IMAGES OF THE CHANGING ITALIAN FAMILY

Changes in the structure of Italian families throughout the 1980s are assessed by comparing data from the ISTAT surveys of 1983 and 1990. Th e results are presented from the individual's point of view and we sho w how they fit into different familial configurations. Marriage remain s the central element in Italian families, and the choice for young ad ults is easy: either they remain in their parental household, or they marry - most commonly in order to have children. Among those aged 30-3 9 the number of single parents has increased following a moderate incr ease in marriage breakdown Diversity in family structures tends to app ear primarily during the final stages of life at the time of widowhood . Family structures remain simpler in Italy than the neighbouring West ern countries, but the strong continuity in family structure does not mean that there been no changes, only that it is more difficult to cap ture them by statistical methods.