Surname or surnames? The gradual overcoming of the paternal surname rule
Across Atomic Learning Unit
We believe in an educational future without borders.
ALU Description Card
| ALU description | Why do so many legal systems still attribute only the father's surname to children, and what does this tell us about how law encodes family, gender, and authority? Taking a recent Italian landmark ruling as a starting point, this lecture explores the cultural and historical roots of surname rules and how different European and international legal systems are gradually rethinking them. An accessible introduction for students of any background, aimed at developing a comparative eye on how law reflects – and can transform – deep-seated social norms. |
| E-Campus ALU Code | ALU-003 |
| Target learners | Bachelor, Master, PhD |
| Language(s) of Instruction | EN |
| Language of Subtitles / Translation | English |
| Teacher(s) | Tereza Pertot and Alessia Ottavia Cozzi |
| Schedule / dates | 2026-10-01 to 2027-09-30 – Once – Once 09:00-22:00 – Europe/Rome |
| Time zone | Europe/Rome |
| Teaching Form & Workload | Lecture |
| Field of Study | Generic programmes and qualifications, Social sciences, journalism and information, Business, administration and law |
| Learning modalities | online, recording |
| Transversal skills | EU values |
| Learning Outcomes | By the end of the lecture, students will be able to: – identify the different models used across legal systems to attribute surnames to children, and the underlying assumptions about family, gender, and parental authority each model reflects. – recognize the cultural, historical, and social roots — beyond strict legal reasoning — that have shaped naming rules and their persistence over time. – use a recent Italian landmark ruling as a starting point to compare how different European and non-European legal systems have addressed (or failed to address) the tension between tradition and gender equality in surname law. – critically evaluate similarities and differences between legal systems, developing the analytical tools needed to situate any single national reform within a broader comparative and cultural framework. |
| Assessment Criteria | Online Multiple-choice test |
| Type of ALU | Part of a micro-credential course or degree programme |
| Responsible institution(s) | University of Udine |
| Coordinator | Valeria Filì – valeria.fili@uniud.it |
| Contact person for further information | Valeria Filì – valeria.fili@uniud.it |
| Venue or online link | Mod-I-Le-2.mp4 |
Course Registration
Surname or surnames? The gradual overcoming of the paternal surname rule
We believe in an educational future without borders.