La disponibilità ad impegnarsi in ambito collettivo e la fiducia nelle istituzioni esistenti

This work is a part of an empirical research project (with a sample of 2800 cases in Italy) investigating values and regional behaviour, such as participation, sense of territorial belonging, everyday life, trust and altruism. The scenario that emerges on the basis of the results is that of a crisis in traditional forms of participation, such as politics and trade unionism. At the same time the results highlight the emergence of new social movements, which are less connected with material claims and are more involved with existential and personal questions. The non-profit, charity and social cooperation sectors appear to have inherited the preceding willingness to become involved in a collective dimension, since political parties and trade unions are today in a crisis deriving from their oligarchical nature, as noted by the Italian sociologist Robert Michels.