ABSTRACT

Italy has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. According to official data by the Italian National Institute of Health (as of July 22, 2020), more than 34,000 patients, mostly elderly men, have died of COVID-19. The majority of these deaths (82 percent) are concentrated in the Northern regions. This study investigates Italy’s North–South dichotomy, exploring differences in social norms and family habits among Italian regions from a feminist perspective. Relying on time-use data, it analyzes whether family roles have protected elderly people from the pandemic in the South as compared to the North. The paper emphasizes the need to recognize the value of care and support unpaid care work performed by elderly people within and across households. Further, the paper argues for the need to consider the changing conditions of eldercare and contributes to the growing debate about its quality in Italy and elsewhere.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Care of and by the elderly has become a new feature of North–South dualism in social norms in Italy.

• North vs. South response to the pandemic reflects differences in terms of caring spirits.

• Differences in family structures may explain regional differences in severity of elderly mortality from COVID-19.

• The need to recognize the value of unpaid work has become urgent in the wake of the pandemic.

• Attention must be devoted to the intangible aspects of intrahousehold care practices.

摘要

意大利受到COVID-19大流行的严重打击。根据意大利国立卫生研究院的官方数据（截至2020年7月22日），有34,000多例患者死于COVID-19，其中大多数是老年男性。这些死亡中的大多数（82％）集中在北部地区。这项研究调查了意大利的南北二分法，从女权主义的角度探讨了意大利各地区社会规范和家庭习惯的差异。依靠时间使用数据，它分析了与北部地区相比，家庭角色是否使老年人免受南部地区的大流行影响。本文强调需要认识到照料的价值，并支持家庭内部和家庭中老年人进行的无偿照料工作。进一步，

强调

• 照料老人和照顾老人已成为意大利社会规范中南北二元主义的新特征。

• 北方与南方对这一大流行的反应反映出关怀精神上的差异。

• 家庭结构的差异可能解释了COVID-19老年人死亡率严重程度的区域差异。

• 在大流行之后，迫切需要认识到无偿工作的价值。

• 必须注意家庭内部护理实践的无形方面。