The bicycle is experiencing a new era. Sales data, the expansion of cycle tourism, the widespread urban use of bikes and alternative vehicles—somehow linked to new forms of mobility in environments that are not very bike-friendly—and a new cultural sensitivity toward the ecological transition are among the indicators of its rediscovery. In the memory of many, the bike is associated with pleasant experiences of exploration and freedom. The bicycle is considered a convivial technology (Illich, 1973; Pivato, 2021), capable of creating balanced modes of relationship with the environment. Many cities and regions have invested in cycling and encouraged speed moderation in urban spaces. On World Bicycle Day, however, it is important to remember that cycling practice is not as widespread as one might expect.

The delay in cycle mobility

To understand the reasons for the ‘delay’ in the spread of cycle mobility—which are particularly significant in our country, despite commendable exceptions and a notable increase in the number of bicycles in circulation since the lockdown period—a national research network has been developed through the collaboration between researchers from IRPPS CNR, the University of Naples ‘Federico II’, the University of Turin, the University of Padua, the University of Siena, the University of Salerno, and the FIAB Research Center. This emerging network has given rise to a successful series of online seminars that can still be viewed today; it has also produced a ‘special issue’ in the journal Eracle (Landri & Tirino, 2022) and is currently working on a book about bikes and society. The network, as has been understood, is unique and tends to follow ‘in miniature’ the international Cycling & Society network, which has been the reference point for scientific production in this sector for several years (Cox, 2020; Cox & Bunte, 2018; Equality & Cox, 2020).

The theme of cycle mobility is expanding in terms of the number of publications. It can, therefore, already be observed that the ‘delay’ in the spread of the bicycle runs parallel to the ‘delay’ in the development of academic communities that look at the bicycle. In comparison, scientific literature on the car is widely diffused. The rediscovery of the bike, even on an academic level, essentially confronts us with a given fact: contemporary societies are car-centric (Urry, 2004) and present varying degrees of sensitivity toward cycling practice (Belloni, 2019).

Countries can, in fact, differ in relation to national cycling cultures. Italy has a sporting cycling culture, but not a widespread cycling culture (except in some regions), as in other countries like the Netherlands or Belgium. Cycling cultures, however, are not immutable; they can regenerate, evolve over time, and emerge where they are not present. Analyzing the cultural dimension, as emerged during the special issue edited by two researchers from the research network on bikes and society (Landri & Tirino, 2022), is a promising research path to understand what encourages cycle mobility.

Media encourages cycle mobility

Among the factors that encourage it, the media plays a prominent role. The epic narrative of cycling emerged in our country precisely in relation to the processes of building the national state. Today, that narrative is giving way to the dynamic storytelling of cyclists on social media. On one hand, social platforms capture cycling within the extractivist logic of digital capitalism; on the other, they create new sporting practices such as virtual cycling (which is now one of several e-Sports), but also favor the emergence of new subjectivities (women, LGBT+ communities), broadening cycling practice. Unlike traditional media that aimed at creating the epic deeds of champions, social media, by encouraging the circulation of knowledge among practitioners, allows for an increase in connections, sociality, and communication, lowering the barriers to entry for the practice. In short, by democratizing knowledge, they act as positive incentives for the spread of cycling.

Media is necessary, but not sufficient. Building bike-friendly societies is actually also a scientific challenge that requires a constant flow of empirical research and theoretical reflection. It is, in fact, about generating knowledge to foster minimum conditions for cyclability in environments that are predominantly designed in a car-centric way. It is not just a technical matter; rather, as is emerging from the network’s work, it requires the development of a sociology of the bicycle, understood as the search for a virtuous concatenation between knowledge, techniques, and society.

Edited by Paolo Landri (on the occasion of World Bicycle Day, June 3, 2023)

Bibliographic references

Belloni, E. (2019). Quando si andava in velocipede. Storia della mobilità ciclistica in Italia (1870-1955). Franco Angeli.

Cox, P. (2020). Cycling: A Sociology of Vélomobility. Routledge.

Cox, P., & Bunte, H. (2018). Social practices and the importance of context. Framing the Third Cycling Century, 122–131. https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/sites/default/files/medien/1410/publikationen/181128_uba_fb_third_cycling_century_bf_small.pdf

Equality, I., & Cox, P. (2020). The politics of cycling infrastructure. The Politics of Cycling Infrastructure, 5940. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctvvsqc63

Illich, I. (1973). Tools for conviviality. Harper and Row.

Landri, P., & Tirino, M. (2022). Media, Society and Cycling Cultures: Editorial. Eracle. Journal of Sport and Social Sciences, 5(1), 1–4. https://doi.org/10.6093/2611-6693/9612

Pivato, S. (2021). La felicità in bicicletta. Il Mulino.

Urry, J. (2004). The ‘System’ of Automobility. Theory, Culture & Society, 21(5), 25–39. https://doi.org/10.1177/0263276404046059

On May 18, philosopher Nancy Fraser visited IRPPS for a meeting entitled “Is feminism an unrecognized labor movement? A heretical question inspired by W.E.B. Du Bois”.

Fraser is Professor of Philosophy and Politics at the New School for Social Research in New York City. In her work, grounded in Critical Theory and Feminism, she has addressed issues of power, identity, emancipation, capital, justice, and oppression, particularly in relation to the functioning of liberalism.

The meeting, organized by Daniele Archibugi, was characterized by a fruitful dialogue between the philosopher and the IRPPS research community, particularly researchers Teresa Pullano, Angela Toffanin, and Beatrice Busi, who introduced her presentation, highlighting how Fraser’s work provides interpretive tools for understanding domestic violence in Italy and processes of subjectivation in contemporary democracies.

Available: introductory comments, event recording, and image gallery.

• Introductory comment by Angela Toffanin (pdf)
• Introductory comment by Beatrice Busi (pdf)
• Introductory comment by Teresa Pullano (pdf).

As part of the PNRR-FOSSR project (PNRR-IR 0000008 FOSSR – Fostering Open Science in Social Science Research), IRPPS in collaboration with Bocconi University has launched a call for 1 fellowship for a PhD in SOCIAL AND POLITICAL SCIENCE – CNR.

The planned duration of the doctorate is 4 years.

Application closing date: June 12, 2023.

Research must be consistent with the activities of the European research infrastructure known as JRU DASSI/CESSDA. This includes aspects such as research to use and further develop the FOSSR open cloud services, as well as use and further develop the Social Science Data Archives of Italy (DASSI).

Disciplinary fields covered during the PhD: SECS-P/01 (Political Economy), SECS-P/02 (Economic Policy), SECS-P/07 (Business Administration), SECS-P/12 (Economic History), SPS/04 (Political Science), SPS/07 (Sociology), SECS-S/04 (Demography).

All information related to the SPS-CNR fellowship is included in the official call.

More information and application procedure on unibocconi website.

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];

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

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.

To contribute to the FOSSR (Fostering Open Social Science Research) project, the Institute has opened 7 fixed-term positions for various professional figures specializing in data science, computer science, and statistics, as well as communication, social sciences, and project management.

IRPPS
IRPPS is an interdisciplinary research institute that conducts studies on social, demographic, and migratory issues; welfare systems; social policies; science, technology, and higher education policies; and the relationship between science and society.
IRPPS has approximately 40 full-time or part-time researchers, 30 associate researchers, and 20 post-doc researchers.

About FOSSR
FOSSR aims to develop Open Science in the Italian context with the goal of creating tools and services for the social science research community, involving research infrastructures coordinated by the CNR: CESSDA, SHARE, RISIS.
The platform will provide a single point of access to all tools and services of the Italian Open Science Cloud, following the model of the European Open Science Cloud project.