Italian Attitudes Research Articles

Il cibo come fattore identitario: il lessico culinario nelle cronache di calcio italiane – un’analisi corpus-based

The article examines the role of food in shaping the Italian national identity based on the example of Italian football language in the most-read Italian newspaper entitled “La Gazzetta dello Sport” (www.gazzetta. it). At first, the concept of identity is analyzed and then its particular shades in the case of Italy and the attitude of Italians toward food, its importance and widespread occurrence within the entire country will be discussed. In fact, the food is a factor which seems to be a bonding element for all Italians and a means of expressing the current Italian national identity. The author identifies it as the Italian culinary identity. The phenomenon can be observed in such presently existing Italian culinary terms as cioccolatino, brodino, biscotto, spezzatino, mangiarsi un gol and the like that are used in Italian football news.

To vote or not to vote in the homeland elections? Insights into voting abstention in Italy's constituency abroad

AbstractSince its introduction in the early 2000s, legislation relating to the voting rights of Italians abroad has enabled millions of residents of voting age outside of Italy to engage in homeland elections and elect their own MPs. The inclusion of Italian citizens abroad in the Italian polity has nevertheless translated into a patchy electoral engagement. This article does not intend to provide an analysis of the voting choices in Italy's overseas constituency. Instead, it delves into external vote dynamics to provide insights into overseas Italians’ abstention in parliamentary elections and referenda. After summarising the history of the introduction of Italy's peculiar model of external voting, drawing on the results of an online survey of Italians abroad, the article examines the factors influencing turnout, with specific attention to the eligible voters’ personal characteristics. It also focuses on the attitude of Italians abroad towards possible reforms aiming at increasing electoral participation. It concludes that country of birth and Italian language skills are among the most relevant variables not only to assess what fosters or inhibits external voting, but also to gauge the opinion of voters residing outside Italy about proposals to reform the procedures regulating the exercise of suffrage from abroad.

Carmela Curto: The Story of One Italian Immigrant, the History of Millions

Carmela Curto: The Story of One Italian Immigrant, the History of Millions

The Sexual and Parenting Rights of People with Physical and Psychical Disabilities: Attitudes of Italians and Socio-Demographic Factors Involved in Recognition and Denial.

The sexual and parenting rights (SPRs) of people with disabilities (PwDs) are under-recognized. Sociodemographic factors may influence attitudes towards them. The aims of this study were: (1) to analyze the levels of agreement of a sample of Italian people with some SPRs of PwDs; (2) to inquire if the SPRs of people with psychical disabilities (PwPSYDs) were less recognized than those with physical disabilities (PwPHDs); (3) to verify if sociodemographic characteristics associated with under-recognition. An online anonymous survey was distributed using non-random sampling methods to conduct an inquiry into the level of agreement with statements regarding the SPRs of PwPHDs and PwPSYDs to have satisfying sexuality, to marry, and to adopt children. Answers from 973 Italian participants, aged 18–84 years (71.1% females) were analyzed. At least 70% of respondents declared in favor of the SPRs of PwPHDs. The SPRs of PwPSYDs were always subjected to higher under-recognition. Religiosity, male sex, higher age, and lower education were the factors most often associated with being against the SPRs of PwDs. Improved identification of the less tolerant respondents and the less recognized categories may allow for specific strategies for promoting the recognition of the SPRs for PwDs.

Trust and Civic Engagement in the Italian COVID-19 Lockdown

The paper presents considerations on the possible consequences associated with the lockdown condition that ensued on the coronavirus pandemic. On the one hand, the infection brought about a notable intensification of primary relationships, in particular within the family and the domestic space in general, while, on the other hand and especially at the start, it generated strong symbolic integration, shown for example by events such as flashmobs and other forms of the grassroot involvement of individuals. Through empirical research data, we will attempt to understand to what extent the cultural climate prevalent in Italy through March and April influenced the attitudes of the Italians in terms of general interpersonal trust or trust in the institutions, as well as in terms of culture and civic engagement. For this purpose, the paper uses data taken from two empirical research on a sample of about 1,000 cases among the Italian population. It will be compared the evidence resulting from a first survey realized at the end of 2017 and the data collected in a second survey carried out on a sample of the same size (that presents a panel quota of 700 cases) ending on April 30 2020, i.e., at the end of the lockdown period. The variables to be analysed are relative to general interpersonal trust, trust in the institutions and civic engagement activities. Such items will function as dependent variables and will be analysed in a diachronic perspective comparing the two panel samples. Furthermore, they will be observed in relation to their distribution throughout Italy, to the age of the interviewees and to their civil status, in an attempt to discover any connection between family life and the attitude towards civil society, keeping in mind the dynamics triggered in everyday life by the pandemic.

The Origins of the Crisis of Christian Democracy: The End of Catholic Italy or the End of Cold War Italy?

ABSTRACTThe article aims to provide a political reading of the phenomenon of secularization, examining, in particular, the relationship between the Christian Democracy (D.C.), the Italian Catholic world, and the process of secularization. It is divided in four different levels of analysis. First of all, it investigates: (1) contemporary discussion, reconstructing the assessments and readings most common in the circles of the D.C. and the varied world of Italian Catholicism. Then, it analyses: (2) the reactions of Christian Democrats and leading figures of the Catholic world, particularly identifying what solutions they proposed to respond to the challenges posed by the process of secularization. It seeks, then, to compare: (3) the perspectives of these leading figures, with some possible hypotheses of the real effects of secularization on the political attitudes of Italians, paying particular attention to its consequences on the identity of the Christian democratic membership and on the electoral choices of citizens. By way of conclusion, the article formulates: (4) some hypotheses to help reconsider a shared interpretation about the existence of a causal relationship between ‘secularization-crisis/end of the DC’, identifying instead in other processes (specifically the role the Cold War played in the sacralization/desacralization of political cultures) the key factors underlying the identity of the D.C., the support it gathered, and the party’s collapse.

Legacies of Fascism: architecture, heritage and memory in contemporary Italy

This article examines how Italy has dealt with the physical remains of the Fascist regime, as a window onto Italian attitudes to the past. Theventennioleft indelible marks on Italy’s cities in the form of urban projects, individual buildings, monuments, plaques and street names. In effect, the survival of physical traces contrasts with the hazy memories of Fascism that exist within the Italian collective consciousness. Conspicuous, yet mostly ignored, Italy’s Fascist heritage is hidden in plain sight. However, from the 1990s, buildings associated with the regime have sparked a number of debates regarding the public memory of Fascism. Although these debates present an opportunity to re-examine history, they may also be symptomatic of a crisis in the Italian polity and of attempts to rehabilitate Fascism through historical revisionism.

Smoking in Italy in 2015-2016: prevalence, trends, roll-your-own cigarettes, and attitudes towards incoming regulations.

In 2016, a series of selective tobacco regulations, which did not affect tobacco price, came into force in Italy. To understand how Italians accepted the new norms, we analyzed data from our 2 most recent surveys among those we annually conduct on tobacco. In 2015 and 2016, we conducted 2 representative cross-sectional studies focused on the new forthcoming tobacco legislation on a total sample of 6,046 Italians aged ≥15 years. Overall, 21.4% of Italians (26.0% of men and 17.2% of women) were current smokers, showing a small but significant decrease in smoking prevalence since 2007 (p for trend = 0.004). No change in smoking prevalence was observed over the last decade among the young (i.e., 15-24 years; 20.1% in 2015-2016). Roll-your-own cigarettes were the most frequent tobacco product for 8.3% of adult smokers and 19.7% of young smokers. According to the attitudes of Italians towards the new regulations, 91.3% supported the smoking ban in cars in presence of minors, 90.2% a more stringent enforcement of the tobacco sales-to-minors regulation, 74.3% the introduction of shocking pictorial images on tobacco packs, and 63.2% the removal from the market of small cigarette packs, usually purchased by the young. Smoking prevalence only marginally decreased over the last decade among adults, but did not decrease among the young. Roll-your-own tobacco is increasingly used by adults and young people. Before the entrance of the new norms, Italians largely supported them, particularly those targeting children.

L'Italia di fronte alla politica ambientale internazionale: dal Committee on the Challenges on Modern Society alla conferenza di Stoccolma

1969 was a crucial year for the environment. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the United Nations, in fact, began, programmatically, to play their attention to this topic. The first between the two institutions created, during the session of the Ministerial Council of April 10th-11th 1969, the Committee on the Challenges on Modern Society (Ccms), while the second, in the 47th session of the Economic and Social Council, held in August 1969, outlined the features of the ecological disaster caused by the industrial development, invited the world to participate at a global conference that will be held in Stockholm in 1972. The essay aims to reconstruct the Italian attitude towards emerging international environmental policy from the establishment of the Ccms to the Stockholm Conference, as well as to highlight its distinctive characteristics

Cough: impact, beliefs, and expectations from a national survey.

BackgroundCough is one of the most common discomforts affecting general population, which can disrupt subjects’ quality of life due to its physical, social, and psychological effects. Aim of the study was to investigate the impact of cough and related beliefs of general population.MethodsA cross-sectional telephone survey was carried out by means of a specific, validated questionnaire on a representative sample of Italian general population. All the interviews were carried out according to the Computer Assisted Telephone Interview (CATI) methodology by expert, professional interviewers. Distributions of all answers were calculated in the overall sample.ResultsA total of 1,251 subjects (mean age: 49 years; females 44.2 %) completed the interviews. The overall number of telephone calls was 5362, and the corresponding redemption rate was 1/4.3 (23.%). The sample was representative of national population in terms of geographical distribution, age, gender, and smoking habit. The majority of respondents was convinced that cough is merely a symptom of several different diseases, but 46.4 % of respondents affirmed that cough should be regarded as “a disease” per se. Only 29.1 % of subjects say that they usually do not complain of any cough over the year, while 18.4 % reported ≥ 3 episodes of cough/year. These episodes have a duration ranging 10–30 days in 19.9 % of subjects, and > 30 days in 6.9 % of subjects. The majority of respondents is worried about their cough only after 1 week, but 76.9 % of subjects is much more worried if cough affects a child. After a few days of cough, 23.1 % of subjects use domestic remedies; 20.9 % ask their pharmacist, and 33.4 % their doctor, being GPs (69.6 %) and lung physicians (16.2 %) the most asked professionals. The occurrence of bronchitis, pneumonia, upper airway infections, and allergic troubles are the most feared events. The majority of respondents are convinced that antibiotics and steroids should not be regarded as the gold standard for treating persistent cough (61.2 and 58.2 %, respectively), while anti-tussive drugs and aerosols in general are regarded as the most effective strategies (69.1 and 74.1 %, respectively). Moreover, 33.8 % of the sample is in favour of homeopathic drugs, while 23.2 % had already used an homeopathic anti-tussive syrup, and 27.6 % of subjects are really interested in using the homeopathic approach. The willingness to pay for an effective anti-tussive remedy was: 46.3 % up to 10 €; 27.8 % up to 20 €, and 13.3 % more than 20 €.ConclusionsCough confirms its high impact in Italy, and a substantial proportion of individuals regards cough as “a disease”. Only one out of three Italians refers to their doctor, but when cough is already persistent. Cough in children is much more feared than in adults. The majority of Italians have a proper and conservative position versus both antibiotic and the systemic steroid uses against cough. The Italian attitude to aerosol therapy confirms very high. Differently from the cough guidelines, anti-tussive drugs are highly valued among Italian people. The attitude and the interest to homeopathic anti-tussive remedies proves high. Finally, the willingness to pay for an effective anti-tussive remedy is quite high in Italy.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s40248-016-0072-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Cough: impact, beliefs, and expectations from a national survey

Background: Cough is one of the most common discomforts affecting general population, which can disrupt subjects’ quality of life due to its physical, social, and psychological effects. Aim of the study was to investigate the impact of cough and related beliefs of general population. Methods: A cross-sectional telephone survey was carried out by means of a specific, validated questionnaire on a representative sample of Italian general population. All the interviews were carried out according to the Computer Assisted Telephone Interview (CATI) methodology by expert, professional interviewers. Distributions of all answers were calculated in the overall sample. Results: A total of 1,251 subjects (mean age: 49 years; females 44.2 %) completed the interviews. The overall number of telephone calls was 5362, and the corresponding redemption rate was 1/4.3 (23.%). The sample was representative of national population in terms of geographical distribution, age, gender, and smoking habit. The majority of respondents was convinced that cough is merely a symptom of several different diseases, but 46.4 % of respondents affirmed that cough should be regarded as “a disease” per se. Only 29. 1 % of subjects say that they usually do not complain of any cough over the year, while 18.4 % reported ≥ 3 episodes of cough/year. These episodes have a duration ranging 10–30 days in 19.9 % of subjects, and > 30 days in 6.9 % of subjects. The majority of respondents is worried about their cough only after 1 week, but 76.9 % of subjects is much more worried if cough affects a child. After a few days of cough, 23.1 % of subjects use domestic remedies; 20.9 % ask their pharmacist, and 33.4 % their doctor, being GPs (69.6 %) and lung physicians (16.2 %) the most asked professionals. The occurrence of bronchitis, pneumonia, upper airway infections, and allergic troubles are the most feared events. The majority of respondents are convinced that antibiotics and steroids should not be regarded as the gold standard for treating persistent cough (61.2 and 58.2 %, respectively), while anti-tussive drugs and aerosols in general are regarded as the most effective strategies (69.1 and 74. 1 %, respectively). Moreover, 33.8 % of the sample is in favour of homeopathic drugs, while 23.2 % had already used an homeopathic anti-tussive syrup, and 27.6 % of subjects are really interested in using the homeopathic approach. The willingness to pay for an effective anti-tussive remedy was: 46.3 % up to 10 €; 27.8 % up to 20 €, and 13.3 % more than 20 €. Conclusions: Cough confirms its high impact in Italy, and a substantial proportion of individuals regards cough as “a disease”. Only one out of three Italians refers to their doctor, but when cough is already persistent. Cough in children is much more feared than in adults. The majority of Italians have a proper and conservative position versus both antibiotic and the systemic steroid uses against cough. The Italian attitude to aerosol therapy confirms very high. Differently from the cough guidelines, anti-tussive drugs are highly valued among Italian people. The attitude and the interest to homeopathic anti-tussive remedies proves high. Finally, the willingness to pay for an effective anti-tussive remedy is quite high in Italy.

Italy, Secret Treaty of London and the Albanian Issue

Through this work we aim to analyze the Italian attitude towards the Albanian state at the beginning of the XX century, based on the treatment of the Secret Treaty of London in May 1915. This treaty synthesised the Italian policy towards the newly established Albanian state, during one of the most difficult periods of Europe, the First World War. Newly established Albanian state with its truncated borders of the London Conference in 1913, deserved to have at least the support of the overseas neighbor, Italy, and this would bring friendship and mutual interest. But Italy although an affirmed world power, failed to rise beyond an shortsighted and imperialist interest versus Albania, aiming through this treaty to divide Albanian lands with other treacherous neighbors, and eventually disappear the descendants of the great Skanderbeg, of Pyrrhu, Ali Pasha, the Great Kostandin, the ancient Pellazgo- Illyrians. DOI: 10.5901/ajis.2016.v5n2p219

Non-surgical organ preservation strategies for locally advanced laryngeal tumors: what is the Italian attitude? Results of a national survey on behalf of AIRO and AIOM.

Chemoradiotherapy is the treatment mostly used as organ preservation (OP) strategy worldwide in advanced laryngo-hypopharyngeal cancer. Due to the not homogeneous results of the literature data regarding the pre-treatment assessment and treatment schedule in this setting of patients, the Italian societies of radiation oncology and medical oncology surveyed (by an online survey) their memberships regarding the Italian attitude on larynx preservation in clinical practice. The survey outline addressed different items such as: demographics (11 items), pre-treatment evaluation (12 items), treatment schedules (10 items) and outcomes (3 items). The survey was filled in by 116 clinical oncologists (64% radiation and 36% medical oncologists). Results highlighted that pretreatment evaluation was not homogeneous among the respondents. The treatment of choice for the OP program resulted the concurrent chemoradiotherapy (66%). Induction chemotherapy was proposed mostly in case of aggressive tumors such as advanced stage (T4 or N3) and/or unfavorable primary sites (hypopharynx). Moreover, after induction chemotherapy, for responders patients most participants (46%) proposed concurrent chemoradiotherapy, while 18 and 19% proposed radiotherapy alone or radiotherapy and cetuximab, respectively. For patients with stable disease after induction chemotherapy, the respondents declared to suggest surgery, radiotherapy and cetuximab or radiotherapy alone in 38, 32 and 15% of cases, respectively. Results of the present survey highlighted the variability of therapeutic approaches offered in clinical practice for patients candidate to a larynx OP program. Analysis of abovementioned results may give the chance to modify some clinical attitudes and create the background for future clinical investigation in this field.

Pane e Cioccolata: The Impact of Native Attitudes on Return Migration

AbstractThis paper addresses the link between native attitudes and return migration. We exploit the variation in xenophobia using information on media consumption by migrants in Italy. A widely documented crime provides a quasi‐experimental setting to identify the impact of Italian attitudes on migrants’ settlement intentions. Our results suggest a significant effect of anti‐immigrant attitudes on the intended duration of stay in the host country. The impact is more pronounced for low‐skilled migrants, which has consequences for how migration affects the long‐run convergence between sending and destination countries.

Wealthy by Accident? Firm Structure, Institutions, and Economic Performance in 150 (+4) Years of Italian History: Introduction to the Special Forum

In the century and half since its 1861 unification, Italy has left the periphery of the world economy and reached a level of wealth close to that of industrialized core Western countries. Since the 1990s, however, the process of globalization has exposed the weakness of the Italian productive system, and the country’s economic performance has been one of the worst in the world. This pattern raises questions about the very nature of the Italian economy, its historical development, and its relative success in the long run, demonstrating the need for a structural reassessment of these themes. The aim of this special forum is to provide such analysis, offering a systematic and innovative view based on the interaction between institutions (conceived as the rules of the game of economic agents), firm structure, and economic performance. The main hypothesis discussed in all four articles is that Italian capitalism has been negatively affected by inefficient institutions that had a strong impact on firms’ size and governance, managerial practices, and attitude to innovate. As a result, the Italian economic performance has been frustrated, rather than promoted, by the institutional environment, and in large part shaped by fortunate contingencies.After the editors’ introduction, the special forum starts with a reconstruction of the macroeconomic scenario (“Italy’s Modern Economic Growth, 1861–2011”), using the state-of-the-art data and focusing not only on the process of growth, but also on the problems of living standard, inequality, and regional disparities. The second article (“Institutions, Politics, and the Corporate Economy”) focuses on the exceptionality of the Italian industrial structure characterized by the large dominance of small firms. The authors explain how the institutional setting has played a crucial role in determining the contrasting performance of big business on the one hand, and of small firms on the other. The third article in the forum (“The Ghost in the Attic? The Italian National Innovation System in Historical Perspective, 1861–2011”), which provides a broad reconstruction of long-term trends in science and technology, analyzes the Italian innovative capabilities in the long run. The authors explain how the institutional setup has determined the Italian attitude toward technological innovation in the different historical phases, and suggest that the Italian national innovation system, from the unification until today, has been characterized by a peculiar shadowy or ghostly nature. The last article (“Happy 150th Anniversary, Italy? Institutions and Economic Performance Since 1861”), which also synthesizes the very message of the forum, focuses on the mechanisms on which institutions work. The authors argue that Italian economic development has been characterized in the long run by poor formal institutions, which led to a suboptimal pattern of growth characterized by scarce investment in education, low salaries, imitative technologies, and exploitative management of firms by owners who were mainly stockholders rather than stakeholders.

Italian Attitude Towards the Albanian Issue: Albania's Southern Border at the Conference of Ambassadors in London 1912-1913

This paper aims to analyze the overall attitude of Italy on Albanian issue and in particular the determination of the southern border with Greece in the Conference of Ambassadors in London 1912-1913. The problem of the South Albania and setting of the borders with Greece have implicated as the Balkan states, but also the great powers, like Italy. Italy had politico-strategic interests on Albania, which cross the boundaries of this area. They could not allow the establishment of Greeks on the coast in front of Corfu being a threat to the safety of the Italian state. The issue of Southern Albania connected to solving the Aegean problem or the islands of Dodekanez; unraveling the great Italian interest on Southern Albania. Italian attitude in determining the Greek-Albanian border was in line with the attitude of Austria-Hungary, by creating a common front against the unfair expansionist aims of Greek to Southern Albania (Northern Epirus). DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2015.v6n3p325

Peculiarities of Evolution of Machine Technology and Its Industrialization in Italy during 19th Century

This paper deals with peculiarities of Italian Industrial Revolution on machinery by looking at aspects on enterprise developments and university frames. The outline showed a historical evolution that started in South Italy and after national reunification strong development was experienced mainly in North Italy with the still today character of few big enterprises and several small-medium companies. Examples are discussed with emblematic figures from University frames and cases of study on typical enterprises of the time. The Italian peculiarities are due both to political situations connected to Italy reunification and Italian attitudes to Science and Technology as combined with a strong individualism and creativity.

Pane E Cioccolata: The Impact of Native Attitudes on Return Migration

This paper addresses the link between native attitudes and return migration. We exploit the variation in xenophobia using information on media consumption by migrants in Italy. A widely documented crime provides a quasi-experimental setting to identify the impact of Italian attitudes on migrants' settlement intentions. Our results suggest a significant effect of anti-immigrant attitudes on the intended duration of stay in the host country. The impact is more pronounced for low-skilled migrants, which has consequences for how migration affects the long run convergence between sending and destination countries.

ISO 14470:2011 and EU legislative background on food irradiation technology: The Italian attitude

Our work aim is to produce an overview of food irradiation technology at European Union level, with a focus on the Italian context, by specifying the legislative background, detection methods and labelling obligations. We highlight how consumers are too often misinformed about this technology and its benefits. For this purpose, a series of tools aimed at improving the amount of information have been proposed, allowing the consumer to make a free choice about whether or not to buy irradiated food based on the correct information received, independent from socio-economic factors. Finally, we show the common effort at EU and International level, represented by the ISO 14470:2011 quality standard.

A rapid genetic counselling and testing in newly diagnosed breast cancer is associated with high rate of risk-reducing mastectomy in BRCA1/2-positive Italian women

Risk-reducing mastectomy (RRM) decreases breast cancer (BC) risk in BRCA1/2 mutation carriers by up to 95%, but the Italian attitude towards this procedure is reluctant. This is an observational study with retrospective design, using quantitative and qualitative research methods, aimed at evaluating the attitude towards RRM by rapid genetic counselling and testing (RGCT), at the time of BC diagnosis, compared with traditional genetic counselling and testing (TGCT), after previous BC surgery. Secondary aims were to investigate patient satisfaction after RRM and the rate of occult tumour in healthy breasts. A total of 1168 patients were evaluated: 1058 received TGCT, whereas 110 underwent RGCT. In TGCT, among 1058 patients, 209 (19.7%) mutation carriers were identified, with the rate of RRM being 4.7% (10 of 209). Conversely in RGCT, among 110 patients, 36 resulted positive, of which, 15 (41.7%) underwent bilateral mastectomy at the BC surgery time, showing an overall good satisfaction, measured by interpretative phenomenological analysis 12 months after the intervention. Our study shows that RGCT in patients with a hereditary profile is associated with a high rate of RRM at the BC surgery time, this being the pathway offered within a multidisciplinary organization.