The Foundation of Civilised Society. Family and Social Policy in Britain and Italy between 1946 and 1960

The whole area of family–civil society relations awaits exploration. Very few authors have focused on these relations. Those who have done so usually tried to establish what sorts of families, family organisation and culture are best suited for fostering civil society. This chapter seeks to explore the reverse side of this relationship. I ask what part – if any – does civil society and its institutions play in shaping our understanding of the family, its role and social function, and what part does civil society play vis-à-vis the state.