Houses and housing: changes in time

AFTER THE 2ND WORLD WAR:PEASANTS’ HOUSES IN THE COUNTRYSIDE

AROUND REGGIO EMILIA.

PART OF THE MAIN BUILDING WAS

OCCUPIED BY THE LARGE FAMILY, WHERE

GRANDPARENTS, PARENTS AND

CHILDREN LIVED ALL TOGETHER;

THE OTHER PART OF THE HOUSE WAS

USED AS A SHELTER FOR ANIMALS (COWS, PIGS,

POULTRY) AND FOR THE HAY, STRAW AND

HARVEST.

WOMEN WOULD TAKE CARE OF THE HOUSE, OF THE ELDERLY PEOPLE AND OF CHILDREN WHILE MEN WOULD WORK IN THE FIELDS.

THE KITCHEN, WITH ITS LARGE FIREPLACE, WAS THE CENTRE OF THE HOUSE, THE PLACE WHERE MOST OF THE FAMILY LIFE WOULD TAKE PLACE.

OFTEN THERE WAS NO TOILET OR BATHROOM INSIDE THE HOUSE; THE

TOILET WAS TO BE FOUND IN A SEPARATE, UNHEATED BUILDING BEHIND

THE HOUSE. TO GET WASHED PEOPLE USED A BASIN AND A WATER JUG PLACED

INSIDE THE BEDROOM.

CHILDREN SHARED THE BEDROOM WITH THEIR PARENTS OR SLEPT IN THE LIVING ROOM.

AS YEARS WENT BY, FEWER PEOPLE WENT ON LIVING AND WORKING ON FARMS IN THE COUNTRYSIDE. MANY PEOPLE MOVED TO TOWN CENTRES TO WORK IN FACTORIES. FAMILIES

STARTED TO BE FORMED BY FEWER PEOPLE. IT BECAME LESS AND LESS

COMMON TO LIVE WITH GRANDPARENTS IN THE SAME HOUSE AND NEW MARRIED COUPLES BEGAN

TO RENT OR BUY THEIR OWN HOUSES.

THEREFORE, SMALLER HOUSES AND FLATS BECAME THE MOST COMMON TYPES OF HOUSES TO BE FOUND.

HEATING SYSTEMS WERE INTRODUCED AND ALMOST ALL HOUSES HAD THEIR OWN BATHROOM AND TOILET INSIDE.

MORE AND MORE OFTEN CHILDREN DIDN’T NEED TO SLEEP IN THEIR

PARENTS BEDROOM BUT SHARED A COMMON CHILDREN’S ROOM OR HAD THEIR OWN ROOM, MAYBE WITH A TV

SET IN IT.

NEW APPLIANCES, COMFORTS AND TECHNOLOGIES SUCH AS THE FRIDGE, THE

WASHING MACHINE AND TV SETS MADE LIFE AND HOUSEWORK A LITTLE LESS

HARD.

NOWADAYS FAMILIES TEND TO BE SMALLER AND SMALLER AND MANY HOUSES AND MINI-

APARTMENTS ARE INHABITED BY SINGLES OR COUPLES WITH NO CHILDREN OR JUST ONE

CHILD.

IN MANY CASES EACH CHILD HAS GOT HIS/HER OWN BEDROOM WHICH IS ALSO

A KIND OF STUDY-ROOM, WITH A COMPUTER AND A DESK WHERE TO DO

THE HOMEWORK.

HOUSES ARE VERY TECHNOLOGICAL TODAY: THEY HAVE INDEPENDENT HEATING, ONE OR

MORE BATHROOMS WITH SHOWER AND BATH, COMFORTABLE SITTING ROOMS,

EFFICIENT APPLIANCES AND TECHNOLOGY (COMPUTERS, FLAT-SCREEN TVS, ETC.).

THE MAJORITY OF ELDERLY PEOPLE TEND TO LIVE IN SEPARATE MINI-APARTMENTS AND

WHEN THEY ARE NO LONGER AUTONOMOUS AND NEED HELP THEY ARE OFTEN HOSTED IN

NURSING HOMES OR TAKEN CARE BY A CAREGIVER IN THEIR OWN HOMES.

THE END