This paper explores the relationship between socio-economic factors as indicators of economic capital and youth consumer styles in Croatia, based on qualitative (2023, N = 14) and quantitative (2016, N = 1,094) research. Qualitative findings reveal that participants predominantly align with thrifty, non-trendy, non-impulsive, and individualistic styles, highlighting the rationalized consumption habits while navigating uncertainties in defining their styles. Quantitative data show that non-thriftiness manifests at both extremes of financial stability, as necessity-driven consumption among those struggling financially or as an expression of consumer freedom among those who are financially secure. Similarly, individualistic styles, while associated with financial stability, often go to extremes, suggesting that young people across diverse socio-economic backgrounds may develop similar consumption patterns, which indicates a role for personal choice. The findings underscore that youth consumer styles in Croatian society are significantly shaped by socio-economic factors, while also exhibiting a notable degree of dynamism as they go through continuous negotiation between structural constraints and individual aspirations, highlighting the intricate interplay of agency and social realities in post-transitional society.
Young Mexicans who return to Mexico after being born or spending a significant part of their lives in the United States often face complex challenges when reintegrating socially. Through qualitative, longitudinal in-depth interviews, this study examines the interplay between the individual characteristics of different categories of young returnees and the economic structures in the Guadalajara Metropolitan Area. The research identifies key assets mobilized as forms of capital during their migratory journeys and explores their role in facilitating economic integration within precarious labor contexts. Despite significant barriers, returnees leveraged assets such as native-level English, bicultural competencies, resilience, and adaptability to achieve sustainable integration. The findings highlight the critical interaction between individual resources and structural conditions, offering insights into how young returnees navigate integration challenges.
This article examines the political participation of the Colombian diaspora, particularly in Rome, through the lens of political remittances. Through qualitative research that employs semi-structured interviews, we analyse the political behaviour of the Colombian diaspora in Rome in conjunction with the 2021 social protests and the 2022 voting. The findings indicate that political participation patterns shift through the mediation of political remittances, including the vocabulary of peace and political emotions circulating through social and personal networks during times of social and political upheaval.
Medically Assisted Procreation and Surrogacy have changed the social imaginary that revolves around the idea of conception, family, father, and mother. With the introduction of the figure of the donor and/or gestational mother, it cannot be easy to define who the mother is clearly. The genetic link, the pregnancy, or the childcare activity may take on different importance in defining who the child’s mother is. The exploratory study presented here investigates what social imagery emerges regarding the mother figure in the traditional context and the context defined by reproductive techniques. To achieve this objective, forty women were interviewed, divided into two groups of equal size, according to whether they had experienced motherhood first-hand or had no children. The aim was to grasp what it means to be a mother for a woman today, but, above all, if and how much this imagery changes within the articulated scenarios resulting from PMA and GPA.
Early dropout, which consists of withdrawing from university studies during the first year, is usually interpreted using the “student integration model”, proposed by Tinto to analyze the phenomenon as a whole and based on the combination of individual and environmental factors. This theory, however, does not seem entirely appropriate, because in early dropout the decisive variable seems to be the low quality of secondary education which determines entry into university with inadequate skills. Using data from a cohort of students enrolled at the University of Roma Tre, the paper analyses the relevance of the low quality of secondary education in determining early dropout, illustrates the measures adopted to improve entry skills and verifies the impact of these measures on the university career of less qualified students.
This article builds on the 2013 publication by Bogenschneider et al., “The Family Impact Lens: A Family-Focused, Evidence-Informed Approach to Policy and Practice”, which emphasises the shift from an individual-focused approach to a family-centered one in policymaking. This article outlines the adaptation process carried out by a research group at the Family Studies and Research University Centre of the Catholic University of Milan, detailing how the original US framework was modified to fit Italy’s unique cultural, socio-economic, and policy contexts. The FamILens includes principles, starters, and checklists for a thorough family impact analysis. It presents the complete FamILens toolkit, offering practical guidance for conducting family impact assessments. This adaptation has resulted in a robust tool that promotes family well-being by ensuring that policies and practices are evaluated for their impact on family dynamics, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of social policies.
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