F1619 The Social Consequences of Globalization. The case of the Italian Northeast

Keywords:
everyday life, local identity, happiness, welfare systems, emotional experience, social and relational capital, sprawl.

Course description
The lifestyles brought about by globalization have moved us away from all previous types of social order, both in terms of spread, and in terms of depth. From the point of view of spread, they have helped to establish social connections that affect the entire planet, while they have deeply changed some of the most intimate and personal aspects of our daily existence.
 Starting from these considerations, the course aims to enhance student’s comprehension and critical ability regarding the most important impacts of economic globalization related to:
a.    the meanings and the implications of global processes on people's everyday lives;
b.    the impact of global transformations on space and time for local identities and communities;
c.    the effect on individual quality of life and on welfare systems;
d.    the revival of local identities (ethno-regionalisms, secessionism, xenophobia).
 Considering that the Italian Northeast – because the massive development of industrial districts and the diffused industrialization model – is one of the most interesting areas in the world in dealing with the effects of mature globalization, this course aims to develop a case study (with a local field survey) in a test area of the Metropolitan City of Venice.
For at least three decades (until the advent of the recent global recession), the development model of the Italian Northeast has been considered by the international economic literature as a best practice example of horizontal integration in production: a emblem of 'flexible modes of production', typical of radical modernity. After a review of the state of economic policy literature on the subject, the course will deal with the 'dark side' of globalization, following the theoretical perspective by which every historical discontinuity creates new opportunities but also risks and unexpected effects. Among the latter:
1)    the loss of the sense of the continuity of life and traditions: Corrosion of the permanent features of emotional experience (its 'character'); an inverse correlation between income and happiness / well-being (Gross Domestic Product/GDP vs. Gross National Happiness/GNH), anxiety caused by a growth in uncertainty and the assumption of new kinds of risks;
2)    the restructuring of social relations along new space-time coordinates: dilapidation of the social and relational capital, conspicuous consumption, escape into the private sphere, fear of the 'other', rise of the 'tertiary sector of the underworld';
3)     the dispersal of territorial functions and spatial self-segregation: unplanned development, infrastructural congestion, waste of land, suburbanization and urban sprawl, proliferation of surveillance devices.
The course contents are divided into two parts, consecutive to each other (*).

Learning outcomes
Students should be able to recognize the basic assumptions, central ideas, and main criticisms of the sociological approach to globalization processes and their impact on local identities and on everyday lives and lifestyles. In particular, with reference to the case study developed during the course, at the end of their field research, students should be able to write a research paper in an appropriate scientific style.

Teaching
The course uses the following methods of teaching:

• lecture by teacher;
• class discussion conducted by teacher;
• discussion groups conducted by selected students;
• reports on published research studies and experiments by students;
• use of pictures, educational films, videotapes;
• on-the-spot investigation.

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 (*) The 40 hours of lessons will be equally divided between the two parts of the course. For this reason, part two will include simulation characteristics. The student will be required to produce a position paper.