Women, young people, business and politics. Who changed Italy?

2023-10-20 14:03:00

Time.news – Women, young people, the elderly, lifestyles but also politics and business. How has Italy changed in the last thirty years? And, above all, who had a primary role in modifying it? If he asks Antonio Noto in his latest book, published by Rubbettino. Leafing through the pamphlet, a great merit immediately comes to mind: the author has not remained hostage to the numbers, even though he is a sociologist who analyzes the choices of Italians and who has been illustrating them on TV for some time.

“Who changed Italy? – Politics or economics: who is behind the great transformations of society in the last 30 years” also has another quality: it explains our evolutions – not all positive – with simple and fluent language. A feature that makes it a text for everyone.

In the first part, Noto dedicates his attention to female condition. Women are more educated than men, their commitment also increases in scientific subjects, yet they continue to suffer from a gender disadvantage. The sociologist recalls Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and the secretary of the first opposition party, Elly Schlein. He also focuses on those who report on politics on TV: there are more and more female journalists.

He then reflects: “If the economic crises of the 90s and 2010s affected male sectors to a greater extent, consequently reducing, even if minimally, the gender gap, with the pandemic the greatest reduction in employment was recorded precisely among women, causing the gap to widen considerably.”

This is primarily due to the weakness of the family assistance network due to the lockdown to limit the spread of Covid. “Many have once again found themselves faced with the often forced choice between work and family, proof that gender stereotypes and the lack of adequate welfare services are having an impact on female employment.”

Also important is thefamily analysis: in our country one in three is made up of just one person. So, how are Italians today compared to thirty years ago? More connected but lonelier, almost always live on social media and yet slower.
In the second part, Noto reconstructs lifestyles and consumption: in the 70s and 80s they were “identifying and linked to the logic of political belonging”.

In the 1990s, the birth of the Second Republic, after the Tangentopoli earthquake, radically changed the context. Finally the M5s (2009) broke the bipolar balance. “The disappearance of the reference of belonging has left the field free for consumer marketing to influence consumption and induce new needs” explains Noto.

In the third part of the book the sociologist reflects on “how change arises” and examines the reforms on the table and, above all, the Pnrr, looking at social inclusion, which remains the main objective of the European plan but also a central theme for political marketing. Finally, a hope that at the same time sounds like an appeal: “We must all work together for the future” but, warns Noto, “the first step is up to politics”.

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