Italian Sociological Review

What the Future of Smart Working Holds for Italian Society

Elvira Martini, Minou Ella Mebane, Luca Greco, Claudia Furlan — Thu, 29 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Current literature focuses mostly on the advantages and disadvantaged of smart working (SW); more research is needed to understand if people perceive that in the future, SW will bring beneficial outcomes not only for companies or workers but also for society and improve quality of life. To help fill this research gap, the current study investigated how people perceived SW will impact aspects of society such as neighborhoods, environment, and communities, work-life balance and economy (through the increase in female employment). Two hundred fifty-six smart workers participated in this research. Our principal findings reveal that SW could promote a better quality of life: participants mostly believe that in the future SW will contribute to diminishing CO2 emissions, reducing traffic, decongesting crowded areas, and to revitalizing social life in dormitory neighborhoods. Participants had less confidence that SW would help close the work gender gap, reducing barriers to women’s entry into the workforce and increasing work opportunities for housewives. Women, moreover, were less convinced than men that through SW they would obtain a better work-life balance.

Nutrition and Food Practices in Italian Older Population’s Care Facilities: An In-Depth Analysis of Public Guidelines and Recommendations

Elena Pagliarino, Annachiara Autiero, Lucrezia Ciappelloni, Fabrizio Pecoraro — Thu, 29 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Sociodemographic projections of population aging, healthy life expectancy, and household composition depict a future with an increasing number of older individuals living alone and in need of care. Older population’s care facilities play a crucial role in promoting healthy aging, and within these facilities, nutritional and dietary practices complement care and prevention measures. The World Health Organization and the Italian National Institute of Health emphasize the importance of establishing long-term care standards and resources informed by scientific evidence to guide interventions. This study seeks to advance knowledge and improve practices by examining existing public guidelines and recommendations concerning food services in Italian older population’s care homes. Documents were collected via Google’s search engine using the keywords ‘guidelines’ or ‘recommendations’ in combination with ‘collective catering for older people’, ‘hospital catering’, ‘healthcare catering’, and ‘social care catering’. Documents were analyzed via a thematic framework defined by the research team, which was designed to identify common recommendations, differences, and innovative elements in key strategic areas of intervention. 35 documents addressing various aspects of elderly dining, including optimal nutrition, suitable diets, best practices to enhance the quality and effectiveness of food provision and consumption, and the monitoring of guideline implementation, were analyzed. The analysis was performed via qualitative software (MAXQDA24). The study concludes that there is a proliferation of guidelines with little coordination between them. While the Mediterranean Diet is cited as the reference model, this appears more rhetorical than substantial. Furthermore, the lack of a robust monitoring system to oversee the implementation of these guidelines risks undermining their effectiveness.

When Queer Studies Meet Intersectional Theory. Conceptual Innovations in Sociological Research on Anti-Lgbtq Violence and Discrimination

Luca Trappolin — Thu, 29 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The concepts of homonormativity and homonationalism have been introduced in social research on anti-LGBTQ violence and discrimination since the early 2000s, facilitating significant transformations of the field. Primarily, they have promoted critical examinations of the ambivalent effects produced by mobilisations and politics addressing the so-called homophobia. Empirical research has, in fact, elucidated that the defence of LGBTQ rights may engender the normalisation of white, affluent and gender confirmative non-heterosexual subjects, whilst reinforcing the devaluation of non-Western cultures and queers who experience subordination in axes of social stratification such as race, ethnicity, gender and class.

The paper discusses the aforementioned innovations as they represent the most fruitful outcomes of the dialogue between queer studies and intersectionality, which has emerged to overcome their respective limitations. This dialogue has encouraged the formulation of an intersectional model of queer studies and the practice of queering intersectionality, both of which investigate how heteronormative patriarchy, racism and cisnormativity are mutually constitutive of each other in the foundation of social order.

The aim of the paper is twofold. Firstly, it synthesises the main elements that have solicited and fostered the reciprocal dialogue between queer studies and intersectional theory. Secondly, it traces the origins of the concepts of homonormativity and homonationalism and provides examples of their application and empirical achievements in social research on anti-LGBTQ violence and discrimination. The conclusive section of the paper illustrates how the investigation of so-called homophobia in Italian research has integrated the transformation of the field.

Informal Social Networks and Mate Selection: Retrospective Experiences of Divorced Individuals

Kiran Ikram , Tayyaba Sohail, Ahmed Usman, Mudasar Nadeem — Thu, 29 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The present study explores the retrospective experiences of divorced individuals in the mate selection process in Pakistan. In the socio-cultural, traditional, and collectivistic context of Pakistani society, considering the importance of the mate selection process in marriage and divorce, as well as the role of informal social networks in mate selection, is an emerging yet overlooked phenomenon. Informal social networks, particularly among close and extended family members, provide support in times of need as a benefit of adhering to the network’s obligations. They can also withdraw this support from any individual if they deviate from the social norms regulating the network. Thus, family and informal networks provide and control choices, opinions, resources, and decisions regarding marriage. Hence, an individual is highly dependent on them when making life decisions and the structure provides or withdraws support accordingly. The study examines the role of informal social networks in the mate selection process and their gender dynamics, focusing on divorced individuals to explore the navigation between personal desires and collective obligations within the context of power and gender dynamics. The methodological stance is purely qualitative, involving 14 in-depth interviews until saturation is reached. The data has been analysed thematically. The study sample was recruited through purposive sampling. The study’s findings illustrate the manifestation of gender and power dynamics in the process of mate selection through informal social networks, indicating different privileges and opportunities for both genders. The narratives of the respondents also reflected that the intervention of the extended family sometimes leads to mismatches, based on materialistic needs, and these factors play an essential role in relation breakups and divorce. The study highlights the need to re-evaluate the framework of decision-making in marriages as a step towards stable marriages.

The History of Turkish Labour Relations as a Figuration: An Eliasian Reading

Fuat Man — Thu, 29 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The history of labour relations in Turkey has predominantly been examined through a simplistic chronological framework, with studies grounded in comprehensive theoretical foundations being exceedingly rare. This study offers a reinterpretation of Turkey’s labour relations history by employing the concept of “figuration” developed by Norbert Elias, a prominent figure in contemporary social theory. It focuses on three key historical moments: the period of the first labour law’s enactment, the post-World War II era, and the early 2000s. The analysis aims to illustrate how labour relations have been shaped by complex and dynamic interactions rather than the absolute power of any single actor. Drawing on Elias’s game models as an analytical framework, the study argues that labour relations resemble a game, where each actor’s actions influence and are influenced by others. Empirical data from the three historical moments are utilized to substantiate this perspective, providing a fresh theoretical approach to understanding Turkey’s labour relations history.

Strengths and Weaknesses of Family Leisure in Adolescents

Mª Ángeles Hernández-Prados, José Santiago Álvarez-Muñoz — Thu, 29 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The increase in shared family time has reopened the debate on family leisure and its educational potential. However, most studies have focused primarily on quantification, without adequately assessing the quality of these practices. The aim of this descriptive, inferential, quantitative, cross-sectional, and non-experimental study is to identify and delimit the weaknesses and strengths that adolescents attribute to family leisure. A descriptive study was conducted with a sample of 1,054 students from the seventh to tenth grades in seven Spanish high schools, who completed the questionnaire “Evaluation of Family Leisure Practices. Questionnaire for Adolescents.” The results highlight improved communication and family bonding as the main strengths, while repetition and routine family traditions emerge as the primary weaknesses. Moreover, the findings indicate that grade level, age, nationality, mother’s nationality, family structure, and academic performance are significant variables in the perception of strengths, whereas gender, grade level, age, and mother’s educational level are significant for the perception of weaknesses. These results suggest that the implementation of family leisure as an educational resource requires counselling and guidance in order to minimize risks and maximize opportunities. Preventive actions should also be established to counteract family disengagement as adolescents grow older.

Young People’s Struggle for Recognition: The Movement of la Lupa and School Occupations

Angelo Galiano — Thu, 29 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This article examines some of the social and political aspects resulting from the action of young people during the pandemic, through the description and analysis of a specific performance of conflict, occupation. Between October 2021 and March 2022 an unprecedented wave of keenly-felt student demonstrations swept through Italy, triggered by the occupation of several schools in Rome. The article is based on a quali-quantitative methodology. The chronology of the protest was reconstructed by means of an analysis of the national and local daily press.

Young Children in War-Time: Making Sense of Palestine-Israel Conflict Impact on Instagram

Thu, 29 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The dissemination of conflict-related issues on Instagram extends beyond mere informative communication, offering a detailed examination and assessment of the impact of conflicts on children, a particularly vulnerable demographic. Such discussions, however, frequently receive inadequate attention within academic discourse. This study aims not only to address these scholarly gaps but also to elucidate and reflect upon the specific conditions, circumstances, and repercussions of the Palestine-Israel conflict on the welfare of children as a vulnerable group amidst conflict, as represented on Instagram. Utilizing a qualitative descriptive methodology, this research delves into the various facets of the Palestine-Israel conflict and its effects on children, as portrayed on Instagram. The findings of this investigation highlight three critical aspects concerning the portrayal of children’s issues during the Palestine-Israel conflict on Instagram. Firstly, the platform serves as a medium for depicting repressive behaviors, acts of resistance, and direct engagements between children and military forces within conflict zones. Secondly, the study underscores the risk of psychological trauma, physical harm, and mortality among children in these areas. Lastly, it provides insights into the profound loss of parents, relatives, and familial structures endured by children in these conflict-ridden regions.

The Relationship Between the Challenges of Academic Work and the Well-Being of University Lecturers in Light of a Qualitative Research in Hungary

Zsófia Kocsis, Anett Hrabéczy — Thu, 29 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The changes in higher education as a result of the massification of higher education presented the society of educators with new challenges and roles. Previous research agrees that the effectiveness of higher education institutions depends to a large extent on the performance of the instructors, however, the examination of the factors that facilitate this and support well-being has received little attention in the literature so far. The aim of our research is therefore to explore the dimensions of the physical, mental, emotional and social well-being of instructors, and to reveal the factors that appear as challenges and risk factors during the work of teachers. To investigate this, we conducted a semi-structured focus group interview research, during which we interviewed 11 university instructors from Eastern Hungary. Among our most important results, it can be mentioned that the interpretation of the role as instructors at institutions of higher education, well-being at work, and the challenges associated with each role appear as significant factors in the narrative of the instructors. Our results can help educational policymakers and institutional decision-makers support the promotion of the well-being of educators with appropriate decisions, thereby indirectly promoting the achievement of educational and institutional excellence.