Category: News
Gender and Energy Transition – Audio Abstract
Article Exploring the nexus of gender and energy transitions: A systematic literature review just published in Energy Research & Social Science, analyses the link between gender issues and energy transitions, highlighting the need for more inclusive and targeted strategies.
The study, which was carried out for CNR-IRPPS by: Marco Cellini, Cloe Mirenda, Lucio Pisacane, Serena Tagliacozzo, together with Sabine Loos and Clemens Striebing (Fraunhofer IAO) was born within the framework of the European project gEneSys Transforming Gendered Interrelations of Power and Inequalities in Transition Pathways to Sustainable Energy Systems.
The research is based on a systematic literature review (SLR) of 152 scientific publications, identifies seven key dimensions linking gender to energy transitions and offers a structured overview of existing knowledge and identifies research gaps, providing fundamental insights for future studies.
- Cellini, M., Loos, S., Mirenda, C., Pisacane, L., Striebing, C., & Tagliacozzo, S. (2025). Exploring the nexus of gender and energy transitions: A systematic literature review. Energy Research & Social Science, 119, 103887. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2024.103887
He tells us about thearticle Mark Cellini.
On the topics analysed in the article, the gEneSys project promotes the Autumn School Gender and Intersectional Inequalities in Energy Transition.
Risk of “hikikomori” among Italian adolescents: Article on Scientific Report
CNR press release:
From an analysis of the research group MUSA of the Cnr-Irpps, the number of adolescents who no longer meet their friends in the extracurricular world is growing rapidly: the figures have almost doubled after the Covid-19 pandemic. The study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, demonstrates that the increase in social isolation in Italy constitutes a serious problem, already chronic and related to the interaction of relational and psychological factors
A study conducted by the multidisciplinary research group “Social Changes, Evaluation and Methods” (MUSA) of the Institute for Research on Population and Social Policies of the National Research Council of Rome (Cnr-Irpps) has investigated, through a socio-psychological research approach, theetiology of the social withdrawal identifying the factors that trigger such behavior among adolescents.
La Research, published in the magazine Scientific Reports Group Nature, was based on data from two cross-sectional surveys conducted by the group in 2019 and 2022 on students of public secondary schools through the CAPI (Computer Assisted Personal Interview) technique and on nationally representative samples composed of 3.273 and 4.288 students respectively. adolescents aged between 14 and 19 years. Through advanced statistical modeling techniques, three profiles of adolescents were identified: “social butterflies”, "the friend-centric"And"solitary wolves“: precisely within this last profile, a subgroup was identified made up of adolescents who no longer meet their friends in the extracurricular world, whose number has almost doubled after the pandemic, going from 5,6% in 2019 to 9,7% in 2022. These are the socially withdrawn.
“Previous studies by our research group had already clarified the causes of some negative effects of the accelerated change in social interactions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has exacerbated the transposition of human relationships to the virtual sphere,” explains Antonio Tintori, one of the authors of the work together with Loredana Cerbara and Giulia Ciancimino of the MUSA research group of the Cnr-Irpps. “In particular, it has been seen that hyperconnection, or overexposure to social media, plays a primary role in this corrosive process of adolescent interaction and identity and subsequently of individual psychological well-being. Hyperconnection is the main culprit both for self-isolation and for the explosion of suicidal ideation among young people. The study shows that not only has the number of young people who limit themselves to attending school alone in their lives increased dramatically from 2019 to 2022, but also in the adolescent world the habit of spending free time face to face with friends has significantly decreased: the number of “lone wolves” has even tripled in 3 years, going from 15 to 39,4%”.
Although slightly more common among girls, the phenomenon affects both sexes and does not present substantial regional differences, related to the type of school attended or the socio-cultural and economic background of the family, as was supposed in the past. This clearly indicates that the problem is becoming global and endemic.
What do these young people have in common? Poor quality of social relationships (with parents, especially the mother), low relational trust (towards family members and teachers), victimization by cyberbullying and bullying, hyperconnection to social media, poor participation in extracurricular sports and dissatisfaction with one's body. "These factors, further fueled by the pervasive influence of social pressures to conform to unattainable aesthetic standards, erode self-esteem, fostering a sense of inadequacy in social interactions with peers," adds Tintori. "We also found that those who are already in a state of social withdrawal have a more moderate use of social media: this opens the hypothesis that, as the time of physical isolation increases, one gradually disconnects from virtual interactions as well, that is, one moves towards the total renunciation of sociality."
The phenomenon, similar to that of the hikikomori in Japan, could generate a real social emergency: "Our study, in addition to providing useful results for understanding the nature of the problem, highlights the urgency of educational and training interventions to be addressed to parents and school teachers, as well as support for young people, namely specific support for adolescents who are in the most critical conditions", concludes the researcher.
Il The MUSA research group of the Cnr-Irpps, among the first to investigate the phenomenon of social withdrawal, is now continuing its activities by starting a large longitudinal investigation aimed at answering the still open questions and further clarifying the factors in the process that leads to self-isolation. The survey, called “Interactional Changes and Well-being”, will involve thousands of adolescents, both male and female, for five years, allowing for a detailed analysis of the behavioral development of young people in their ways of interacting and other important aspects related to socio-psychological well-being.
The study was conducted with the collaboration of Gianni Corsetti of Istat.
See the full article Cerbara, L., Ciancimino, G., Corsetti, G. et al. Self-isolation of adolescents after Covid-19 pandemic between social withdrawal and Hikikomori risk in Italy. Sci rep 15, 1995 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-84187-5