The badanti: a new occupation?

The meaning of Italian work `badanti' designates people employed by private citizens to assist old family members. Originally it also referred to the job of those who were looking after animals. The essay examines at the societal level the development of this occupation which is becoming the main form of assistance to old people in Italy. Starting from the meaning of the term ) which reveals the view of the role of these persons in the collective imagination ) one can understand the disqualification associated with the function of `badare', which is different from the english `care' and similar. This occupation, usually practiced by immigrant women, is analysed starting from the living and working conditions of these workers. At the centre of the analysis the author places the interaction between the `badante' and the person looked after, as well as the mechanisms and processes implicit in the asymmetry of roles and status between the two positions, which are seen as potential vectors for real and symbolic violence, because of their intrinsic contradictions.