ABSTRACT
For many Neapolitans, work was an important source of appraisal for themselves and others, and in some cases it was a source of pride and self-confidence. But clearly not all kinds of work provide the kinds of satisfaction aspired to. Frequently people expressed a concern for autonomy, and some were quite hostile to the discipline and authority involved in most forms of employment. The desire for 'independence' is a powerful incentive to work outside the factory context, although external constraints are such that the entrepreneur is forced into relations of subordination vis-a-vis other factories or merchants in the majority of cases. However, the pursuit of independence was an important factor contributing to the existence of small units in Naples. A woman's aspirations to independence were enmeshed in her duties as wife, mother or daughter. Men were also conditioned by their role in the household and their obligation to provide for the family.
