Tra dipendenze intergenerazionali e asimmetrie di genere. Politiche e scelte riproduttive nelle Marche

Between intergenerational dependencies and gender asymmetries: Policies and repro- ductive choices in the Marche Region.*** This essay considers factors affecting low fertili- ty in the Marche region and evaluates their implications for family policies. Low fertility is analysed in the light of the transformations occurred in the last decade, by highlighting the changes in the demographic structure and dynamics, the modifications produced by the pro- cesses of modernization in the ways of making family and parenting, couples’ expectations in the face of social and economic constraints and opportunities characterizing the local con- texts. The article pays particular attention to the role of subjective processes of signification in shaping reproductive choices. The methodology combines a quantitative approach, fo- cused on secondary data analysis, with a qualitative one, that allowed the authors to gather the points of view of key informants and couple partners in reproductive age through semi- structured interviews and focus groups.