and their families. The national government has not yet provided a suitable, effective response to requirements stemming from the «risk» of non self-sufficiency, leaving the system of local autonomies and individuals to cover the expenses resulting from the phenomenon. The matter has enormous impact. The act proposes a project to deal with the phenomenon starting from everyday life scenarios; prospecting a definition of non self-sufficiency and assessment modalities, indicating essential rights and guaranteeing their homogeneous application throughout the country; proposing an individualised plan, integrated services and a system to make care workers providing services to the non self-sufficient responsible. The national in-tervention plan proposed is supported by a national fund for non self-sufficiency financed through general taxation and capable of giving a concrete response to social essential levels.

The article presents the main results of a study conducted by Ires on childcare targeted at under3-year-olds. After outlining information currently available on this issue, the following aspects are analysed: a) the diffusion of care services at the regional level; b) an estimate of expressed and unsatisfied demand; c) an overview of the functioning of such services with respect to family requirements. In conclusion, an analysis is conducted on the link between the difficulty in activating infant care services and the fragmentary and residual nature of local welfare systems in Italy.

The researches on social needs of families can be of greater use to policy makers if conducted with specific methodologies aimed at cognitive requirements of social planning for interventions and services. The article illustrates a proposal of a social survey model, already applied in various regional experiences. The peculiarity of the inquiry model is the fact that it is based on an approach on women cohorts.

The article reconstructs how the issue of family responsibility emerged in the discussion on welfare reform. An attempt is also made to indicate how the issue has been linked to the debate on comparative welfare state models. It emerges that the familisation/defamilisation of social policies becomes a crucial area of study, largely unexpexplored, to be considered in paralleò with commodification/decommodification even to plan thedefence or reform ofthe welfare state in new and fit terms in Italy.