Natural duty or silent burden? Rethinking family dementia caregiving through a sociological lens

This article explores the lived experiences of family caregivers of people with dementia, focusing on how care is constructed, negotiated and morally perceived within everyday life. Drawing on in-depth interviews conducted in Northern Italy, the analysis reveals how caregiving is often naturalised and internalised as a moral duty, particularly among women, and closely tied to familial loyalty and affective debt. The article highlights the ambivalent nature of care: while it can strengthen emotional bonds, it also produces fatigue, invisibility and identity reconfigurations. Care is not freely chosen but emerges as a taken-for-granted response to implicit expectations, shaped by gender norms and cultural values. The findings underline the symbolic, emotional and political dimensions of caregiving, calling for greater public recognition and policy support. Ultimately, the article contributes to reframing care not as a private moral obligation but as a collective, situated and relational practice that requires structural visibility and institutional responsibility.