Donne e uomini al lavoro nell’Italia contemporanea. Uno sguardo d’insieme

This contribution aims to take a comprehensive look at some of the important changes that have influenced the world of work in contemporary Italy, through the lens of the gender history. In particular, three stages will be traced, examining a period between the late nineteenth century and these days. The first stage corresponds to the period between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, characterised by the emergence of a capitalist labour market in a predominantly agricultural context and by the birth of the labour movement. The second phase covers the era of the rise and full development of industrial society, between the First World War and the early 1970s. The last phase is characterised by significant changes, among them the outsourcing of production activities and the growth of women's participation in the labour market.