How migrants keep Italian families Italian: badanti and the private care of older people.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this paper is to describe how migration affects the care of older people in Italy. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: The paper is based on anthropological fieldwork by one of the authors. This consisted of in-depth interviews with 20 "badanti" (migrant caregivers), with relatives of older people and with social workers in the city of Verona, Italy. It further included extensive study of secondary materials on the topic of migrant care of older people. FINDINGS: Badanti, Italian families and older people find themselves locked in an uneasy contract: badanti because they are exploited and often unable to find better, formal employment; Italian families because they are aware that they fail to render their moral duty to their aged parents and grandparents; and older people because they feel neglected and maltreated by their children. Yet the three parties also rely on each other to make the best of a precarious situation. The relationship between badanti and Italian elderly highlights the contradictions within Italian politics on care and migration. This case study shows how migrants help Italian families to hold on to the tradition of family care for ageing parents. RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS: The small sample of badanti and families provides a detailed and profound insight of the complexity of elder care in Italy but does not allow generalisation for developments in the country as a whole. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: Policy makers should take notice of the indispensability of informal migrant care in present day Italy. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: The originality of the paper lies in the in-depth conversations with badanti and in the way in which elderly care is contextualised in the Italian tradition of care and present day politics.

Idosos e mulheres imigrantes à margem: o caso das badanti na Itália / Vieux et femmes immigrees en marge: le cas des "badanti" en Italie / Old persons and immigrated women marginalization: the case of "badanti" in Italy

Na Itália, há alguns anos, uma nova profissão nasceu como resposta adaptativa ao envelhecimento da população: a das badanti. Esse termo popular designa as mulheres imigrantes trabalhadoras no domicílio de pessoas idosas. Esse fenômeno de sociedade diz respeito a quatro milhões de pessoas, contando os assistidos e as trabalhadoras. Essas pessoas se encontram à margem da sociedade e são desconsideradas. A desqualificação é implícita, inscrita na própria denominação. Badanti vem do verbo "badare", que significa "vigiar de perto", "guardar": a empatia inscrita no termo "care" ou "ajuda" não está presente. Esse welfare feito em casa, que se revelou um recurso diante da carência de serviços públicos, fez explodir as numerosas contradições que constituirão o objeto de nossa análise. A crônica dos jornais diários sobre incidentes fez vir à tona delitos, abandonos e litígios no momento de heranças, e também contradições nos grupos intermediários. O sindicato, por exemplo, é levado a gerir as guerras entre pobres: as badanti e os idosos aposentados. Todavia, a contradição mais saliente se encontra no cerne da atividade. A profissão apresenta várias facetas e, ao lado da identificação da badante com o assistido, encontramos a humilhação e o ressentimento que resultam das condições de exercício da atividade: a "domesticidade" e a "servidão".(AU)

En Italie, depuis quelques années, un nouveau métier est né en tant que réponse adaptative au vieillissement de la population: celui des "badanti". Ce terme populaire désigne les femmes immigrées travaillant au domicile des personnes âgées. Ce phénomène de société concerne quatre millions de personnes, en comptant les assistés et les travailleuses. Ces personnes se trouvent en marge de la société et sont déconsidérées. La disqualification est implicite, inscrite dans la dénomination même. "Badanti" vient du verbe "badare", qui signifie "surveiller de près", "garder": l'empathie inscrite dans le terme "care" ou "aide" n'est pas présente. Ce "welfare" fait maison, qui s'est révélé une ressource face à la carence de services publics, a fait exploser les nombreuses contradictions qui feront l'objet de notre analyse. La chronique des faits divers a fait émerger des délits, des abandons, des litiges lors des successions et aussi des contradictions dans les corps intermédiaires. Par exemple, le syndicat, est amené à gérer des guerres entre pauvres: les "badanti" et les vieux retraités. Toutefois, la contradiction la plus saillante se trouve au cœur de l'activité. Le métier présente plusieurs facettes et à coté de l'identification de la "badante" avec l'assisté, nous trouvons l'humiliation et le ressentiment qui résultent des conditions d'exercice de l'activité: la "domesticité" et la "servitude".(AU)

During the last years a new trade appeared in Italy as an adaptive answer to the problems arising from the ageing process of population: that of "badanti". This popular term designates the immigrated women working at old persons homes. This social phenomenon concerns four million people, including workers and assisted. These persons are marginalized and discredited. Discredit is implicit in the denomination itself. "Badanti" comes from the verb "badare" that means "to strictly survey", "to control": the empathy inscribed in the words "care" or "help" is not present. This contribution will analyze this homemade welfare, that, even if it is allowing to face the lack of public services, is disclosing several contradictions. Newspapers are reporting crimes, abandons, arguments for successions, and even contradictions inside mediation organizations. Trade unions have to manage, for example, wars between poor people: "badanti" and old-age pensioners. Anyways, the most sensible contradiction is at the core of the activity. The trade presents several faces and, besides the identification of the "badante" with the assisted person, we find the humiliation and resentment, which result from the conditions of domestic labour and servitude.(AU)

Idosos e mulheres imigrantes à margem: o caso das badanti na Itália / Vieux et femmes immigrees en marge: le cas des "badanti" en Italie / Old persons and immigrated women marginalization: the case of "badanti" in Italy

Na Itália, há alguns anos, uma nova profissão nasceu como resposta adaptativa ao envelhecimento da população: a das badanti. Esse termo popular designa as mulheres imigrantes trabalhadoras no domicílio de pessoas idosas. Esse fenômeno de sociedade diz respeito a quatro milhões de pessoas, contando os assistidos e as trabalhadoras. Essas pessoas se encontram à margem da sociedade e são desconsideradas. A desqualificação é implícita, inscrita na própria denominação. Badanti vem do verbo "badare", que significa "vigiar de perto", "guardar": a empatia inscrita no termo "care" ou "ajuda" não está presente. Esse welfare feito em casa, que se revelou um recurso diante da carência de serviços públicos, fez explodir as numerosas contradições que constituirão o objeto de nossa análise. A crônica dos jornais diários sobre incidentes fez vir à tona delitos, abandonos e litígios no momento de heranças, e também contradições nos grupos intermediários. O sindicato, por exemplo, é levado a gerir as guerras entre pobres: as badanti e os idosos aposentados. Todavia, a contradição mais saliente se encontra no cerne da atividade. A profissão apresenta várias facetas e, ao lado da identificação da badante com o assistido, encontramos a humilhação e o ressentimento que resultam das condições de exercício da atividade: a "domesticidade" e a "servidão"...

En Italie, depuis quelques années, un nouveau métier est né en tant que réponse adaptative au vieillissement de la population: celui des "badanti". Ce terme populaire désigne les femmes immigrées travaillant au domicile des personnes âgées. Ce phénomène de société concerne quatre millions de personnes, en comptant les assistés et les travailleuses. Ces personnes se trouvent en marge de la société et sont déconsidérées. La disqualification est implicite, inscrite dans la dénomination même. "Badanti" vient du verbe "badare", qui signifie "surveiller de près", "garder": l'empathie inscrite dans le terme "care" ou "aide" n'est pas présente. Ce "welfare" fait maison, qui s'est révélé une ressource face à la carence de services publics, a fait exploser les nombreuses contradictions qui feront l'objet de notre analyse. La chronique des faits divers a fait émerger des délits, des abandons, des litiges lors des successions et aussi des contradictions dans les corps intermédiaires. Par exemple, le syndicat, est amené à gérer des guerres entre pauvres: les "badanti" et les vieux retraités. Toutefois, la contradiction la plus saillante se trouve au cœur de l'activité. Le métier présente plusieurs facettes et à coté de l'identification de la "badante" avec l'assisté, nous trouvons l'humiliation et le ressentiment qui résultent des conditions d'exercice de l'activité: la "domesticité" et la "servitude"...

During the last years a new trade appeared in Italy as an adaptive answer to the problems arising from the ageing process of population: that of "badanti". This popular term designates the immigrated women working at old persons homes. This social phenomenon concerns four million people, including workers and assisted. These persons are marginalized and discredited. Discredit is implicit in the denomination itself. "Badanti" comes from the verb "badare" that means "to strictly survey", "to control": the empathy inscribed in the words "care" or "help" is not present. This contribution will analyze this homemade welfare, that, even if it is allowing to face the lack of public services, is disclosing several contradictions. Newspapers are reporting crimes, abandons, arguments for successions, and even contradictions inside mediation organizations. Trade unions have to manage, for example, wars between poor people: "badanti" and old-age pensioners. Anyways, the most sensible contradiction is at the core of the activity. The trade presents several faces and, besides the identification of the "badante" with the assisted person, we find the humiliation and resentment, which result from the conditions of domestic labour and servitude...