Journeys among women: Feminism in five Italian cities (Europe and the international order)

This work is a comparative study of the emergence of feminism in Italy and its development in a variety of different cities. The author traces the history of feminism in Italy and its links with women's and workers' movements. She looks at the different types of women's organizations - the Union of Italian Women, trade-union feminist collectives, single-issue collectives - in five very contrasting cities, from the Catholic culture of Verona in the North, to the inhospitable industrial city, Caserta, in the South. From these specific examples, the author extends her analysis to examine the way in which new political actors - women, suddenly expressing themselves forcefully in public life - behave not only in major cities, but also in lesser known backwaters. This book draws the reader into the lives of Italian women and into their hopes and fears for their political and social futures. It should interest students in sociology, politics and women's studies, as well as interested general readers.