MAY 21 – WORLD DAY FOR CULTURAL DIVERSITY FOR DIALOGUE AND DEVELOPMENT

On the occasion of the “World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development,” UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, emphasizes the fundamental role of cultural diversity, which enriches people’s lives and enables growth in an innovative, more productive, and economically beneficial environment. UNESCO firmly believes that diversity makes people stronger and that respect for cultural diversity is essential to strengthen intercultural dialogue, sustainable development, and peace.

In the current context of war but also of widespread violence motivated by very strong individualistic impulses, speaking of diversity might seem anachronistic. Historically, humanity has experienced great ethnic and/or religious diversities as destabilizing factors of power that have led, focusing only on the Russian and Balkan area, to processes of territorial disintegration: consider, for example, the years of the Bolshevik Revolution and the civil war (1905/1907), when the Romanov Empire ended (1917/1919), but also the dissolution of Yugoslavia starting in 1991, and in the same years the USSR, up to more recent times Chechnya (1994) and now Ukraine.

Yet, while political history seems to show the predominance of force for a supposed affirmation of national identity, on the other hand sociology (with Talcott Parsons, but not only) has affirmed that the development of the social system occurs through social differentiation, the only means to produce increases in complexity: the more complex and diverse a society is, the more resources and opportunities for growth and development it has within it.

The consequence is therefore not so much the acceptance or respect of the “different” but the valorization of dialogue, the exchange of ideas, and personal growth: through diversity one arrives at collective knowledge.

The World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development is an opportunity to celebrate cultural diversity and all intangible heritage—language, traditions, customs, practices, etc.—that strengthen the bonds between people and their history. Only in this way will what the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development indicates as a means of change and development be possible, namely culture and the creative potential of the diverse cultures present in humanity.

In this sense, the goal is not simply “cultural acceptance,” but rather the creation of a shared culture that arises from mutual dialogue, exchange, and encounter, from coexistence.

How to Study Practical Interventions to Support Cultural Diversity?

In the spirit of a culture of encounter and exchange, CNR-Irpps is conducting an evaluative research project that has strong practical value. This is an evaluation activity of the Roma, Sinti and Caminanti Strategy developed by the Italian Government for the years 2012-2020. This project aims to enable CNR, together with UNAR – National Office Against Racial Discrimination, to define a monitoring and evaluation model for the new Strategy planned for the years 2021-2030.

This is an important commitment, shared with the structure of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, UNAR, which is appointed by the Italian State to guarantee the right to equal treatment for all people, regardless of their ethnic or racial origin, their age, their religious beliefs, their sexual orientation, their gender identity, or the fact that they are persons with disabilities—in other words, their “diversity.” It should be noted that UNAR was established in 2003 (Legislative Decree No. 215/2003) following a Community directive (No. 2000/43/EC), which requires each Member State to activate an organization specifically dedicated to combating forms of discrimination; in particular, UNAR is responsible for monitoring causes and phenomena related to all types of discrimination, studying possible solutions, promoting a culture of respect for human rights and equal opportunities, and providing concrete assistance to victims.

CNR-Irpps supports the Government in creating a “virtuous circle” of information collection and processing, in which the integration of Roma, Sinti and Caminanti communities is a priority reference element for inclusion processes that concern not only minority populations, but that can identify an integrated and sustainable social approach in the medium to long term, with particular regard to four intervention areas (which are: education, employment, health, and housing).

Text by Marco Accorinti

For further reading:

A. R. Calabrò, Zingari, Storia di un’emergenza annunciata, Liguori edizione, Naples, 2008

T. De Mauro, Le parole e i fatti, Edizioni Riuniti, Rome, 1977

Z. Lapov, Vacaré romané? Diversità a confronto: percorsi delle identità Rom, Franco Angeli, Milan, 2004

L. Piasere, Un mondo di mondi. Antropologia delle culture Rom, L’Ancora, Naples, 1999

L. Piasere, I rom d’Europa. Una storia moderna, Laterza, Rome-Bari, 2004

E. Rodari, Rom, un popolo, diritto a esistere e deriva securitaria, Edizioni punto rosso, Milan, 2008

C. Vallini (ed.), Minoranze e lingue minoritarie, International Conference, Istituto universitario orientale, Naples, 1996

K. Wiernicki, Nomadi per forza: storia degli zingari, Rusconi, Milan, 1997.

The Youth Trends Observatory (YTO) was awarded at Forum PA in the “gender equality” category of the 2023 Sustainable PA Award.

The award is promoted by FPA and ASviS, the Italian Alliance for Sustainable Development, with the aim of recognizing experiences, solutions, and projects implemented by administrations (central and local), as well as associations and start-ups, to promote and support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set out in the UN 2030 Agenda.

Among the reasons for the award: The general objective of the “Youth Trends Observatory” project was to promote equal gender opportunities and youth inclusion by combating deviance, violence, and social conditioning (stereotypes and prejudices) with particular attention to gender and psychological distress. The YTO consisted of three intervention modules. The first concerned primary schools in Rome, the second secondary schools throughout Italy, and the third the development of the Agenda for childhood and adolescence policies. The activities of these modules, which constituted a unified line of intervention, made it possible to produce new and detailed knowledge about the youth universe, deliver training activities on distress, deviance, and social conditioning, and define actions aimed at promoting well-being, equal opportunities, and inclusion (https://www.forumpa.it/progetti/forum-pa-2023-i-vincitori-del-premio-pa-sostenibile-2023/).

The YTO is a project managed by the research group on Social Change, Evaluation and Methods (MUSA) of IRPPS, with particular contributions from Antonio Tintori, project leader, Loredana Cerbara, and Giulia Ciancimino.

Ilaria Di Tullio, an IRPPS researcher since 2016, has been appointed Gender Equality Officer (GEO) for the National Research Council.

The role of the GEO was established by the 2022-2024 Gender Equality Plan, the strategic document promoting gender equality within the CNR and its Institutes, setting out lines of action in various areas:

• in leadership positions and decision-making bodies
• in recruitment and career advancement
• in creating an environment that fosters work-life balance
• in integrating the gender dimension into research
• in the prevention of and fight against discrimination, harassment, and mobbing.

This figure will be called upon to work alongside the permanent working group for the implementation of the CNR Gender Equality Plan, fostering internal synergies within the organization to achieve the objectives defined by the plan (e.g., Presidency, General Directorate, Central Directorates, CUG, Trade Unions).

Dr. Di Tullio has worked on these issues for several years, participated in the drafting of the Gender Budget, and is a member of the Gender-Talent (GETA) observatory.

The entire IRPPS research community extends its best wishes to her.

The International Day of Sport for Development and Peace takes place every year on April 6. It was established ten years ago by the United Nations to recognize “the positive role that sport and physical activity play in communities and in people’s lives across the world” (https://www.un.org/en/observances/sport-day)

From the empowerment of women and girls, young people, persons with disabilities and other marginalized groups to the advancement of health, sustainability and education goals, sport offers – according to the United Nations – enormous potential for the progress of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and for the promotion of peace and human rights.

But how can this potential be put into practice?

According to the analyses conducted in recent years by IRPPS researchers – particularly within the activities of the Musa Research Group (Social Changes, Evaluation and Methods) – playing sport is not enough to internalize a system of rules and values for social integration. Alongside sport promotion actions, which are necessary to encourage healthy lifestyles, it is essential to promote structured sport pedagogy.

As shown by, among others, the evidence from a survey conducted in Italy in 2017, the potential educational role of sport is not an explicit value embedded in its practice. On this point, see the 2021 article by Tintori, Ciancimino, Vismara and Cerbara Sports as education: Is this a stereotype too? A national research on the relationship between sports practice, bullying, racism and stereotypes among Italian students.

The study, which involved a representative sample of 4,011 students between 14 and 16 years of age, was conducted through a questionnaire focused on socio-demographic characteristics, life experiences, interpersonal relationships and behaviors, and adherence to stereotypes and prejudices.

Some of the data of interest show that half of the sample believes it is actually better to have a male coach (but the majority of those who agree with this statement are males themselves: 27% compared to 10% of females) and about a third of students believe that some sports are not suitable for women (23% of women and 41% of males agree with this statement). About one in ten young people admits that violence when cheering for one’s team is to be considered acceptable (7% women and 17% men). A similar argument can be made for ethnic stereotypes, where it is found that about a third of students feel threatened in their safety by the presence of immigrants (32% females and 39% males). For a similar proportion of young people, foreigners are considered criminals (25% women and 35% men); finally, students usually tend to think that immigrants are people who actually steal jobs from Italians (26% women and 38% men).

The analyses show how adolescents who practice sport outside of school have an increase in their levels of tolerance towards bullying and racism. Furthermore, those who practice sport among the respondents have highly stereotyped views on gender roles and ethnic diversity.

Comparing these results with socio-demographic variables, the models developed by the researchers highlight that sports practice cannot be considered more influential than other demographic variables, such as gender, origin and the cultural status of the family of origin. Sports practice is therefore not an inhibitor of bullying and racism.

The survey therefore demonstrates the neutrality of sports practice in Italy with respect to social inclusion and the dissemination of positive values, but does not deny its potential. Alongside the promotion of individual well-being, in fact, the world of sport is an environment in which young people can expand their friendship networks and come into contact with social diversity, experiencing attitudes and behavioral models.

To spread positive social values and promote social inclusion through sport, according to the study, it is necessary to overcome two limitations: the inequality in sporting opportunities among students and the weakness of the relationship between sport and pedagogy. The need is, therefore, to train the trainers. Those responsible for the physical preparation of minors should be included in training programs that also provide preparation on inclusion issues.

Edited by Monia Torre with the scientific contribution of Loredana Cerbara.

For further reading:

• Tintori A., Cerbara C. (2022). The paradoxical relationship between sport, education and social integration. A myth to be debunked. Gnosis, Italian Intelligence Magazine, Year XXVIII, n. 4 [ISSN 1824-5900; ISBN 978-88-8251-555-3]
  
• Tintori A., Ciancimino G., Vismara A., Cerbara L. (2021). Sports as education: Is this a stereotype too? A national research on the relationship between sports practice, bullying, racism and stereotypes among Italian students. Cogent Education, Taylor & Francis, 8:1, 1938385, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2021.1938385;

• Cerbara L. (2019). Points for reflection on sport pedagogy inside and outside school based on the results of the ‘Fratelli di sport’ surveys. La Critica Sociologica, vol. LIII, n. 212 (4), Winter 2019, pp. 42-57 (7) [DOI: 10.19272/201901204005; ISSN 0011-1546 / Electronic ISSN 1972-5914]

• Tintori A. (2019). The social multimodality of sport and its lack of investment. La Critica Sociologica, vol. LIII, n. 212 (4), Winter 2019, pp. 49-55 (7) [DOI: 10.19272/201901204005; ISSN 0011-1546 / Electronic ISSN 1972-5914]

• Tintori A. (2019). Social integration as a reciprocal process. Opportunities and stereotypes in the case of sport, Le nuove frontiere della scuola, n. 49, Reciprocity, year XVI, February. La Medusa Editrice, pp. 93-100 [ISSN: 2281-9681]

• Accorinti M. Caruso M. G., Cerbara L., Menniti A., Misiti M., Tintori A. (2018). “It doesn’t matter if we are foreigners, we must all play together.”, Rome: National Research Council – Institute for Research on Population and Social Policies. (IRPPS Working papers n. 106/2018)

• Caruso M. G., Cerbara L., Menniti A., Misiti M., Tintori A. (2018). “Sport and integration for Italian adolescents. 2017 Survey”, Rome: National Research Council – Institute for Research on Population and Social Policies. (IRPPS Working papers n. 108/2018)

• Tintori A., Cerbara L. (2017). Sport for all. Values and pedagogy of social integration. In: Sports practice and social work between state, market and community, Culture e Studi del Sociale (CuSSoc), vol. 2 (1), June, pp. 43-54 [ISSN: 2531-3975];

A study conducted among staff of the National Research Council (CNR) on the medium-term perceived effects of forced work from home (WFH) on life and work has been published in the journal Frontiers in Public Health: The medium-term perceived impact of work from home on life and work domains of knowledge workers during COVID-19 pandemic: A survey at the National Research Council of Italy.

More than 95% of the 748 respondents report that at least one area of personal life has changed, a percentage that reaches 97% for perceived changes in at least one area of professional life. According to the participants, these are mostly positive impacts.

The objective of the study—conducted in early 2022 by researchers from four CNR Institutes in collaboration with the University of Genoa—was to assess how knowledge workers experienced changes to their work habits after 18 months from the start of pandemic-related restrictive measures. The survey is part of the body of research initiated worldwide, especially during the first lockdowns, on worker well-being.

How smart was working from home during the pandemic?

The research was conducted through an online questionnaire. Among other things, CNR staff were asked to rate from 1 (very negative) to 5 (very positive) the impact of working from home on various areas.

With respect to personal life, the areas that benefited most from working from home were the quality of interpersonal relationships within the family and general lifestyle (including eating habits and health status) with 60% and 58% of “very positive” or “positive” responses, respectively. Working from home does not appear to have impacted sleep quality and friendships (48% and 55% responded “none,” respectively). The most frequent negative impact (20%) was recorded in relation to psychological state. (Details on the responses in Figure 1)

At the professional level, respondents benefited from working from home particularly with respect to flexibility (organization of personal workspace and management of working hours), taking initiative, and quality of work. Three areas in which positive perceptions prevailed over both negative ones and the absence of impact.

Participatory and relational aspects are those in which the perception of no impact prevails. At the same time, however, relationships with colleagues and participation in the work context are those that appear to have been most affected by the different working conditions and that received the highest number of negative responses (27% and 25%, respectively).

This perception was influenced by personal and organizational factors. In particular, a reduced number of days working on-site and a longer home-to-work commute time are associated with a positive perception of the impact of working from home on personal life. Those who reduced their sedentary lifestyle also evaluated the impact of working from home on all areas of personal life as positive. Conversely, having abandoned one’s hobbies and having had to share the room used for work with other household members favor a negative perception.

As the authors of the article emphasize, the results obtained suggest that measures to promote the physical and mental health of employees, strengthen inclusion, and maintain a sense of community are necessary to improve worker health and prevent perceived isolation in research activities when working from home is employed, especially where work-life balance policies are lacking.

Read the full article.

Edited by Monia Torre with scientific contribution by Pierpaolo Mincarone.

There is a close relationship between inequality and discrimination. As Therborn points out: “inequality always means excluding some people from something. When it does not literally kill people or block their lives, inequality means exclusion: excluding people from the possibilities produced by human development” (Therborn, 2013: 21).

Unjustified exclusion is a form of discrimination which, if systematically exercised against minorities, leads to actual forms of racial segregation. Particularly odious forms of discrimination based on “race” by institutions and political, economic, or legal systems have been recorded both in formally democratic political systems and in relatively recent times.

In the Southern United States, Jim Crow laws and legal racial segregation in public facilities existed from the late 19th century until the 1950s; meanwhile, in South Africa, the abolition of the main segregationist laws was ratified in 1991, marking the end of apartheid.

However, according to some authors (Bartoli, 2012), not even democratic societies governed by institutions based on the principles of equality and justice are exempt from forms of “systemic” (or “democratic”) racism, which primarily affect certain types of people (for example, immigrants, Roma, or even the extreme poor).

In the Italian case, legal forms of exclusion derive significantly from the way the country has addressed the migration issue, framing it primarily as a matter of public order. This approach has also affected the administrative practices (often exclusionary) of local administrations regarding civil registration—and consequently access to municipal welfare services—for certain categories of people in conditions of administrative irregularity, as they lack official residency and therefore identification documents.

This condition particularly characterizes the Roma population of Bosnian origin (who fled the Balkan war in the 1990s) present in Rome.

Many families lack documents (they are de facto stateless) and have lived for a long time in camps that have been declared for closure by the Capitoline administration. Their children, born and raised in Italy, must apply for a residence permit upon reaching adulthood to remain in the country. This request, however, often encounters obstacles at immigration offices due to the lack of the family’s civil residency requirement; residency that is not granted by registry offices if one lives in camps officially declared for closure. As third-sector operators working with the Roma emphasize:

^{_{“Those who have not yet left but would like to do so find themselves caught in a vicious circle that is difficult to break.”}}

It is worth highlighting how this situation has paradoxical consequences: while, on one hand, it excludes this segment of the population from integration into the local community, on the other, it makes them permanently dependent on assistance, constantly exposing the Roma to social stigma.

In any case, the difficulty of regularizing one’s administrative position is not only a problem for the Roma: immigrants who, due to high rents, decide to live in occupied buildings also fail to establish their civil residency.

In fact, Article 5 of Law No. 80 of May 23, 2014—containing “Urgent measures for the housing emergency, the construction market, and Expo 2015″—the so-called Lupi Law, prevents utility companies from activating services in illegally occupied buildings, and therefore prohibits establishing residency in those buildings. Consequently, it does not allow for the issuance of identity documents to homeless persons.

(In this regard, precisely to allow people in conditions of vulnerability and housing precariousness to register their residency in occupied properties, the Mayor of Rome—who, it should be remembered, as a government official can promote administrative regularization since he has the obligation to maintain correct civil registries—has recently issued a directive aimed at allowing the administration to act in derogation of Art. 5 of the Lupi Law. Regarding this directive, however, the Prefect of Rome has requested the establishment of a technical committee for further study on its application.)

These cases, rather than describing forms of “systemic racism,” highlight the limits of national migration policy, which is heavily influenced by declarations of migration emergencies and the need to control entry flows. This situation has created an implementation deficit (Macioti, Pugliese, 2005), meaning a lack of implementation of integration policies for immigrants, even though they are formally provided for by the Consolidated Law on Immigration. This has meant that migrants’ rights—as Lydia Morris observes—”are no longer evident or absolute but are closely associated with control and are located on slippery ground subject to political negotiations” (cited in Macioti Pugliese, 2005 ^{3rd ed.}: 107). This means—as Pugliese emphasizes—that “if a more restrictive law is enacted—or simply a circular issued—(making it harder to remain in a regular status or simply imposing new conditions and documentation for access to a benefit), immigrants can lose a right they have already acquired” (Macioti, Pugliese, 2005: 107).

This situation, therefore, results in conditions of discrimination for those categories (migrants, but not only) that do not easily fit the criteria of merit established from time to time by governments.

Contribution by Dante Sabatino, on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination 2023.

Bibliography

C. Bartoli, Razzisti per legge. L’Italia che discrimina, Editori Laterza, Rome-Bari 2012
M. I. Macioti, E. Pugliese, L’esperienza migratoria. Immigrati e rifugiati in Italia, Editori Laterza, Rome-Bari 2005 ^{3rd ed.}
G. Therborn, The Killing Fields of Inequality, Polity Press, Cambridge UK 2013

The journal Welfare&Ergonomia has opened the call for papers n.2, 2023 “Youth Beyond Stereotypes”.

The changes that have characterized Western societies in recent decades have contributed to creating a world in continuous and rapid evolution in which generations incessantly modify living conditions, needs, and motivations. In particular, it has been the youth population above all that has shown the most visible evolutionary trends compared to the past from a demographic, economic, social, and cultural point of view. In the first three areas, many studies have highlighted the impact on new generations; in the fourth, namely that concerning cultural aspects, analyses have instead often stopped at the description of phenomena, but attempts at critical reflection on youth culture, as an effect of structural or social transformations, are rather lacking, and it is to these latter aspects that the call intends to respond.

Potential authors for this issue of Welfare e Ergonomia are invited to submit an abstract of approximately 3,000 characters by April 12, 2023.

For more information:

Welfare e Ergonomia – Italian call; English call.

gEneSys (Transforming Gendered Interrelations of Power and Inequalities in Transition Pathways to Sustainable Energy Systems) is a Research and Innovation project (RIA) funded under the Horizon Europe Framework Programme (Cluster 2: Culture, creativity and inclusive society).

The project aims to contribute to the construction of more equitable, just and inclusive energy systems, with a focus on gender inequalities.

Project activities will officially begin on March 7 with the kick-off meeting of project partners in Rome.

On March 8, 2023, the CNR Institute for Research on Population and Social Policies, together with project partners, is organizing a public event, open to all interested stakeholders (media, institutions, scientists, general public).

gEneSys is coordinated by the Institute for Research on Population and Social Policies – National Research Council of Italy (IRPPS-CNR), and has as partners: Venice International University (VIU), Imperial College of Science Technology and Medicine (IC), Uniwersytet Jagiellonski (UJ), National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA), Fraunhofer Gesellschaft zur Forderung der Anegenwandten Forschung Ev (IAO), African Institute for Mathematical Science (AIMS), Portia GGMBH.

Read the full event program.

Register for the public event by filling out the form.

What role does science assume when faced with uncertain scientific facts, urgent decisions, high stakes, and conflicting values?
These questions will be at the center of reflection by scholars in the first meeting of the Officina project in 2023.

The meeting will be held on February 21 at the Faculty of Sociology of the University of Tor Vergata at 11:00 AM.
It will be possible to follow the live stream at the link bit.ly/3S52qgn.

Silvio Funtowicz, a philosopher who developed—together with Jerry Ravetz—the concept of post-normal science, will participate. This concept proposes a new model of scientific inquiry and of the relationship between science, society, and political decision-makers in situations characterized by uncertainty and urgency.

Speakers will also include: Bruna De Marchi, an expert in the sociology of risk; Valentina Tudisca and Claudia Pennacchiotti, IRPPS researchers; and Michela Mayer, from the Italian Association for Sustainability Science.

The meeting will be moderated by scholars Claudia Hassan, University of Tor Vergata, and Adriana Valente, IRPPS, and will be preceded by greetings from the IRPPS Director, Mario Paolucci, and the Director of the SPFS Department, Lucia Ceci.

Download the program.

Follow the live stream.

Tiziana Tesauro, researcher at IRPPS in Fisciano, participated today in the presentation of the “Ar.Pa – Art, Participation, Dwelling” project, born from the collaboration between CNR-IRPPS of Fisciano, Ecosmed, the Cospecs department of the University of Messina and the Giolli cooperative of Parma.

Through “theater of the oppressed” and “participatory documentary” workshops, Ar.P.A. aims to continue and consolidate the processes of urban space regeneration and cultural participation that accompanied the creation of the “Giardino delle Zagare” in Fondo Saccà, now home to the “Il Melograno” socio-educational center.

Today’s meeting, face-to-face with citizens and residents, was the first step to continue designing social space together through art and social research.

Here is the workshop brochure.