La domesticité en Italie durant la période du fascisme (1922-1943)

Domesticity in Italy durlng the fascist perlod 1922-1943 This paper analyses the characteristics of Italian domestics under fascism, at several levels: legislative, moral, education, and domestics professional training, quantativity and !ts importance within the active population, the change in !ts quality. Between the two wars, Italian domestic1ty does not diminish, it is rather increased. According the national cens us information, domestics represent 2.4% of the entire active population in 1921 , while in 1936 they reach 3.2%. The consolidation of fascism, an authoritarian and hierarchical regime, results in increased domesticity. But the change is not the same for both sexes. The rate Is reduced (from 0.5% ta 0.2%) for men, whereas the rise is of 7.2% in 192 1 to 11.4% in 1931 ( 10.5% in 1936) for women. For women, left out of many jobs consldered more "modern" and deemed professional by fascist law, household work Is one of the sectors where they can find employment. This causes a heavy Increase ln feminine domesticlty. At the same time they strive ta train servants, chambermaids, cooks... etc. Many books are published to help female domestics, their dutles and their jobs. Priests and catholic associations play a very important part in the moral education and this professional training. These works underline with instance that domestics must be faithful and obedlent ta the masters. On this matter there is a perfect meeting point with the regime's propaganda which presents obedience as a major "virtue" for fasclst and fascism. The fasclst period does indeed represent a most interestlng Instance to reflect on the relatlonshlp between the economy, polltics and mentality on the one slde, and on the other, the Importance and characteristlcs of domesticlty and especially on !ts makeup gender wise. To better develop the analysls of these themes, I will briefly compare the ltalian situation under fascism with the previous and subsequent periods, as well as with the situation, in the other European countries, and particularly ln France.