My Research Question. For Now.

Like I've mentioned before, asking the right question(s) is one of the most important things I can do to be successful in understanding more about Italian marriages and families, is to ask the right question. I've mulled over ideas in my head, jotted notes in my journal, read countless articles and the basic thing I've learned is that a big reason that adult children continue to live with their parents up to their late 20s and early 30s is because it is a part of their culture--it's expected. Not only is it expected, but it has its definite advantages including less financial burdens and less responsibility in general. However, although it is tradition and has advantages, I haven't been able to find much research on how young adults in Italy view marriage. It remains a respected institution and one that most young adults want to enter into at some point in their future, but beyond that--I'm still unsure of their specific thoughts and ideas about marriage. Because they live at home for extended periods of time, into mature adulthood, do Italians have a better perception of what their own marriage will be like? Is that why fewer marriages end in divorce there than in the United States? These are the questions I want answered.

So, as of now, my overall research question is:

What perceptions about marriage do young adults in Italy hold, and are those perceptions accurate?