(Io sono il padrone della mia casa, ma chi commanda ... mia moglie!)

(I am the master of my household, but it is my wife who commands!)

The past decades have seen many changes in the Italian family of Windsor.

The first generation of the Italian family tended to be more patriarchal. The father was the sole breadwinner of the family. He had authority and it was respected by all the members of the family. He was busy working, trying to support his family. The mother was the centre of the domestic life. Her duties inside the house included: raising the children, homemaking, caring and serving the family. The families were large and they always gathered during holiday celebrations or special feasts. The culture was transmitted primarily by the family. The Italian family had a very active community life; it was a strong family.

Later, in the following decades, the Italian family life began to change. Many women started working outside the home. Italian culture is transmitted primarily by the family, and as a consequence family size started to decrease.

The first generation prefers to speak Italian at home. The second generation, mainly born in Canada, prefers to speak English, but they have good knowledge of Italian or a regional dialect. The parents try to promote the Italian environment from movies, records, clothes, friends etc. The parents always insisted that their children obtain a good