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Copyright of Sociologia Italiana is the property of EGEA S.p.A and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The paper aims to propose, from the perspective of the sociology of conflict, a critical reflection on the problems of post-democracy and on the legitimacy of the instruments of intervention in international law. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper is intended to be a humble attempt to redeem sociology, a discipline unjustly perceived as a handmaiden among the human sciences, from the secondary role to which it is inappropriately relegated in deference to an evergrowing trend of technicalization and formalization, even algorithmic, of economics and law and even of certain specialized branches of sociology itself. On the contrary, an attempt is made to demonstrate, keeping in the background the great work of Mireilles Delmas-Marti, that it is precisely the most general, historically-anthropologically compromised and culturologically oriented part of this discipline that is the one most capable of accounting for the complexity underlying the local/global dynamics in progress, deciphering the asynchronic and destabilizing forces that corrode the effectiveness of the rules redesigning scenarios and destinies of social actors, and partially motivating the reasons involved. It seems all the more significant and urgent to us to push academic reflection towards a revival of the "great sociology" traditionally understood, in a season of disturbing juridical nihilism and worrying déshistoricisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper focuses on one of the most discussed issues in Elias' work, namely the representation of the medieval affective world in The Civilisation Process. Drawing on its ties with Freudian theory, the paper attempts to highlight the ambiguity existing between the accounts of the dynamics of the psyche in Elias and their treatment in the case of the medieval warrior. Then an attempt is made to elucidate some implicit consequences for those who intend, following Elias' path, to question the relations between sociogenesis and psychogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper contributes to the debate on the relationship between managerial control and organizational autonomy of employees, by highlighting the general directions in which this relationship has developed over time since the post- Fordist turn of half a century ago. These changes are accelerated and made more evident by the processes that go by the names of automation (1980s-1990s), informatization (mid-1990s-early 2000s), and digitization/Fourth Industrial Revolution. To this end, primary research data will not be analyzed here; instead, a rather diverse literature will be reviewed, both theoretical and empirical, addressing key themes for interpreting the changing situations of organized labor. The interpretative framework is primarily constituted by some conceptual categories borrowed from Norbert Elias' processual sociology, summarized in the following points: a) the processual conception of social reality; b) power relations; c) the process of civilization; d) the relationship between I-identity and We-identity in contemporary society. Digitalization in organized work accentuates a most general trend, already clearly observable in the past but especially from the post-Fordist turn, towards forms of managerial control based more on employees self-control and assessment of outcomes than direct supervision of the work processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper relates Elias's thought to Mead's, starting from the embodied dimension of emotions. The approach of the two authors to emotions is affected by a conception of society as deeply intertwined with biological and somatic aspects. Rediscovering and enhancing these aspects is configured as a radical challenge to the disciplinary barriers with which such topics are traditionally addressed. This allows to relate the thought of the two authors within a theoretical framework that can shed light on the embodied aspects of emotional action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper aims to relate the observations of some historians who have dealt with epidemic events in early modern Italy to some central features of Norbert Elias' approach, and to observe some social phenomena related to such events in the perspective of Eliasian sociology. In this way, we will try to suggest that the social implications of great epidemic events that occurred "in the past" can be included among the various fields of investigation in which the Eliasian approach can be tested, and we will attempt to highlight the usefulness of some key concepts of the figurational sociology for the interpretation of what can be observed in that field. With particular reference to seventeenth-century Tuscany, attention will be focused on some dynamics of change that involved - at the same time - both certain institutions engaged in the fight against the plague and certain dimensions of people's attitudes and "sensibilities". Following Norbert Elias, we will also try to suggest that the role played by the plague in defining the direction of those dynamics of change was part of a broader (civilizing) process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the alternating relationship between labour sociology and labour law from the 20th century to the present day. It reconstructs the original separateness of the two disciplines, then the intense dialogue between sociologists and labour lawyers in the 1960s and 1970s, then again the divide during the so-called 'post-Fordist' transition. Finally, the main themes of discussion between sociology and labour law today are illustrated, introducing the contributions collected in the monographic section. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper tries to provide an analysis and some reflections on the space that studies relating to "Ecclesiastical Control", "control of consciences and ecclesiastical organization in the social context", inquisition and heresies, cults, identity and holiness, politics and religion have occupied in the Italian historiographical panorama of the last twenty years. This analysis was drawn using the metaphor of the "parable", as already done by other scholars and in other fields, to indicate the alternating historiographical fortunes of some specific themes within this area of studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper comments on Mariuccia Salvati’s analysis of the life and work of Camillo Pellizzi. The commented book comprehensively and convincingly reconstructs Pellizzi’s personality in the context of fascist and post-fascist Italy, focusing on issues such as corporatism, the theory of elites, the teaching of sociology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considered a crucial resource, to be exploited for profit or to be protected as a common good, attention has attracted the interest of many disciplines. Despite this, sociology has not yet proposed a systematic analysis of it. The goal of this paper is to show the sociological relevance and heuristic utility of the concept of attention. In the first part, an initial definition of 'attention', in relation especially to the concepts of selection and limitation of attentional resources, is provided. Then, the most recent and relevant perspectives that have elected attention as an object of sociological investigation are discussed: the school of cognitive sociology that refers to the figure of Eviatar Zerubavel, the perspectives that look at attention as a resource and Dominique Boullier's idea of 'regimes of attention'. Overall, it is shown how adopting a particular metaphor for the study of attention tends to implicitly guide the choice of the elements considered relevant to the observed phenomenon. Therefore, the limitations and potentialities of the different perspectives are analyzed, the points of convergence are explored, and, in conclusion, possible future lines of research are mentioned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on the subcultural movements of Vaporwave and Aesthetic by examining digital practices and products such as the creative and sound projects specific to the culture of the web, which are immediately welcomed by member of Generation Z through social media. Generation Z gives life to its own subcultural movements that cannot be analyzed according to the canons of the past, even if they look and are inspired by the past. In the context of the remediation under discussion, fluidity is seen as a starting paradigm, the technoexpressive boundaries mix until they are unrecognizable and perfectly integrated, and digital is an increasingly concrete dynamic. As a result, creative processes become increasingly fragmented and prismatic. The aesthetic recognizability of subcultures today is radically broken down by the logic of digital: the aesthetic canons on the web are less structured, less recognizable, more fragmented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we will try to understand the "conceptual" perspective of sociology as one of the possible lines drawn within the cultural horizon of the social sciences. And this can be easily understood if we understand by "sociological culture" a knowledge that is not reducible to a scientific disciplinary sector or to an analytical technicality (an instrumental apparatus) aimed at data collection, but as a conceptual process capable of developing a cognitive orientation aimed at grasping the existential situation of man starting from his historical, concrete and social condition. The aim of this work is therefore, more than anything else, to grasp the process of conceptualisation of social experience starting from the cultural formations within which the relationship between thought and society, or rather, between mental structures and historical-social conditions, develops concretely and reflectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The issue of the energy transition, that can be defined as the transition from the use of fossil fuels (in particular coal) to low-carbon energy resources (such as wind, solar and natural gas), is assuming an increasingly central importance in the public debateand has increasingly become the focus of public concern. Scientifically speaking, the challenge and goal of achieving pursuing a more sustainable and fairer low-carbon energy sector globally has encouraged the proliferation of a series of scientific contributions, in various fields of knowledge. The paper shows the results of a literature review on the topic of energy transition. The review takes into consideration a selection of papers taken from international scientific journals with the aim of mapping at a broader level the research on the topic and the issues that were mainly addressed in the years between 2015 and 2020. With the more specific aim of understanding the role of sociology in the international scientific debate on the energy transition, the paper aims to provide an overview of 1) research fields and disciplines; 2) places of publication; 3) research topics and questions.

Is fashion history a branch of art history? Is the nature of the two ontologically different? Moreover, can the concept of fashion be extended to include other practices, such as more traditional forms of clothing? In our contemporary academic panorama where “including” has superseded the concept of “defining”, these questions are often only tangentially considered by fashion scholars but hardly faced directly. This essay aims to bring attention to the very definition of fashion and its differences with art. Drawing from the study of aesthetics and the theory of fashion, the paper will try to go beyond the material qualities that art and fashion sometimes share and look at the social, historical, and symbolic processes underpinning each of the two fields. The essay attempts to create an overarching theory that explains the intrinsic qualities of fashion and art from an ontological standpoint. To achieve this goal, the essay will analyse some specific cases and show how fashion and art look similar only when observed from a distance. Ultimately, it will be suggested that the difference between the two is not found in their material qualities but in how they are consumed and how they signify.

Copyright of Sociologia Italiana is the property of EGEA S.p.A and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Naples has a rich and suggestive artistic, historical and cultural heritage. This characterization makes it one of the most attractive Italian tourist cities. Starting from 2018, the IT.A.CÀ Festival has also been included for two years in the already dense calendar of tourist events of the regional capital of Campania. It is one of the major Italian Festivals aimed at promoting responsible tourism and enhancing local realities. The purpose of this paper is to present the results of an action-research conducted by OUT (University of Naples' Research Center on Tourism) aimed at analyzing the impacts that the Festival has had on Naples. The study involved the main representatives of associations, institutions and local bodies that organized the past Neapolitan editions of IT.A.CÀ. More specifically, using the SWOT analysis tool, the research identified the strengths and opportunities associated with the event, but also the weaknesses and threats, to individuate a number of recommendations for its realization in Naples.

The public sociology promoted by Burawoy has met with consensus and skeptical voices over time. The debate has focused mainly on the model of disciplinary division of labour and on the interactions between the different types of sociology. In the scientific community, however, the implications connected to the concrete implementation of public sociology have been discussed in a fragmented way. Starting from the contributions on the topic found in the Italian debate, this article proposes a reflection on the problematic aspects connected to the construction of the sociologist's relationship with the public. The critical comments concern both traditional and organic public sociology. The article also raises objections regarding some epistemological assumptions of the public sociology conceived by Burawoy, highlighting the possible misunderstandings that derive from them. In the conclusions, attention is drawn to the potentially fruitful contributions that can come from some developments in public social research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, interest in the perspective of public sociology has grown in Italy, alongside a renewed focus on the relationship between sociology and the public sphere. Michael Burawoy's well-known proposal has become, from this point of view, a source of inspiration for a variety of approaches and practices. Following this trend, we propose to highlight the possible connections between public sociology and other approaches by working with some common distinctive elements. In this sense, we favor an extensive practice of the approach rather than a strict delimitation, aiming to embody an effort to think "with" and "through" public sociology. The essay begins by revisiting some aspects of the relationship between sociology and the "domain of the possible," which, according to Burawoy, is the foundation of the discipline. Subsequently, after clarifying the processual dimension of "public," we attempt to leverage the possible convergences between public sociology and other approaches. These approaches focus on the relationship between social research and critique, the capacity of social actors to contribute to the latter, and the conditions of transformative possibilities that social actors and researchers can cooperate to activate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines some important moments of the social research and the debate on its public function in Italy. The illustration starts from the last phase of the nineteenth century and ends with the current situation of Italian sociology, which presents many problems and limitations. These limits severely reduce the public function of this subject. Sociology could be a foundamental and essential tool for our society. But it would be necessary -- among other things -- to recover the capacity for general, but not generic, analyses; and to resume the original vocation of sociology to criticize society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the research performed by an Italian multi-disciplinary team jointly with a group of citizen scientists. The research was part of the project CitieS-Health (Citizen Science for Urban Environment and Health) funded by the EU under the Horizon2020 Programme. Aria di Ricerca in Valle del Serchio, one of the project five pilot studies, was performed in eight municipalities of Valle del Serchio (Lucca, Tuscany) and addressed the prevalence of chronic kidney diseases in the context of potential industrial pollution on health and, in particular, the presence of heavy metals in the environment. Since long, health and environmental issues have been of concern for the local residents who over the years promoted many initiatives to ensure adequate monitoring and appropriate policy interventions. Inspired by the PNS (Post-Normal Science) approach, and in particular the idea of Extended Peer Community, the study addressed local concerns and expectations integrating a multiplicity of competences, knowledges and perspectives. Researchers from Social Sciences and Humanities -- namely history, sociology and ethics -- collaborated with others from the health sector -- epidemiology in particular -- and with citizens in all the phases of the work: from the definition of the research objective to the collection, analysis and dissemination of the research results, and the suggestion of policy recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Writers' narrations of the city have always had a great and long-lasting influence on collective imaginaries and on people's urban experience. Sociology is debtor to urban novels that from XVII to XIX century anticipated the great themes of modernization process that deeply changed cities and urban culture. The analysis of the ways modern city has been narrated by writers take us to contemporary sociology and its major issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Sociologia Italiana is the property of EGEA S.p.A and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article aims to highlight how the sociology of memory actually corresponds to a sociology of remembering and forgetting. Indeed, if a component of forgetting is always present in memory processes, in order to fully understand the past it is not enough to focus on its visible traces, but it is also necessary to investigate those contents that have been lost, that have not been deposited or that have been prevented from having visibility. In other words, if we normally think of the sociology of memory by assuming memory as remembrance and focusing on its visible traces, we actually have to consider that it simultaneously involves remembering and forgetting; two complementary activities that are not always assumed with adequate balance in sociological analyses of memory phenomena. With this in mind, the article reflects on the different meanings of forgetting and reinterprets the traditions of memory studies in the light of a renewed focus on forgetting issues. Thus, the paths of forgetting in the main paradigms of memory will be traced and discussed: that of the social frameworks of memory, that of the critical-emancipatory paradigm, that of the places of memory, and that of memory work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Twenty years after the death of Pierre Bourdieu, his vast corpus continues to fuel lively debates on an international level. Over the last few years, several scholars have been interested in the link between Bourdieu and the sociology of work and the legacy of his conceptual apparatus for the sociological study of Labor. In 2021, in France, one of his lesser-known books, Travail et travailleurs en Algérie, was republished in an updated version. This critical reading pursues a triple objective: to highlight how, firstly, already in this early phase of his career, Bourdieu began to define some of the methodological and epistemological assumptions of his sociology: the relevance of reflexivity; a methodological approach that combines ethnography and statistics, overcoming the sterile contrast between objectivism and subjectivism; an idea of sociology that crosses the frontiers between the social sciences and disciplinary specializations. Secondly, the analysis of this book allows us to retrace the genesis of the concept of habitus, starting from the influence exercised on Bourdieu by Weber's study on the link between Protestant ethics and the spirit of capitalism. Finally, the re(reading) of Travail et travailleurs en Algérie consent to describe the substantially positive meaning that Bourdieu attributes to work, as an activity, and even more to employment in contemporary capitalist societies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay represents the first attempt to build the logical and epistemological foundations of Positional Sociology, i.e. a type of sociology that, by placing itself in the tradition of critical and public sociology, seeks to go beyond them by elaborating a new sociological practice that is both transformative and generative. To this end, the authors explain what is meant by positional sociology and then anchor it in the tradition of historical materialism and a Marxism freed from old ideological encrustations. The authors then attempt to combine the macro dimension, which is based on the analysis of historical and structural macro-processes, with the micro dimension and thus on the effects that certain major structural transformations have on the lives of subjects. The fundamental objective is thus to integrate the acquisitions of structuralist literature with post-structuralist sociological literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]