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Territorial capital (TC) is often defined as a set of tangible and intangible values, of an economic, social and environmental nature, capable of determining the development potential of a territory. In this paper, two fundamental categories of TC factors are identified. The first (generative factors) includes human capital and social capital which together significantly influence individual and collective action. The material and immaterial effects induced by this category of TC take the form of structures, infrastructures, productive and governmental structures, artistic expressions, and the cultural heritage and constitute the second category of TC factors (here defined as sedimented factors). Measuring and assessing these two categories, here applied to the case of provinces in Italy, could allow the formulation of key policy suggestions for economic growth and territorial development. The preliminary results provide useful information about the methodological framework adopted and pose new questions for future research developments., Bollettino della Società Geografica Italiana, Series 14 Vol 2 Special Issue (2019)

Inspired by Semiotic Cultural Psychology Theory, the study surveyed a representative Italian national sample (N=818) to test a culture-based model of populist voting. The model assumed that a set of socio-political orientations (i.e., support for democracy, civicness, egalitarianism, anti-elitism, confidence in institutions, and respect for diversity) would mediate the relationship between symbolic universes (i.e., generalized affect-laden sets of meanings) and mainstream vs. populist voting. The results supported the main hypotheses, revealing that populist voting was favoured by a combination of concern for democracy and distrust. As expected, symbolic universes affected socio-political orientations, while a structural variable such as socio-economic status proved to be irrelevant. Implications for the SCPT framework and for research on populism and voting behaviour are discussed., Psychology Hub, V. 37, N. 2 (2020)

A correction update is attached., This paper reports the framework, method and main findings of an analysis of cultural milieus in 4 European countries (Estonia, Greece, Italy, and UK). The analysis is based on a questionnaire applied to a sample built through a two-step procedure of post-hoc random selection from a broader dataset based on an online survey. Responses to the questionnaire were subjected to multidimensional analysis±a combination of Multiple Correspondence Analysis and Cluster Analysis. We identified 5 symbolic universes, that correspond to basic, embodied, affect-laden, generalized worldviews. People in this study see the world as either a) an ordered universe; b) a matter of interpersonal bond; c) a caring society; d) consisting of a niche of belongingness; e) a hostile place (others' world). These symbolic universes were also interpreted as semiotic capital: they reflect the capacity of a place to foster social and civic development. Moreover, the distribution of the symbolic universes, and therefore social and civic engagement, is demonstrated to be variable across the 4 countries in the analysis. Finally, we develop a retrospective reconstruction of the distribution of symbolic universes as well as the interplay between their current state and past, present and future socio-institutional scenarios., The study is part of the Re.Cri.Re Project (www.recrire.eu), that has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 649436, peer-reviewed

There is an error in affiliation 12 for authors Anastassios Matsopoulos and Polivios Psinas. Affiliation 12 should be: School of Education, Department of Preschool, University of Crete, Rethimno, Crete, Greece.

This paper reports the framework, method and main findings of an analysis of cultural milieus in 4 European countries (Estonia, Greece, Italy, and UK). The analysis is based on a questionnaire applied to a sample built through a two-step procedure of post-hoc random selection from a broader dataset based on an online survey. Responses to the questionnaire were subjected to multidimensional analysis–a combination of Multiple Correspondence Analysis and Cluster Analysis. We identified 5 symbolic universes, that correspond to basic, embodied, affect-laden, generalized worldviews. People in this study see the world as either a) an ordered universe; b) a matter of interpersonal bond; c) a caring society; d) consisting of a niche of belongingness; e) a hostile place (others’ world). These symbolic universes were also interpreted as semiotic capital: they reflect the capacity of a place to foster social and civic development. Moreover, the distribution of the symbolic universes, and therefore social and civic engagement, is demonstrated to be variable across the 4 countries in the analysis. Finally, we develop a retrospective reconstruction of the distribution of symbolic universes as well as the interplay between their current state and past, present and future socio-institutional scenarios.

The View of Context (VOC) is a survey instrument designed to detect the content of generalized affect-laden meanings embedded within large-scale cultural milieus. Generalized affect-laden meanings work as basic embodied system of assumptions channelling the way of feeling, thinking, making de- cision. The paper outlines the theoretical and methodological framework of VOC Semiotic Cultural Psychology - and reports a first study of validation, aimed at analysing the VOCs construct validity. The study tests 5 hypotheses, each of them focused on a characteristic of the generalized affect-laden meanings that the instrument is designed to map: their a-semantic (HP1) and affective (HP2) valence; the regulative function (HP3) they exercise on the sensemaking; the assumption that these meanings are transversal to different domains of experience (HP4); the assumption that there is a plurality of these meanings embedded in a certain cultural milieu (HP5). In order to test these hypotheses, a combination of a multidimensional procedure of data analysis and a Path Modeling has been applied on a survey responses obtained from a UK representative sample (n=765). Results are consistent with hypotheses, in that providing evidence of the VOCs construct validity., peer-reviewed

Il contributo dimostra attraverso l'utilizzo di un modello statistico che le performance degli Atenei sono determinate dal contesto territoriale di appartenenza. Tale dimostrazione consente agli autori di sottolineare i rischi insiti nell'attuale modello di finanziamento delle Università che, come oggi delineati, rischiano di accrescere i processi di divergenza territoriale.

In this paper we analyse the European Customer Satisfaction Index (ECSI) model measured on five different customer groups. In the analysis we use Structural Equation Modelling, which is a general and convenient framework for statistical analysis, including traditional multivariate procedures such as factor analysis or multiple regression modelling. To estimate the structural coefficients, a Multilevel Regression Model is used, which facilitates the analysis of hierarchical data, where observations may be nested within higher levels of classification. In this analysis the hierarchical structure is represented by the customers nested in the companies, so we have two levels of analysis, a micro level nested in a macro level.

Nello studio dei fenomeni reali, spesso ci si trova ad analizzare dati che hanno una struttura gerarchica. Nei problemi di valutazione della performance dei servizi alla persona di pubblica utilità (sanità, formazione, sociale, etc.) lo studio delle relazioni/associazioni tra le unità semplici e i gruppi di appartenenza è particolarmente interessante ed informativo. Il concetto generale è che gli individui interagendo con l’ambiente, risultano influenzati nelle loro scelte o nel loro modo di reagire a stimoli, dal gruppo sociale o dal contesto a cui appartengono (Hox, 2002). Le variazioni negli atteggiamenti degli individui (preferenze, propensioni all’acquisto, soddisfazione), quindi, non dipenderanno solo dalle variabili misurate sugli stessi, ma anche dall’influenza che il contesto ha su di loro. In letteratura sono proposte diverse strategie di analisi per dati con struttura di tipo gerarchico. Distinguiamo le tecniche inferenziali come i modelli regressivi multilivello (Bryk & Raudenbush, 1992; Goldstein, 1987; Longford, 1986; Aitkin, 1981), dalle tecniche esplorative di analisi dei dati come l’Analisi in Componenti Principali non lineare gerarchica (Michealidis & de Leeuw, 2000, Gallo & Lombardo, 2001; Lombardo & Gallo 2004). Il presente lavoro si inquadra tra le tecniche di analisi multidimensionale dei dati e si basa sull’algoritmo NIPALS (Non-linear Iterative Partial Least Squares, Wold, 1966) che consente la stima di componenti principali lineari. L’idea principale è di analizzare i dati evidenziando l’influenza che i gruppi hanno sul contesto generale, così come la dipendenza di ciascun gruppo dal contesto. La metodologia proposta è illustrata mediante l’uso di un data set utilizzato per misurare la soddisfazione di pazienti ricoverati presso l’istituto ospedaliero dell’Universitet di Linkoping in Svezia (Krevers 2002). I dati presentano una struttura gerarchica a due livelli: i pazienti e i reparti di degenza.

In this paper, an extension of the Co-inertia Analysis is proposed. This extension is based on a objective function which takes into account directly the external information, as linear restrictions about one set of variables, by rewriting the Co-inertia Analysis objective function according to the principle of Restricted Eigenvalue Problem (Rao (1973)).