Italian Sociological Review

Electoral volatility and government performance in European countries: a multivariate analysis

Domenico Maddaloni, Felice Addeo, Angela Delli Paoli, Domenico Fruncillo — Fri, 02 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The recent growth in electoral volatility is causing increasing concern in political circles and growing interest among political scientists. This article aims to present the results obtained by our research group in examining electoral volatility in European countries. The analysis focuses on the results of the last two elections for the national parliament (lower house). We calculate electoral volatility using the Pedersen index but refer to volatility between party blocs. We aim to test the validity of a theoretical model that connects electoral volatility with voter confidence in political actors or institutions and the latter with government performance, measured in terms of the results of policies implemented between the two elections. We also consider some control variables relating to the institutional political environment. Our multivariate analysis does not falsify the idea that national differences in electoral volatility are caused by the degree to which the political system conforms, or fails to conform, to voter expectations.

Democracy Must Be Defended: Anti-Terror Laws, Islamism, Islamophobia and the Neo-Fascist Exception

Danila Genovese — Fri, 02 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Since 9/11 and the ensuing start of the War on Terror, there has not been a single 'Islamist' terrorist attack in Italy, unlike in other European countries. Yet Italian counter-terrorism policies frame terrorism exclusively as a product of Islamist ideology, excluding any other threats, such as those posed by fascist ideology.
This article seeks to examine the ways in which Islamism and neo-fascism are respectively criminalised as anti-democratic terrorist threats or, alternatively, exempted from interdiction in the Italian political and juridical spheres.
The purpose of this study is twofold. First, through a comparative analysis the conflicting application of anti-terrorism laws and the laws against glorification of fascism, I will explore the degree of ideological and political normalisation of neo-fascism in contemporary Italy. Second, I intend to open a debate on the implementation of the right to freedom of expression in liberal democracies. My goal is to investigate whether its exercise by social actors, particularly members of minorities, can be influenced by racial power relations and, conversely, I consider whether its use as a weapon against minorities may constitute a significant threat to democracy.

Gendered Impacts of COVID-19 Policies in Southern Europe: A Work-Life Balance Perspective

Isabella Crespi, Vera Lomazzi, Margherita Pellegrino — Fri, 02 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Covid-19 pandemic exacerbated pre-existing social inequalities with relevant implications for gender equality. The explosion of care needs and work demands became particularly evident during the first wave of the pandemic when, in almost all European countries, restrictions implying “staying at home” were implemented. Several studies investigated the impact of the pandemic and the containment measures adopted, which often led to increased demands, especially for women. From a gender equality perspective, the study builds on existing literature to review work-life balance policies and strategies implemented during the pandemic in some Southern European countries (Greece, Italy, Portugal, and Spain) and their implications for gender equality. Enriched by the analysis of the Covid-19 response policies implemented by South European countries and their interaction with pre-existing gender inequalities, the paper also offers policy insights for future challenges (flexible work arrangements, parental leave, home/smart working options), urging for a gender-responsive recovery plan.

Social profiles of cancer risk awareness and health behaviours among European adolescents. A cross-country study

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Background: Cancer prevention during adolescence remains a major public health challenge. Although cancer-related risk behaviours emerge early in life, adolescents’ engagement in these behaviours does not consistently align with their awareness of associated cancer risks.

Methods: Data were drawn from a cross-sectional online survey conducted within the SUNRISE project, including 4,054 adolescents aged 12–18 years from eight European countries. A two-step cluster-analytic approach was applied, combining hierarchical clustering with Ward’s method and k-means clustering. Clusters were defined based on engagement in unhealthy behaviours (smoking, alcohol consumption, unhealthy eating), cancer-risk perception and perceived health.

Results: Five distinct adolescent profiles were identified: (1) The Unconcerned and Mostly Healthy (n = 918), characterised by low engagement in unhealthy behaviours, limited cancer-risk awareness associated with alcohol consumption and unhealthy eating, and good perceived health; (2) The Health Savvy (n = 1,868), who abstain from unhealthy behaviours, demonstrate high cancer-risk awareness, and report excellent health; (3) The Unaware Health Risk-Takers (n = 464), who frequently engage in unhealthy behaviours—particularly smoking and alcohol use—while underestimating associated cancer risks and reporting poorer health; (4) The Health-Aware Risk-Takers (n = 521), who engage heavily in unhealthy behaviours despite recognising their cancer risks and report average health; and (5) The Health-Unaware Abstainers (n = 283), who avoid unhealthy behaviours but display low cancer-risk awareness and average perceived health.

Conclusions: Adolescents’ health behaviours and cancer-risk awareness cluster into distinct profiles not captured by socio-demographic characteristics alone, highlighting the need for profile-specific cancer prevention strategies.

Cultural Barriers in the Economic Strengthening Process of Underdeveloped Urban Communities

Eny Boedi Orbawati, Fadlurrahman, Ari Mukti, Joko Tri Nugraha — Fri, 02 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The stagnation of economic strengthening programs in underdeveloped urban areas is not only caused by technical or bureaucratic issues but also by cultural barriers that are often overlooked. Previous studies have tended to neglect the cultural dimension, focusing instead on structural and normative factors. This study addresses that gap by examining the role of cultural barriers as a key determinant in the failure of economic empowerment program implementation, particularly within underdeveloped urban communities. Employing a qualitative descriptive approach through a case study in Magelang City, the research identifies three significant cultural contexts. First, the high level of community dependence on external assistance reflects a passive mindset that hampers initiative and self-reliance. Second, the rise of individualistic attitudes within communities undermines solidarity and reduces collective participation in economic programs. Third, resistance to innovation stems from distrust of change and a preference for maintaining long-standing practices perceived as safer. The significance of this study lies in highlighting the necessity of incorporating socio-cultural diversity into the design of economic strengthening strategies so that programs are not only administratively feasible but also socially and culturally effective. This study makes a conceptual contribution by emphasizing the importance of cultural dimensions in the formulation and implementation of economic strengthening policies, thereby enriching the perspectives of public administration and fostering more context-sensitive development practices.

Beyond Connectivity: Social Media, Cultural Consumption, and the Transformation of Social Norms in the Digital Age

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The transformation of social life in the digital age is not only related to increased connectivity, but also demonstrates a profound reconstruction of how individuals understand, internalize, and display social values. Social media has evolved into a cultural ecosystem mediated by algorithms, which actively shape moral orientations and patterns of value consumption in society. This study aims to examine how social media practices, digital cultural consumption, and algorithmic mediation collectively contribute to the transformation of social norms in contemporary society. Using a systematic literature review and critical thematic synthesis of Scopus publications from 2021-2025 and global digital research reports, this study identifies three main dimensions: (1) the reconfiguration of social values through globally oriented digital culture consumption, (2) the normalization of new social behaviors through algorithmic mechanisms, and (3) the shift from collective conformity to personalized morality in the digital public sphere. The results of the study show that social media no longer functions merely as a means of communication, but has become a socio-technical infrastructure that produces and legitimizes new moral codes through visibility, repetition, and user participation. Algorithmic logic determines the boundaries of behavior that is considered socially acceptable, while participatory culture reinforces the personalization of morality based on authenticity and self-expression. This study offers a new analytical framework that links cultural consumption theory with algorithmic governance, and provides a new perspective for understanding the moral and normative consequences of digital media practices in the algorithmic era.

Orphan Memories and Difficult Pasts. The Present Memory of the Casa degli Orfani di Guerra of Clusone at the Centenary of its Foundation (1925-2025)

Lorenzo Migliorati, Fabio Fregona, Micol Meghnagi — Fri, 02 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The article analyses the centenary of the “Casa degli Orfani di Guerra Vittorio Emanuele III” in the province of Bergamo, as a case of difficult heritage, investigating how an institution’s past is rendered publicly communicable when moral narratives of care intersect with politically compromised origins. Established in 1925 under the direction of Monsignor Giovanni Antonietti, an influential local figure embedded in Fascist-era political and patronage networks, the Casa is commemorated today through a predominantly philanthropic and moral register that foregrounds protection, education, and social mobility while attenuating the political density of its genesis. Based on a qualitative case-study design triangulating institutional digital communications, guided engagements with the site, and former residents’ biographical accounts, the Casa constitutes a micro-site through which the “good Italian” paradigm is locally reproduced via care-based moral legitimation. The article advances the notion of “orphan memories” to designate a double condition: memories carried by those who were literally made orphans by war, and, at the same time, an institutional memory that is itself “orphaned” insofar as it is selectively detached from the political genealogies and historical antagonisms that would render its past more openly conflictual in the present.

Academic Precarity and the Transition to Adulthood: A Qualitative Study of Italian Researchers in Italy and Germany

Michele Longo — Fri, 02 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This paper examines how academic precarity shapes the transition to adulthood among precariously employed Italian researchers in Italy and Germany. Drawing on sixteen narrative interviews, it argues that precarity should be understood not only as employment instability, but also as a biographical condition that slows the transition to adulthood and weakens the material and symbolic foundations of adult status. Using an ideal-typical framework centred on weak identities, fragmented biographies, and risk, and grounding this framework in the interviewees’ narratives, the analysis shows how precarious academic work undermines economic autonomy, social recognition, relational stability, rootedness, and the capacity to plan ahead. Rather than treating adulthood as a fixed age stage, the paper approaches it as a socially and materially sustained position within the life course. From this perspective, academic precarity may delay, destabilise, or prevent the full consolidation of adult status across different life domains.

Thárros and Hýbris: the Different Faces of Motherhood in Assisted Reproduction

Debora Viviani — Fri, 02 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This contribution will present the results of part of the research project “Medically assisted procreation, surrogacy, artificial womb: new ethical and socio-cultural challenges.” The study is part of the PRIN 2022 (Research Projects of National Interest) project “XXX”, which involves three Italian universities: the University of XXXX, the University of XXX, and the University of XXX.

Specifically, the team at the local unit of the University of XXX consisted of me, XXX (Principal Investigator – Department of XXXX), XXX (Department of XXX), and XXX (Department of XXX). The quantitative survey was conducted with XXX (University of XXX).

The survey aimed to identify what new cultural perspectives on motherhood, fatherhood, parenthood, and the body are being produced (concretely and potentially) by procreative techniques.

A small part of the questionnaire aimed to capture social perceptions by analyzing emotional responses. Specifically, the research questions in this part of the questionnaire were: in the social imaginary, what emotions does a woman who is infertile or, for professional reasons, decides to use reproductive technologies feel? What emotions might a surrogate mother who decides to conceive a child for a commissioning couple feel?