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.only subscribers can see the full article