WLFARE CHANGES IN ITALY AND SOCIAL ECONOMY AS A WAY FOR DEVELOPING SOCIAL INCLUSION

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WLFARE CHANGES IN ITALY AND SOCIAL ECONOMY AS A
WAY FOR DEVELOPING SOCIAL INCLUSION

• Vincenzo Fortunato
• Department of Sociology and Political Science
• University of Calabria
• Italy

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Restructuring the welfare systems in Europe

• Crisis of the welfare state
• Work
• End of full-time employment
• Need for a new systems of social security
  (pension schemes)
• Financial crises
• Family
• Gender based division of labour
• Different balance between paid work ond care work
• Stronger citizenship of women
• Individualization process

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Social priorities and new public agenda

• New poors
• Social exclusion related to changes within family
  structure and work flexible organization
• New forms of juvenile discomfort
• Problems related to increased migrations
• New social risks

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The Italian experience

• Shift from welfare state to welfare mix

Market
Community
State
Families
Third sector NGOs
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The national law n.328/2000

• Decision makers (mix)
• State
• Non-profit organizations
• Targets
• Individuals
• Families
• Communities
• How to work
• New rules based on the criteria of subsidiarity
  
• Co-definition of social interventions at local
  level
• Evaluation procedures
• Local plans (piani di zona) for macro-areas
  starting from their needs

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The negotiation model

• The mix (public and private organizations) is
  characterized by
• Reduced financial efforts of the State
• Gradual decrease in direct State intervention
• Significant increase the quantity/quality of
  tasks allocated to private social field (social
  economy)
• Formalization of non-profit organizations and
  professionalization of people involved
• Growth in the number of NGOs and people employed
  within social economy
• From government to governance

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What do we mean by social economy? Same subjects
more definitions

• Non-profit sector
• Private non-governmental sector
• Voluntary sector
• Independent sector
• Philanthropic sector
• Third sector/ social private field
• Social economy or Economie social

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Why do we need Social economy?

• Modern post industrial societies have to cope
  with problems related to the lack of relations
• Need for relational goods that may only be
  produced by ad hoc organizations different from
  the State and form the market
• Non profit organizations which are deeply
  rooted within local communities and know people
  needs
• Balance between Identity and organization

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What kind of organizations?

• Charity/voluntary organizations
• Social organizations
• Social cooperatives/ social enterprises
• NGOs
• Foundations

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Table 1 Non-profit organisations in Italy - year
2003
Some charity organisations are included among
social associations. Source Istat (2005)
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Table 2 composition and employment of Italian
non-profit organisations year 2003
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Key role of families and friends associations

• Families give assistance to about 76 of not self
  sufficient elderly people or disabled (for an
  amount 75 billion Euros)
• Grandparents look after 50 of children up to 2
  years
• 40 of children up to 14 years

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Social work and social economyprofessionals or
volunteers?

• 725,295 paid workers of whom 60 are women
• 37,7 have a diploma
• 16,5 have a university degree
• 19,5 hold a professional qualification

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Public or private strengths and weaknesses

• Public
• - Defined working time
• - Higher salary
• - Long life employment pension
• Private
• - Motivation
• - Working conditions/friendly environment/ lower
  control /involvement
• - Personal satisfaction
• - Flexible working time that allows people to
  combine family needs and work expectations
• - Facility of access and exit (mobility)

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Conclusions

• Italy as a caring society based on family and
  private non profit organizations that directly
  provide social services
• Decentralization the new law 328/2000 moved from
  government to governance
• community oriented approach from individuals to
  communities
• - Significant growth of social economy in terms
  of organizations, responsibilities, financial
  resources, employment, outcomes
• - Peculiarity of non-profit organizations that
  show a better balance between both dimensions
  solidarity (or identity) and service (or
  organization)
• Greater orientation towards listening to the
  service users and their involvement as opposed to
  private market organizations
• Challenges and opportunities for social workers
  within social economy