THE MAKING AND UNMAKING OF A MYTH: ITALIAN AMERICAN WOMEN AND THEIR COMMUNITY.
Item
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Title
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THE MAKING AND UNMAKING OF A MYTH: ITALIAN AMERICAN WOMEN AND THEIR COMMUNITY.
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Identifier
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AAI8515606
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identifier
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8515606
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Creator
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BALANCIO, DOROTHY MARIE CALI.
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Date
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1985
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Sociology, Ethnic and Racial Studies
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Abstract
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The topic this research addresses is the identity of Italian American women, that is, how they may see themselves and their community which will differ from the popular images held by non-Italians. Input from three generations of women: the immigrant grandmothers, their children, and grandchildren is investigated. The biographies of these Italian American women from the three cohorts suggest a wide range of differences, but also spotlight intragenerational similarities. The first generation grandmothers were the ruptured group between two cultures: the rural, peasant Southern Italian culture and the urban American culture. The children socialized by these migrants share common experiences growing up in the Italian American community. This second generation is characterized by a close sibling bond. Social class, mobility as well as ethnicity are important variables to this analysis. The third generation seem to be more individually autonomous than their parent's generation, but with a desire to rediscover old traditions of the family which is described as a part of their social lives. How these women see themselves is important because they are the core of the Italian American family in their wife/mother role.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.
