It moves a little, but so slowly that it seems almost stationary. We’re talking about social mobility in Italy. The latest ISTAT report on the country shows that this is not merely a perception.
Characteristics attributed to us – those stemming from our origins – still play a decisive role in shaping our life, educational and career paths. Fewer than one in five (18.5 per cent) of those starting from the lower levels of the social hierarchy manage to obtain a degree, whilst an even smaller proportion (14.8 per cent) manage to secure a skilled job.
This is happening despite the existence of a dynamic and highly flexible society, as well as the numerous employment opportunities and innovation brought about by new technologies. Indeed, traditional inequalities are once again playing a significant role, given this new competitive context characterised by an era of radical change.
This is because, in the absence of a stable and structured social infrastructure, those with limited family resources and social networks face greater obstacles on their path. In other words, a family with limited financial and social resources cannot support a young person who, in turn, will struggle to undertake long training courses and invest in their career development (master’s degrees, the Erasmus programme, periods abroad, etc.).
As we have few tools and policies designed to redistribute opportunities – and those that do work are under-resourced – the family of origin remains the only (social) springboard, with its tangible and intangible heritage. Furthermore, one’s social and economic background shapes the context within which individuals operate and find social capital they can draw upon.
One need only consider what would happen if, unfortunately, someone were to lose their job or were looking for work: in the absence of effective active labour market policies, relocation services and income support, and without a national system for continuous training, individuals and families are left to bear the burden of this situation almost entirely on their own. They can only rely on their own ability to cope and find new opportunities.
Here are some figures: in Italy, Public Employment Centres (CPIs) account for only 4 per cent (Eurostat) of the matching of labour supply and demand. The remainder is handled through word of mouth and independent job searches via family connections. 6% of the working-age population (aged 25–64) attends training or retraining courses, whilst the European average stands at 10.5% (ISTAT, Eurostat).
Consequently, in this ‘do-it-yourself’ era, those with the right tools have a significant competitive advantage. Conversely, the outlook for the future appears uncertain. Consequently, in this respect, social mobility appears to be substantially restricted compared with previous decades.
The latest survey carried out by Community Media Research aims to ascertain the population’s perception of their current position within the social hierarchy, compared with their situation in the past. A comparison is then made with a similar survey conducted in 2016, enabling us to further assess whether we are witnessing phenomena of social mobility or social immobility.
Overall, more than two-thirds of the population (70.3%) currently place themselves in the lower and lower-middle social classes, whilst the remaining 29.7% are in the highest part of the social hierarchy. Looking back five years, 58.4% of respondents placed themselves in the lower part of the social classes, with 41.6% in the upper part.
Consequently, over a five-year period, a significant proportion of Italians believe they have experienced a decline in their social standing. This does not merely mean a fall in income, but may also result from having to forego opportunities or from the erosion of savings or assets needed to maintain the same standard of living. As is usually the case, the average figure masks the uneven situation across our country, which results in a regional divide seen in only a handful of other European countries.
Thus, whilst in the North, on average, 64.3 per cent of citizens belong to the lower and lower-middle classes, a similar situation can be observed for the 74.4 per cent of the population living in the Centre-South of the country (with the South reaching 76.1 per cent). By comparing people’s self-assessments across the two periods, it is possible to gauge Italians’ perception of social mobility – that is to say, how and whether the ‘social lift’ works. The findings paint a picture of a largely stagnant country. Almost three-quarters of Italians (71.8%) believe the social ladder remains stuck on the same floor: during the period examined (2013–2018), there has only been horizontal mobility.
On the other hand, one fifth of the population (21.4 per cent) has seen their social mobility decline. This decline mainly affects those with a low level of education (31.3%), whilst those belonging to the lower class (51.7%) are either unemployed (32.8%) or self-employed (32.8%). It mainly affects people living in the South (24.1%). Very few (6.8%) have experienced upward social mobility, which almost exclusively involves those belonging to the upper-middle class (30.0%).
A comparison with the figures from 2016 shows that, in reality, the trend has (slowly) shifted. In other words, this means that the proportion of people experiencing a decline is lower today (21.4 per cent) than it was in 2016 (34.3 per cent). However, this did not result in an increase in the number of people moving up (6.8%, compared to 3.6% in 2016); rather, there was a rise in the number of people remaining on the same floor: 71.8%, compared to 62.1% in 2016. Whilst Italy’s GDP is growing slowly, the ‘social lift’ is not following the same trend: on the one hand, the number of people moving down the social ladder is lower than that recorded a few years ago, whilst on the other hand, the group of people remaining in the same position is growing, and only a very small number of citizens are moving up.
A slow economic recovery and a lack of social mobility are fuelling the processes of social inclusion and exclusion and have once again exacerbated social inequalities. These represent the real obstacles that the new Government must swiftly remove.
Research methodology
Community Media Research, in collaboration with Intesa Sanpaolo on behalf of La Stampa, carried out a nationwide survey called Indagine LaST (Laboratory on Society and the Territory) from 9 January to 22 January, based on a sample of the entire Italian population aged 18 and over. The methodology and results were analysed by Questlab. A total of 1,482 people (out of 13,384 contacts) were surveyed. The data was re-weighted according to gender, region, age groups, employment status and education. The margin of error is approximately ±2.5 per cent. The survey was conducted online via the main social media platforms, using a random sample reached via CAWI and CATI systems. To download the full survey, please visit www.agcom.it and www.communitymediaresearch.it
