Director: prof. Camillo Regalia
The Centre was founded in 1976 and officially became the Family Studies and Research University Centre in 2006.
The Centre provides an opportunity for experts working mainly in the fields of psychology and sociology to engage in a multidisciplinary dialogue with experts working in other fields, such as demography, economics, philosophy, pedagogy and law. The theoretical and methodological framework used by researchers and professionals at the Centre refers to the relational-symbolic approach, which is aimed at analysing and understanding family relationships. In this perspective, the family is the foundation on which bonds between genders and generations are built; it is also the primary source of human affections and ethics. It is regarded as a social subject, an active participant in shaping personal identity, education and social policies. This approach is useful in analysing and interpreting the critical transitions that the family undergoes, and in modelling different forms of intervention for and with the family.
For many years now, the Centre has edited and published two different series of publications: Studi interdisciplinari sulla famiglia (Interdisciplinary Family Studies) and Quaderni del Centro Famiglia (Family Centre Working Papers).
The Centre also provides intensive training programs for professionals who work with and for families, both in Italy and abroad. It actively promotes events, seminars and scientific conferences, also in collaboration with the Postgraduate School of Psychology “Agostino Gemelli” (ASAG). The Centre is a founding member of REDIF (the European Network of Family Institutes).