The most visible form of innovation, and the one most often discussed, is technological innovation. But another form of innovation is also growing and spreading: social innovation. And within the welfare system, this is particularly evident. Although it is developing quietly and behind the scenes, a new form is emerging, utilising new communication technologies such as social networks. This is \u2018social welfare\u2019 and \u2018do-it-yourself\u2019 welfare. Faced with potential difficulties, the majority of people in the north-east would turn to the \u2018triangle\u2019 comprising family (93.3 per cent, particularly in Veneto: 96.0 per cent), friends (81.8 per cent, particularly in Trentino-Alto Adige: 87.0 per cent) and voluntary organisations (54.5 per cent, rising to 60.5 per cent in Friuli Venezia Giulia). The services offered by their local council (26.2 per cent, peaking at 42.1 per cent in Friuli-Venezia Giulia) and by the state (8.1 per cent) come last in the ranking; they are not identified as the organisations people would turn to in the immediate first instance. Indeed, between the top and bottom of the list we find other sources such as neighbours (36.3%), rather than local residents (29.6 per cent, rising to 48.7 per cent in Friuli Venezia Giulia) or parishes (18.2 per cent), which act \u2013 albeit for a minority \u2013 as a lifeline.<\/p>\n
On closer inspection, this is not merely a matter of opinion, given the growth that the \u2018social street\u2019 initiative has seen in just a few years, starting with the example in Via Fondazza, Bologna. Socialising with neighbours in one\u2019s local area to share needs and professional skills, knowledge, and to carry out projects of common interest. In short, building a new form of social interaction that is \u2018zero-kilometre\u2019 and \u2018zero-cost\u2019. It is a reimagining of the traditional welfare system that harnesses the energies present in society\u2019s social capital. Of course, particularly in the north-east, there is no shortage of efficient and cutting-edge public and social services, including those provided by the private-social sector. Public services, however, suffer from a combination of factors that render them marginal in the eyes of the public. The very adjective \u2018public\u2019 or \u2018state-run\u2019 carries negative connotations in the collective imagination, evoking something substandard and anonymous. It is equated with \u2018bureaucrats\u2019, a term with negative connotations, unlike in France and Germany where this professional role enjoys a much higher status. Added to this perception is not only the decline caused by the challenges of the public deficit, but above all the \u2013 in many cases reckless \u2013 use of public resources, which complicates matters for both state services and those of the private social sector operating in tandem. Not to mention the journalistic reports aimed at highlighting the waste that has taken place over the years. If we add to all this the fact that demand for services from the public tends to increase and, above all, to diversify, we can understand why, in social perceptions \u2013 even more so than in reality \u2013 public services occupy a marginal role in the collective imagination. They are seen almost as a last resort, if no other options are available.<\/p>\n
The research by Community Media Research demonstrates once again that the family, despite the profound structural changes it has undergone, continues to be the true, great resource. A source of wealth that is not merely symbolic and of value, a haven of affection and relationships, but also an organisational reality and a network of practical support. It is this true form of welfare that is currently supporting the younger generations: providing a home when they decide to live together (and later marry), and drawing on the savings and investments accumulated over time, back when such things were still possible. However, these savings are now being drawn down faster than they can be replenished, thus leading to a reduction in consumption. And then there is the uncertain transition whilst looking for work: those seeking employment do so independently by sending their CVs to companies (28.7 per cent) and through family connections and word of mouth (25.2 per cent). Only 4.8 per cent turn to public job centres (CMR-Adecco survey). Thus, as economists point out, the family is the resource that has proved better able than others to withstand the blows of the economic crisis: because they are less indebted and better able to save, and because in the past they have invested more in tangible assets (such as their home).<\/p>\n
By totalling the networks on which respondents would rely in times of need, it is possible to identify a summary measure that helps to define the strength of the support network available to the population. This gives rise to three categories. The largest group consists of those with \u2018flexible networks\u2019 (61.6 per cent, particularly in Trentino-Alto Adige: 67.8 per cent; and in Veneto: 67.7 per cent). These are people who identify a relatively small and flexible range of sources of support outside their family and circle of friends. The second group consists of those who report having \u2018fragile networks\u2019 (29.3 per cent, particularly in Friuli-Venezia Giulia: 33.3 per cent), that is, those who have no support networks at all or very few to fall back on in times of need. Even their family support appears weak. Finally, the third group consists of those who believe they can rely on \u2018strong networks\u2019 (9.1 per cent, in Friuli Venezia Giulia: 26.0 per cent), meaning a more extensive support network in times of need.<\/p>\n
Friendship networks, voluntary worlds and families are the core element of our social capital. The issue is that on the latter falls an overload of functions. All too often they are left alone to deal with complicated situations: the scarcity of childcare services pushes young couples to have to rely on grandparents or the parental network; there are still few companies that pay attention to the problems of working mothers; not to mention the number of migrant women who care for the elderly in their homes. Thus, it is the short networks that function as support, while as we move away from the circle of direct acquaintances, this network seems to have a much thinner weave. Precisely for these reasons, not only do we need a public service capable of intercepting demands, but we must also pursue in a complementary way the avenues of a generative welfare such as 'social streets': where it is possible to build new forms of inte(g)raction and reciprocity.<\/p>\n
Finegil newspapers, 29 May 2016<\/a><\/p>\n Il Piccolo, 29 May 2016<\/a><\/p>\n Messaggero Veneto, 29 May 2016<\/a><\/p>\n Trentino, 4 June 2016<\/a><\/p>\n South Tyrol, 4 June 2016<\/a><\/p>\n Daniele Marini<\/p>\n Methodological note<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Community Media Research carried out the survey, which took place nationwide from 22 March to 4 April 2016 amongst a representative sample of the resident population in Italy aged over 18. The methodological aspects and data collection were handled by the company Quantitas. There were a total of 1,997 respondents (out of 13,287 contacts). The data analysis was re-weighted on the basis of gender, region, age group, employment status and educational qualification. The margin of error is +\/-2.2%. The survey was conducted via a visual survey on the main social networks and using a random sample reached via CAWI and CATI systems. Full report available at www.agcom.it<\/a> e www.communitymediaresearch.it<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" L\u2019innovazione pi\u00f9 visibile e di cui si parla \u00e8 quella tecnologica. Ma cresce e si sta diffondendo anche un\u2019altra forma di innovazione: quella sociale. E nell’ambito del sistema di welfare…<\/p>","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":8210,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3737","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sondaggi"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.community.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3737","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.community.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.community.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.community.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.community.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3737"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.community.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3737\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12933,"href":"https:\/\/www.community.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3737\/revisions\/12933"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.community.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3737"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.community.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3737"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.community.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3737"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}