THE DUTY TO HAVE COURAGE
ROME, ITALY, May 24, 2023/EINPresswire.com/ — The Italy Report, reaching its 35th edition this year, revolves around 6 chapters, each of which offers a dichotomous reading of the reality examined. Each chapter is illustrated through 6 essays and 60 phenomenological factsheets. Thus, through a dual reading of reality, themes that the Institute considers representative of current political, economic and social events in our country are addressed.
The thematic dichotomies identified for the Italy Report 2023 are:
State/Market – Merit/Obligation – Rights/Duties – Responsibility/Irresponsibility –
Security/Insecurity – Otium/Negotium
The pandemic has brought a sense of pessimism among Italians who mostly indicate the country’s economic situation has worsened over the past year. Until 2020, in fact, the belief that there was stability prevailed. Despite this general bias, 42% of citizens say that their personal/family economic situation in the past 12 months has remained stable.
These are some of the indications that emerge from reading the data contained in the Italy Report 2023 published by Eurispes (Institute for Political, Economic and Social Studies), now reaching its 35th edition.
Most of all, Italians are struggling with rent payments (48.4%), utility bills and utilities (37.9%; +3.5% compared to 2022) and mortgage payments (37.5%). In economic difficulties, the family of origin still functions as a social shock absorber (36.8%). There is a growing use of installment payments to deal with the purchase of new assets.
Many interviewees are cutting back on gifts and relying more on sales or cheap outlets for groceries. Many are limiting going out and increasingly postponing important purchases such as a new car.
The shadow of burnout stretches over three out of 10 workers who report experiencing work-associated psychological and physical malaise. More than a quarter of workers complain of job insecurity, lack of rights and job insecurity. One-third have worked two jobs in the past year, and one in five have worked without a contract.
The picture emerging through the data collected in the sample survey conducted by Eurispes is that of a general decline in the trust expressed by citizens in Institutions, although there are some that maintain broad consensus such as the President of the Republic, the police and armed forces, intelligence along with other institutions such as schools, Civil Protection, healthcare, universities, volunteering and to some extent the church.
Eurispes’ President, Gian Maria Fara, states: «We are not in ordinary times. Today, geopolitical and geoeconomic processes of change combine with elements related to the great phenomena and processes of change that have been taking place globally for some time and to which we have already drawn attention in the past. We refer to the “megatrends”, the major processes related to, for example, the digital revolution, demographic trends, climate change, migration flows, economic inequalities, and widespread social imbalances.
The essential fact to reflect on is that the set of delays and failures to address these changes marks a lack of awareness of the scale of the “giants” to be fought. Precisely giants, because they are capable of profoundly affecting our systems of life and our scenarios of growth and progress, of annihilating traditional arrangements and practices. These are challenges that require people and communities to have the courage, foresight, responsibility and will to mature decisions aimed at undertaking growth paths that are truly and profoundly innovative, we might say alternative to the present ones. Facing the present requires, in our view, the “duty to have courage”.
And that means finding the courage to make choices, even unpopular ones; the courage to break with the past and abandon those established logics that hold back the whole system; the courage to walk the reforms toward a final conclusion and thus get Italy moving again; the courage to equip the territory with modern connections; the courage to invest in new family policies that encourage births and shelter families from the fears linked to the economic crisis; the courage to find common ground among the different political alignments and unavoidable goals on which to work in order to return the country to its rightful role; the courage to eliminate widespread pockets of backwardness and project it into modernity; the courage to give the necessary resources to the South to fully develop its potential and to make sure that these resources are committed within a framework of effective legality; the courage to complete a real reform of the justice system that will bring back to the courtrooms the rights of the accused in terms of guarantees and a fair trial; the courage to say that without education a country cannot see progress, but also that we cannot all be university graduates and that we also need skilled labor; the bravery to rediscover, for example, craftsmanship as the unicum of the success of the Italian spirit in the world, and on so much more we need, today, to find the courage to have courage».
The data and information regarding ethical issues and the use of Social media are of particular note. Italians say they are in favor of euthanasia (67.9%) and the number of those in favor of assisted suicide is growing up. The protection of de facto couples and the possibility of same-sex marriage sees most Italians in favor. Adoption even for same-sex couples divides the sample in half, while for singles there is more support. Majorities say no to legalization of soft drugs and prostitution, surrogacy, sex change through self-declaration, and recognition of gender identities that are not reflected in male and female.
Regarding Social: the only platforms used most frequently in all age groups are Whatsapp, Facebook and Youtube, otherwise the fruition of the different socials is the prerogative of young people. There appears to be widespread awareness of the risks associated with the use of social, although for 45.8% this should instead be a completely free and uncensored “place”. Increasing use of cell phones during daily activities; at the table alone or in company; in the carwhile waiting at traffic lights; driving or walking.
Susanna Fara
EURISPES – Istituto di studi Politici Economici e Sociali
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Presentation of the Italy Report 2023 Results
