Suchergebnisse

The article investigates whether and how Italians' attitudes towards the role of the state and the market have changed between 1990 and 2020. Specifically, it will investigate two sets of opposite attitudes: individualism versus collectivism, and free market liberalism versus statism. Two opposing macro hypotheses are considered. The first is that Italian citizens adopt attitudes that are in line with policy trends (policy feedback), while the second is that there is a tendency to develop a compensatory reaction (thermostat effect). In fact, the regulation of Italian capitalism has seen important changes in the last thirty years in Italy. Economic and social policies have undergone reform processes in the direction of deregulation and privatization. Moreover, the article seeks to understand whether and to what extent belonging to a given social class influences these attitudes. The findings show that the influence of class has continued to be significant over the period, though it has weakened overall as a result of convergence towards collectivist-statist values. This trend can be interpreted as reflecting a thermostat effect.

This study establishes an evidence base regarding the experiences of older adults living in poverty in Beijing. Given the factors that shape the lives of low-income older adults, the findings are relevant for many middle- and low-income countries. Based on a series of in-depth interviews conducted with government officials and low-income older adults in Beijing, the study finds that poverty manifests as cumulative stress arising from four sources: financial strain, poor health, care burden and poverty-related shame. This stress is attributable to the co-existence of individual and structural factors that reflect the framing of anti-poverty policies in China.