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1534.3.9 25-05-2012 14:26 Pagina 1 1534.3.9 P. DONATI P. FAMILY POLICY: Pierpaolo Donati A RELATIONAL APPROACH The purpose of this book is to propose a new way of looking at the - FAMILY POLICY: A RELATIONAL APPROACH A RELATIONAL POLICY: FAMILY family and family policy in the context of a society that is in the process of FAMILY POLICY: globalization. It aims above all at challenging the prevailing way in which family public policy is understood and practiced worldwide today, that is what Donati calls the lib-lab configuration. Empirical research has shown A RELATIONAL APPROACH that family policies today are involved in a number of vicious cycles that generate more problems than they solve and in some cases lead to total policy failure. The book presents alternatives to the ways in which the family is considered and treated today. It seeks to review the relations between families and public policies from the viewpoint of relational sociology. This viewpoint is ‘differential’, that is it highlights what makes a difference in building family relations in one way or another. The originality of this volume rests in its analysis of the present situation, its challenge to current public policies and the proposals of new directions towards a relational configuration that Donati calls societal, plural and subsidiary family policies. Approaching the topic from the family’s point of view, the book operates through employing relational distinctions, highlighting the differences, that are hidden in the field observed, often unexpressed in the face of a colonizing assumption that the family is the mere product of society. Pierpaolo Donati is Professor of Sociology at the University of Bologna (Italy). Past-President of the Italian Sociological Association, he has served for many years as scientific Director of the National Observatory on the Family of the Italian Government. He is known as the founder of an original “relational theory of society” or “relational sociology”. Among his works (100 books and 700 essays): Repensar la sociedad. El enfoque relacional, EIU, Madrid, 2006; Manual de Sociología de la Familia, Eunsa, Pamplona, 2007; La matrice teologica della società, Rubbettino, Soveria Mannelli, 2010; Relational Sociology. A New Paradigm for the Social Sciences, Routledge, London and New York, 2011. SOCIOLOGIA, FrancoAngeli CAMBIAMENTO La passione per le conoscenze E POLITICA SOCIALE Collana diretta da Pierpaolo Donati FRANCOANGELI Sociologia, cambiamento e politica sociale, collana diretta da Pierpaolo Donati Comitato scientifico: Pete Alcock (Univ. Birmingham, Uk), Margaret S. Archer (EPFL. Losanna), Eliezer Ben-Rafael (Univ. Tel Aviv, Israele), Luigi Frudà (Univ. Sapienza Roma), Alain Caillé (Univ. Nanterre, Parigi), Ivo Colozzi (Univ. Bologna), Pierpaolo Donati (Univ. Bologna), Adalbert Evers (Univ. Justus-Liebig Giessen, Germania), Pablo García Ruiz (Univ. Saragozza, Spagna), Fabio Ferrucci (Univ. del Molise), Guido Gili (Univ. del Molise), Fabio Folgheraiter (Univ. Cattolica Milano), Michel Forsé (Cnrs, Pa- rigi), Max Haller (Univ. Gratz, Austria), Jean-Claude Kaufmann (Univ. Sorbona, Parigi), Antonio Lucas (Univ. Complutense, Madrid), Andrea M. Maccarini (Univ. Padova), Ga- briele Pollini (Univ. Trento), Douglas Porpora (Univ. Drexel Filadelfia, Usa), Riccardo Prandini (Univ. Bologna), Masamichi Sasaki (Univ. Tokyo, Giappone), Lester Salamon (Univ. Johns Hopkins, Baltimora, Usa), Ivan Svetlik (Univ. Lubiana, Slovenia), Gunther Teubner (Univ. Francoforte, Germania), Helmut Willke (Univ. Zeppelin, Konstanz, Ger- mania). La collana si propone di approfondire e sviluppare tematiche, sia generali che specifiche, concernenti la sociologia come «scienza della società», nei suoi vari aspetti e dimensio- ni, in particolare per quanto riguarda le sue applicazioni al vasto campo delle politiche sociali. La politica sociale è qui intesa come «momento riflessivo» della sociologia in quanto sapere teorico-pratico. Sia nelle società cosiddette avanzate o complesse, sia nelle società cosiddette in via di sviluppo o «diverse», gli orientamenti a costruire una «società del benessere a dimensio- ne umana» comportano connessioni sempre più significative fra sociologia e politica so- ciale, e indicano una tendenza storica che è al centro degli interessi scientifici della col- lana. Le analisi, sia teoriche sia empiriche, così come i processi di formazione e appren- dimento, dipendono ogni giorno di più da relazioni strette fra momento interpretativo della realtà sociale e azione-intervento sociale. Per questo, la collana dà particolare rilie- vo ad un modo di intendere e praticare la sociologia come sistema di osservazione-dia- gnosi-guida relazionale dei processi sociali. La collana si concentrerà soprattutto sui processi di mutamento e di innovazione socia- le. Nel porre particolare attenzione alle fenomenologie sociali emergenti, essa intende non solo fornire interpretazioni e spiegazioni dei fatti sociali, in una prospettiva che non dimentica la dimensione storica dei problemi, ma anche riflessioni su esperienze e orientamenti di carattere operativo, nella consapevolezza che la sociologia, nonostante tutte le crisi periodiche, viene assumendo una valenza sempre maggiore come sapere fondamentale per orientarsi nel mondo contemporaneo. Per rispondere alle esigenze co- noscitive, operative e formative, la collana si articola in tre sezioni: 1. Opere generali, 2. Ricerche, 3. Manuali e testi didattici. La collana prevede per ciascun testo la valutazione preventiva di almeno due referee anonimi. I lettori che desiderano informarsi sui libri e le riviste da noi pubblicati possono consultare il nostro sito Internet: www.francoangeli.it e iscriversi nella home page al servizio “Informatemi” per ricevere via e-mail le segnalazioni delle novità. Pierpaolo Donati FAMILY POLICY: A RELATIONAL APPROACH FRANCOANGELI In copertina: Ermes Rigon, Interrelazione, chine e tempere su tela, 1984; per gentile concessione dell’autore Copyright © 2012 by FrancoAngeli s.r.l., Milano, Italy L’opera, comprese tutte le sue parti, è tutelata dalla legge sul diritto d’autore. L’Utente nel momento in cui effettua il download dell’opera accetta tutte le condizioni della licenza d’uso dell’opera previste e comunicate sul sito www.francoangeli.it. Contents Introduction. Family policy from a “differential” viewpoint page 9 1. The issues and the goal of the book » 9 2. A critical perspective on the current approaches to family policies » 13 3. The alternatives put forward by my point of view » 16 4. The common thread of the book » 17 1. The New Citizenship of the Family » 25 1. The problem: modern society’s ambivalent attitude towards the family » 25 2. Rethinking the central role of the family » 28 3. Relevance or irrelevance (difference or indifference) of the family to the development of civilization? » 30 4. Social policy directions, reviewed from their vision of the family/society relationship » 37 5. The family is a social subject requiring its own citizenship » 39 6. New social policies: choosing the family as a basis for a new model for quality of life » 48 7. Summary » 51 2. Fundamental Principles of Family Policy » 53 1. The problem: what are the principles that currently inspire family policy? Crises and new directions » 53 2. The models of family policy inherited from the 20th century: their characteristics and results » 55 3. How to redefine family policy? Three crucial questions » 64 5 4. Prospects of a new relational model page 72 5. Summary: new foundations for family policies » 77 3. How May the Family Be a Social Subject? » 86 1. The topic » 86 2. What does it mean today to say that the family is a social subject » 86 3. Towards a society that promotes “family welfare”? The ambivalence of the present social policies » 89 4. The social subjectivity of the family as a culture and as public policy » 94 5. Summary: difficulties and promises of a new social subjectivity of the family » 103 4. Subsidiarity and Intergenerational Solidarity: Guidelines for Family Policy » 107 1. The crisis of solidarity among generations: the issue and the theses » 107 2. Which generations and what kind of solidarity are we talking about here? Certain common misunderstandings » 111 3. The ways social policy deals with the problem of intergenerational solidarity: old and new models » 115 4. The role of the family in mediating exchanges between the generations » 126 5. Summary and prospects for the future: the creation of a new system of institutions based on subsidiarity and intergenerational solidarity » 133 References » 137 6 To the young people who want to know Introduction Family policy from a “differential” viewpoint 1. The issues and the goal of the book The purpose of this book is to propose a new way of looking at the family and family policy in the context of a society that is in the process of globalisation. In the light of this objective, it aims above all at challenging the way in which family public policy is understood and practiced in Western nations today. It sets out to highlight positive aspects as well as points where crises have arisen from the contradictions and shortcomings of current public policy on the family. Empirical research has in fact shown that family policies today are involved in a number of vicious cycles that generate more problems than they solve and in some cases lead to total policy failure, if the original intent of the policy is taken into account. As a secondary aim, the work will present alternatives to the ways in which the family is considered