‘We discovered places we never used before’. Home and parenting geographies during the 2020 lockdowns in Italy and Greece

ABSTRACT

The paper presents and discusses data from a qualitative study carried out in April and May 2020 with families under lockdown in Italy (N = 319) and Greece (N = 297). The research examined how confinement and restrictions on movement had impacted families’ everyday geographies (with a particular focus on ‘liminal’ places located between homes and public spaces, such as balconies, hallways, courtyards, backyards), as well as parents’ most valued public spaces and propensity (and modes) to use them. Data were analysed following a top-down thematic approach. The results suggest that restricted access to public spaces (as enforced during the Greek and Italian lockdowns) may influence the signification of domestic places, prompt remodulation of the dialectic between public and private spheres, and bring to light the social value of families’ (parents and children’s) experiences in public spaces.

KEYWORDS:

• Lockdown
• home and parenting geographies
• liminal places
• families
• and public spaces

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 The aim of this phase of the research was to prepare a briefing document for parents and families on managing everyday domestic relationships during lockdown.

2 According to the framework UNCRC framework, children have the right to live in environments that are supportive of their developmental needs and respect their dignity. UNCRC further emphasises that children’s development is a topic of public interest, because the social community, through its legal and welfare systems, must guarantee children’s rights, including within the private sphere of the family. Children have the right to life, survival, and development (Article 6), to have their best interest taken into account in all situations (Article 2), and to participate in decisions affecting their lives (Article 12).

3 Findings reported in this paper are based on analysis of the spatial and relational categories that emerged from the data jointly collected in these two countries.

4 In Italy and Greece, the national census date back to 2011, therefore we referred to recent reports on population released by Istituto Nazionale di Statistica (2021) and General Secretariat of National Statistical Service of Greece. Data on Covid-19 evolution come from Casti and Adobadi (2021) and World Health Organization (2020). The samples show a substantial homogeneity in the social composition of respondents; however, as argued in the text, the impact of the pandemic on social inequalities elicits further analysis.

5 The total number of answers does not perfectly match the sum of the answers assigned to the different categories. The research aim was to get a feel for the relative importance of the different categories (in this case, socio-spatial and relational).

6 The term ‘oratorio’ in Italy indicates a venue (usually a building annexed to a church), managed by local clergy in cooperation with families and Catholic groups. Rooted in the educational approach of the Salesian order, the ‘oratorio’ is a spot where children and teenagers from Catholic families and from local neighbourhood and small-town communities come to play, do sports training, and spend time with peers at the weekend. The ‘oratori’ offer extracurricular education and, in many small towns, are home to local sports clubs.

Additional information

Funding

The survey here presented is part of DEPCIP (Digitised Education of Parents For Children Protection) Project (2019-1-TR01-KA204-077577) co-Funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union.