Marianna Filandri

Housing Inequality and Social Class in Europe

On the basis of European Survey on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC) data, this paper conducts a comparative analysis of housing conditions in different European countries by focusing on social class. The variance in housing conditions by social class could provide further insights about the divergence/convergence hypotheses stemming from the comparative analysis of living conditions of European countries. To support this claim, two main dimensions of housing inequality will be identified: tenure and housing well-being. A micro-level data analysis was performed, in order to take account of individual and family costs of access and maintenance of ownership in settings and in periods (such as the present day) of rising housing prices and income resources that decrease in terms of amount and stability. The aim is thus to demonstrate that, despite the difference in well-being in Europe between owners and non-owners (on the average the firsts are better off), homeowners cannot be regarded as a privileged category per se.

Young people and home ownership in Europe

The paper investigates home ownership amongst young people in Europe. Studies which compare experiences across European countries on this topic are very scarce. Using European Survey on Income and Living Conditions data, this paper conducts a multilevel analysis in 28 European countries, aiming to provide further insights about young peoples home ownership considering both macro and micro factors known to influence levels of home ownership. Based upon an analysis of key literature, the paper focuses on the influence of the housing system, labour market, and welfare state in each country, and on the social class of origin of the individual. The analyses show the relevance of socio-economic family background: young adults from the middle class are more likely to live in homes they own, compared to those from the lower and higher classes. Beyond individual characteristics, social policy has substantial influence on the tenure status of young adults. Most notably, this paper concludes that there is a negative correlation between the welfare generosity of the state and levels of home ownership, supporting the idea of the house as a safe haven and emphasising the importance of the social class of origin, especially in those countries where family is traditionally seen as the social safety net.

Housing Inequality: The Need for a Shift in Public Policy Intervention

On the night of 14 June 2017, a 24-storey skyscraper in North Kensington, London, caught fire, leaving 71 people dead and hundreds homeless. Grenfell Tower was a public housing block, built in the ...

Religion, welfare regimes and attitudes toward government responsibility for citizens' welfare. A European comparative analysis

The article aims to investigate the relationship between individual religiosity and attitudes towards government responsibility for citizens’ welfare. The rationale for such a relationship stems from the idea that religion and government spending can be intended as substitute mechanisms that may insure individuals against negative life events. We theorized the existence of an additional and opposite mechanism working in certain contexts: complementarity of responsibility. The local solutions provided by Church organizations and state interventions are not always perceived to be in opposition, but they can reinforce each other. In testing the relationship between religiosity and attitudes toward 2 public support, we hypothesized a moderating impact of contextual features: the prevalent religious denomination in a country and the type of welfare state regime. Both may have indeed influence on citizens’ opinions about the role of government responsibility because they contribute to shape individual preferences. To address these issues in a multilevel framework, we analyze the integrated European Value Study database for 31 European countries. Our results confirm that the different Christian doctrines, the various types of welfare state regimes, as well as the combinations of the two, shape differently the relationship between religiosity and attitudes toward government responsibility.

L’accesso al bene casa: instabilità lavorativa e disagio abitativo in Italia

L’articolo esplora la relazione tra posizione nel mercato del lavoro e accesso al bene casa. Il processo di deregolamentazione con la diffusione dei contratti di lavoro a termine ha portato a un aumento delle posizioni deboli anche per coloro che sono occupati, con implicazioni rilevanti sulla sicurezza dei redditi familiari. La stabilita o instabilita del salario puo infatti consentire o impedire di fare auspicabili investimenti nell’abitazione, necessarie per vivere in case adeguate senza soffrire di disagio abitativo. Per indagare allora l’influenza dell’instabilita lavorativa, nonche del livello di reddito, sulle condizioni abitative sono stati analizzati i dati italiani dell’European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions per l’anno 2011. I risultati mostrano lo svantaggio di avere un reddito insicuro che influenza, ancor piu del livello economico, la probabilita di soffrire di disagio abitativo.

L’approccio multidimensionale alla povertà: le residenze temporanee in Piemonte

Il Social Housing Temporaneo e una misura in corso di sperimentazione in cinque comuni piemontesi, volta a offrire residenze collettive e servizi di accompagnamento a famiglie svantaggiate e inserite in un percorso di assistenza sociale. Il caso e di particolare interesse in quanto affronta in maniera innovativa il tema della vulnerabilita, cercando di offrire una risposta ad almeno due dimensioni diverse: da un lato la questione abitativa, dall’altro quella sociale. Nel lavoro verra pertanto presentato il progetto, le finalita e gli strumenti previsti, nonche sara analizzata criticamente la sua implementazione

Lavoro, casa e famiglia: le strategie formali e informali dei giovani adulti nel Sud Europa

In Europa sono identificabili due modelli diversi di transizione alla vita adulta: uno tipico del Nord e Centro e uno del Sud (Iacovou e Berthoud, 2001). Tuttavia utilizzare aggregazioni di paesi, puo essere problematico, in quanto potrebbe mascherare comportamenti discordanti per contesti territoriali, spesso assimilati. In questa ricerca vogliamo proprio analizzare le differenze qualitative negli ambiti lavoro, casa e famiglia, per i giovani adulti nei paesi del Sud Europa, considerati singolarmente. Ci concentreremo a questo fine sulle seguenti condizioni: occupazione stabile, instabile o disoccupazione; indipendenza abitativa e titolo di godimento della casa; essere single o in coppia. In particolare considereremo il ruolo della famiglia e la presenza/assenza di aiuti istituzionali, per cercare di evidenziare strategie formali e informali. La famiglia e il welfare hanno, infatti assunto negli ultimi anni, nei paesi del Sud Europa - nell’ambito delle politiche lavorative e abitative per i giovani ma non solo - pesi ben diversi.