Women’s Role in Preserving Identity and Intangible Cultural Heritage in Arbëresh Communities of Calabria, Italy

Abstract

Women’s cultural heritages are collections of oral histories, songs, narrations, dances, and culinary and traditional knowledge that are preserved and passed from one generation to another, to document and honour the contributions from the society/community as a whole. In Arbëresh communities, women play nurturing roles in the family. As mothers, they raise babies, nurse and teach them the norms and values of the society. They are the primary caretakers of children and elders. They also play an important role in the transmission and conservation of language as an important pillar of Arbëresh identity to the new generations as mediators between the culture of the country of origin and the culture of the country in which the Arbëresh community resides. A major part of the society’s collective memory is women’s intangible cultural heritage. Over hundreds of years of historical evolution, women in Arbëresh communities managed to synthesize some or all of these influences.

Received: 18 September 2024 / Accepted: 31 December 2024 / Published: 06 March 2025