Poliarchie/Polyarchies volume 4 n. 2/2021

Poliarchie/Polyarchies is multi-disciplinary journal which aims at promoting the encounter of the social sciences and humanities, ranging from sociology and political science to history, economics, law and philosophy. The analysis of political and social change can indeed be investigated from different perspectives and with the help of a variety of methodological tools. Poliarche/Polyarchies embraces a range of contemporary issues: processes of supranational integration and democratization in the world; the transformation of contemporary societies under the pressure of immigration and environmental challenges; the crises of “electoral democracy” in Europe and the development of a deliberative model of democracy; the potential “clash of civilizations” and socio-religious conflict; the resurgence of nationalisms and micro-regionalism in Europe and in the world; the integration of policy processes into networks and of communities into new frameworks and governance systems. The journal has an anonymous referee system and two issues per year are expected.

The economist Mosconi and the sociologist Carrosio adhere to the tradition of studies concerning industrial districts. They discuss the case of Carpi with a broader scope, that is the evaluation of the present and future of the industrial districts. They take into consideration not only the general trends that have been profoundly transforming these systems for at least twenty years, but also the pandemic crisis in progress. While Mosconi’s proposal seems to focus above all on specialized and technical training, closely linked to products and production processes, Carrosio emphasizes the growing role of the “third sector”, that involves various functions and professional roles, distinct from those directly or indirectly connected to the creation of the product.

This work aims to shed light on the textile-clothing district of Carpi seen from an economic-industrial perspective. This district has always been one of the most investigated cases in Italian and foreign literature, that aimed at investigating the causes of the success of these particular productive agglomerations of Small and Medium Business (SMB). Since the years of the district successes in the 1970’s-80’s, many things have obviously changed. In the second and third paragraphs, the paper analyzes the case study of Carpi from a structural point of view. Subsequently, in the fourth paragraph, it focuses on the new industrial policy, which should be primarily centered on “investments in knowledge” (human capital, research and development). In the fifth final paragraph, some policy responses to the present challenges are suggested.

The article presents the results of a research conducted in the second half of 2020 on the social and economic condition of Carpi during the pandemic crisis. The case study rests on some assumptions that can be generalized to all industrial districts, in particular with regard to their relationship with society. The first part of the research focuses on the links between the processes of restructuring the district and the social and economic condition of Carpi. The aim is the understanding of how the productive form of the district is still able to determine the development of the urban context in which it is embedded. In the second part, the focus of the investigation moves to the study of the links between the restructuring of the district, its crisis during the pandemic and the new poverty. The research shows how the disembedding process of the district has weakened the economic and social structure of Carpi over time. From that phase on, the pandemic has accelerated and increased - but not determined - the new forms of poverty and social precariousness.

The social transformations induced by the Covid-19 pandemic and the acceleration of digital transitions in the contemporary society have affected, among others, sport communities. New behaviors, places, times and ways of interacting are emerging, changing structures and processes of groups. In everyday life, routines, consumption, the living situation, the way of conceiving well-being and physical activity - both at home and outside - are changing. Applying a multidisciplinary approach to the concept of network and the value of social networks might open, in a diachronic perspective, potential future lines of research in the sociology of sport. At the same time, a multidisciplinary approach seems to be required by the new epistemological developments not only in the field of human and social sciences, but also in their implementation of everyday life. In this contribution, the concept of health is interpreted in the WHO’s broadest sense of health promotion, following the 1986 Ottawa Charter and the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 UN Agenda.