Gender disparities in the Italian regions from a human development perspective

The aim of this paper is to analyse, which is the current situation of gender disparities in Italy and how such disparities are distributed among Italian regions. In order to quantify such disparities a comprehensive framework for assessment is required by using a human development approach. A gender-oriented investigation of effective available capabilities for men and women in the Italian regions reveals that gender inequality in Italy seems to be a persistent phenomenon. Finally, the gender disparities in the empowerment dimension and in the other social dimensions seem to be mutually reinforcing with the economic dimensions, especially in the labour market.     

Changes in Youths' Perceived Parental Acceptance of Their Sexual Minority Status Over Time

This cross‐sectional, retrospective mixed‐method exploratory study examined 140 Israeli LGB adolescents' (14–21 year old) perceptions of their parents' level of acceptance at time of same‐sex identity disclosure and currently. Approximately 75% of respondents indicated that parents were moderately to fully accepting at time of disclosure. Approximately 15% said their parents were fully or almost fully rejecting at time of disclosure, with about half eventually becoming more accepting. Perceived parental acceptance of gay and lesbian children, but not bisexual daughters, improved over time. Increased parental acceptance was attributed to multiple factors including repeated adolescent‐initiated conversations about sexual identity, parental exposure to LGB individuals, and parental love and commitment to the relationship.     

What is a transformative approach to care,and why do we need it?

The meanings of care are contested – the approaches to care in the development and feminist literature have varied greatly. At the same time, care is a common word, loaded with moral meanings concerning notions of duty and love, and care is commonly associated with women. These associations are not innocent; they have concrete effects in shaping different policy agendas and institutional responses to care and care work. While the feminist meanings of care stem from feminist philosophy, feminist economics, and feminist social policy research, these meanings compete with the more conservative and traditional meaning of care in the development discourse. This article provides a conceptual introduction to care, and aims to show how the different understandings of it affect the ways policymakers approach the issue. Depending on the way care is framed, policies and practices can be designed and implemented in transformative ways, in the sense of supporting carers – predominantly women – and lightening their care burdens, while challenging the notion that this work is intrinsically ‘female’ and of lesser importance than work seen as ‘productive’. The article invites development practitioners to reflect on their own views about care, and to identify what can be done to recognise, reduce, and redistribute care at multiple levels.     

La polarisation des emplois en Europe dans une perspective sectorielle

L'auteure s'intéresse à la polarisation des emplois en Europe, dans une étude empirique portant sur cinq pays (Allemagne, Espagne, France, Italie et Royaume‐Uni) suivis de 1999 à 2011. Elle cherche à faire ressortir l'évolution de la structure de l'emploi dans une perspective sectorielle, en considérant quatre macrogroupes professionnels (établis en fonction du niveau de qualification et du salaire) et en tenant compte du rapport à la technologie. Un indice de polarisation est aussi utilisé. Plusieurs scénarios émergent, mais la polarisation domine dans les services et dans certains pays et conduit à rejeter la thèse d'un progrès technique biaisé en faveur des qualifcations.     

Interculturalism as a New Framework to reduce Prejudice in Times of Crisis in European Countries

With the socio‐economic crisis that is affecting Europe particularly negatively, immigrants have been often reported as additional threats in the job market for established residents. Theories of prejudice, such as the Theory of Self‐interest or that of the Perceived Group Threats, have suggested economic factors to explain these kinds of attitudes towards immigrants. More recently, some scholars have advanced theories of intercultural values to account for individuals’ dispositions towards those perceived as newcomers. The aim of this work is to understand whether or not intercultural values are able to modify the effects that economic factors exert on prejudice in times of crisis. The main objective is to identify whether the kinds of values instilled within societies play a stronger role than other variables, particularly economic factors. The findings show that Interculturalism plays a much greater role than economic factors in influencing attitudes towards outsiders.     

The politics of collective repair: examining object-relations in a postwork society

In this paper, we look at repair as an emergent focus of recent activism in affluent societies, where a number of groups are reclaiming practices of repair as a form of political and ecological action. Ranging from those that fight for legislative change to those groups who are trying to support ecological and social change through everyday life practices, repair is beginning to surface tensions in everyday life and as such poses opportunities for its transformation. We survey a few of the practices that make up this movement in its various articulations, to take stock of their current political import. While we suggest that these practices can be seen as an emergent lifestyle movement, they should not be seen as presenting a unified statement. Rather, we aim to show that they articulate a spectrum of political positions, particularly in relation to the three specific issues of property, pedagogy and sociality. These three dimensions are all facets of current internal discrepancies of repair practices and moreover express potential bifurcations as this movement evolves. Drawing on a diverse methodology that includes discourse analysis and participant observation, we suggest some of the ways in which this growing area of activity could play a significant role in resisting the commodification of the everyday and inventing postwork alternatives.     

Social Impact Investments: Does an Alternative to the Anglo-Saxon Paradigm Exist?

This paper aims to study the characteristics of the Social Impact Investment (SII) market in the absence of its enablers. After the first SII convention in 2007, SII practices have been diffusing especially in the Anglo-Saxon countries, which are often referred to as the pioneers in this field. In these countries, SII markets are small but rather advanced in comparison with the rest of the world, and some remarkable cases, such as the launch of the first social impact bond or the establishment of impact funds, have been taken as a reference model worldwide. The final result is an Anglo-Saxon paradigm for SII, which inspires the debate in other countries. The term “paradigm” refers to the presence of some factors that helped the development of the SII market, such as the commitment of highly capitalized foundations, the birth of specialized intermediaries and the endorsement of the state. However, the extent to which the absence of these facilitating factors prevent the SII diffusion or if an alternative to the Anglo-Saxon paradigm can exist is still a question, at the base of this paper. Thus, the objective of this research is to analyse who can play a role in the SII development and how players organize in such circumstances. The study looks at the Italian scenery, through the lens of the network theory. Results show that organizations do not renounce to SII and can play several roles to catalyse the market, using different collaborative configurations.     

Close Social Networks Among Older Adults: The Online and Offline Perspectives

Population Research and Policy Review - Qualitative studies have found that the use of Information and Communication Technologies is related to an enhanced quality of life for older adults, as...