The aim of this study was to analyse the geography of social capital in Italy 30 years after publication of the book Making Democracy Work – Civic Traditions in Modern Italy (Putnam et. al 1993). We used a statistical method (DBS, Distance Between Strata), which had not previously been applied to the study of social capital, and data from the 2019 ISTAT Multiscope Household Surveys “Aspects of daily life”. We analysed the distribution of social capital in the regions of Italy in multidimensional terms. With DBS it was indeed possible to consider various dimensions of social capital instead of using an overall index. It enabled us to isolate three types of Italians, which we called civic, non-civic and "disgruntled" Italians. Disgruntled Italians are citizens who take part in political and social life but have little trust in others and in public institutions. Their geographic identification is the main contribution of this article to Italian studies on social capital for at least two reasons: 1) it questions the “obvious” correlation between political participation and trust in institutions; 2) it provides an important basis for reflection on Italian civic culture.

Disgruntled Italians– Social Capital and Civic Culture in Italy / Bellanca, N., Maltagliati, Mauro, Bordandini, Paola, Cartocci, R.,. - In: JOURNAL OF MODERN ITALIAN STUDIES. - ISSN 1354-571X. - STAMPA. - 29(2), 2024:(2024), pp. 206-231. [10.1080/1354571X.2023.2288430]

Disgruntled Italians– Social Capital and Civic Culture in Italy

Bellanca N.;Maltagliati Mauro;Cartocci R.
2024

Abstract

The aim of this study was to analyse the geography of social capital in Italy 30 years after publication of the book Making Democracy Work – Civic Traditions in Modern Italy (Putnam et. al 1993). We used a statistical method (DBS, Distance Between Strata), which had not previously been applied to the study of social capital, and data from the 2019 ISTAT Multiscope Household Surveys “Aspects of daily life”. We analysed the distribution of social capital in the regions of Italy in multidimensional terms. With DBS it was indeed possible to consider various dimensions of social capital instead of using an overall index. It enabled us to isolate three types of Italians, which we called civic, non-civic and "disgruntled" Italians. Disgruntled Italians are citizens who take part in political and social life but have little trust in others and in public institutions. Their geographic identification is the main contribution of this article to Italian studies on social capital for at least two reasons: 1) it questions the “obvious” correlation between political participation and trust in institutions; 2) it provides an important basis for reflection on Italian civic culture.
2024
29(2), 2024
206
231
Goal 11: Sustainable cities and communities
Goal 16: Peace, justice and strong institutions
Bellanca, N., Maltagliati, Mauro, Bordandini, Paola, Cartocci, R.,
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Utilizza questo identificatore per citare o creare un link a questa risorsa: https://hdl.handle.net/2158/1345283
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