Comunità dell’acciaio. La deindustrializzazione a Dunkerque e Taranto (1975-2025)

Deindustrialisation is not merely the closure of plants or a reduction in production, but a complex process that intertwines economic, social and cultural transformations. It affects regions, communities and collective memories linked to a productive system which, over time, has shaped needs, lifestyles and identities. This research analyses the trajectory of industrial decline in the European steel sector through a comparison of two emblematic cases: Dunkirk, in northern France, and Taranto, in southern Italy. The aim is to gain a thorough understanding of the mechanisms of deindustrialisation and the transformations in the world of work, going beyond the economic approach to restore the social and political dimensions to productive dynamics. Both steel centres, established after the Second World War as part of the Fordist industrial model and integrated into national development strategies, exhibit a strong link between the industrial complex and the urban fabric. However, whilst Dunkerque developed within an already industrialised region, Taranto arose from a policy aimed at reducing the economic divide between northern and southern Italy. Through a comparative analysis and a variety of sources – archival, statistical, syndacal and oral – the research examines the effects of industrial decline on the lives of workers, families and local communities.