Newspapers often refer to the patriarchal culture of Italy and a gender gap that places men high above women. Men are the political leaders, heads of families, decision makers, the marriage partner allowed to roam beyond the marriage bed. Women were subservient in all these areas.
Let me tell you, this may be true of Italy. But once Italian men began emigrating to America and marrying on these grounds, they seemed to have lost many of their natural rights. They became #2 in the family. It was the Italian-American wife who took over. My mother was the head of family, lawgiver, decision maker. She was the boss in the every sense. Men did their jobs, brought home the pay, and then read the newspapers. This was true of the all the papas in our family.
Happy for those families where Mamma was strong. And she usually was.
AgeBuster 