Matteo Bassoli

Gender ideology : the last barrier to women's participation in political consumerism?

In this article, we analyze how gender affects women’s political participation. More specifically, we test the effect of gender ideology on young women’s participation in political consumerism. The current literature suggests different reasons to explain the gap in political participation between men and women, most importantly focusing on socioeconomic resources, gender roles, and political socialization, whereas little attention has been devoted to the individual interpretation of a woman and man’s own role in society. We test the effects of gender ideology on political consumerism, a form in which women participate more than men. We analyze political consumerism among young urban women, the population most likely to hold an egalitarian gender ideology. Moreover, we compare young women with different job conditions. Although the gender gap is closing or reversing in regard to specific forms of participation, such as consumerism, some inequalities remain, and our study contributes to understanding differences in participation among women themselves.

Political Participation of Local Publics in the Unemployment Field: A Comparison of Lyon and Turin

Abstract This article focuses on political participation of local publics in the unemployment field, examining networks of collective actors in Lyon and Turin. Our main question is: Is the participation of local publics fostered under conditions of more developed governance that increases bottom-up access (formal or informal) to elites and institutions in the policy domain? Drawing upon the most recent developments in literatures on social movement theory, governance and network analysis, this article discusses the main variations in terms of political participation of local publics in Lyon and Turin. It then enquires into the main explanatory factors accounting for these variations, thus showing that the openness of governance does influence the level of political participation of local publics. The main argument is that in an open context participation is low, while in a closed (or underdeveloped) context local publics participate more, with differential access to decision-making according to their resources.

Youth Long-Term Unemployment and Its Social Consequences in Italy: ‘In a World That Does Not Belong to Me’

This chapter explores the extent to which long-term unemployment can lead to social exclusion, paying particular attention to the role of material deprivation. Drawing on qualitative semi-structured interviews conducted with 19 young unemployed men and women living in the Italian city of Turin, the authors develop a ‘multilayered’ model that sheds light on the different consequences that the deprivation of basic or leisure goods can have on social isolation, coping strategies and psychological well-being. In this case study, the findings suggest that the lack of work and the inability to enter the labor market are responsible for a delayed transition to adulthood and, ultimately, for the reproduction of social inequalities.

Networks within the Multi-Organizational Field of Unemployment and Precarity: A Tale of Seven Cities in Europe

The different contributions of this volume show that unemployment and precarity are crucial matters of concern in Europe, with a large number of actors mobilizing over issues pertaining to the labor market, social protection, and services. The unemployed and the precarious themselves have mobilized so as to advance their demands and defend their own interests. Institutions, decision-makers, and political elites have put the issues of unemployment and precarity at the core of their political strategies. And a number of additional actors — including political parties, trade unions, churches, and a range of charities and independent organizations — have engaged with unemployment and precarity. One should also focus on the organizations that speak and act on behalf of unemployed people and the precarious. While their members are not necessarily unemployed or precarious, these pro-beneficiary organizations take the fight against unemployment and precarity as their own main raison d’etre. Their role is important, since the unemployed and the precarious themselves may be too “weak” to make their voice heard (Cinalli 2007; Giugni and Passy 2001).

Who Are the Powerful Actors? An Analysis of Brokerage in the Networks of Organizations Dealing with Unemployment and Precarity

Other contributions to this book have examined the impact of political context on political behavior in the field of unemployment and precarity and have focused on the multi-organizational nature of the unemployment and precarity field and its network dynamics. This chapter consists of a research design that analyzes the impact of the actors’ networks on the various types of political engagement of organizations in the field of unemployment and precarity politics while taking into consideration the key role of welfare regimes. We performed a comparative analysis of Cologne, Kielce, and Turin. While they differ in their degree of flexibility in labor market regulations, these three national cases are comparable in terms of their restrictive approach vis-a-vis the unemployed and precarious workers. Relationally, we have singled out the role of brokerage as a main network attribute of the actors. The primary point that we would like to emphasize is that brokerage stands out as a valuable measure that captures actors’ capacity to foster exchanges within the field in terms of both bonding in the public domain and creating linkages between the public and the policy domains (Cinalli 2004, 2007). We have focused on three main variables of political engagement: mobilizing members, lobbying, and general involvement in political activities.