This book presents a research carried out by BraudelCentre within DEDEL-SDEC project (EU Funded -Interreg IIIC South). This empirical research investiga-tes social cohesion in the area of Catania Province. Itemphasizes some critical points characterizing the pro-blematic development of South Italy.

Guido Nicolosi is Assistant Professor of sociology of culturaland communicative processes at the Faculty of Political Science,University of Catania (Italy). He is scientific coordinator atBraudel Centre.

ISBN 978-88-89726-18-1

Braudel Centre is a ResearchCentre for Technological Innovation

in Sociolinguistic and TerritorialSystems in the Mediterranean Area -

University of Catania (Italy).Director is Pietro Barcellona.

Braudel Centre

SOCIAL COHESIONAN INTERPRETATIVE PROPOSAL

editor Guido Nicolosi

editorGuido N

icolosiSOCIAL COHESION. AN INTERPRETATIVE PROPOSAL

Braudel Centre

editor Guido Nicolosi

SOCIAL COHESIONAN INTERPRETATIVE PROPOSAL

Copyright © 2007 ed.itVia Caronda, 171

95128 Catania - Italyhttp://www.editpress.it

info@editpress.itAll rights reserved

First Edition: december 2007ISBN 978-88-89726-18-1

Printed in Italy

Translated by:Stephen Conway

Cover by:badcomunicazione.com

Social Cohesion.An interpretative proposal /editor Guido Nicolosi. -Catania : ed.it, 2007. -312 p. ; 21 cmeBook version:http://www.editpress.it/0805.htmISBN 978-88-89726-18-1302 Social interaction

Partfinanced byERDF - Interreg III C-SouthDEDEC-SDEC Project

Contents

Introduction Guido Nicolosi

Part IThe ESDP amid criticism and opportunity

The creation and development of the ESDP from theLisbon strategy to the third Report on CohesionFrancesco Caudullo

Territorial social cohesion as represented in the ESDP:the limits of an innovative concept and paradigmGaia Napoli

Part IIAnalysis of critical conditions for territorial socialcohesion of Catania

PremiseGuido Nicolosi

Demographic analysis and development prospectsGuido Nicolosi

Demographic changes and new family structuresTiziana Briulotta

Immigration and ethnic fragmentationAnna Orofino

The conditions of gender inequality in opportunityAnna Orofino

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13

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157

Migration in a knowledge societyGuido Nicolosi

Security and social cohesionGiuseppe Lorenti

Urban areasGaia Napoli

Economic activity and the productive sectors in theprovince of CataniaChiara Platania

The third sector and social enterprisesGaia Napoli

ConclusionsGuido Nicolosi

Part III Proposals for a revision of the ESDP

Recover the lines of development of the EU’s newpolitical strategiesFrancesco Caudullo, Gaia Napoli

A model for a new relationship between Universitiesand the Territory: the human, social and cultural infra-structuresPietro Barcellona

Authors

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Social Cohesion.An interpretative proposal

Introduction

Guido Nicolosi

This research has been carried out in the scope of the DEDEL-SDEC project financed by the EU with Interreg 3C South funds.Our final objective is to produce an analytical document that canform part of the current European debate on the revision of theEuropean Spatial Development Perspective (ESDP or SDEC inFrench).

The ESDP is a non-binding intergovernmental documentwhich was finalised in Potsdam in 1999 during the informalCouncil of ministers responsible for the spatial planning; after along and intense preparation process (the first proposals dateback to 1960), it aimed at improving the cooperation betweenthe sectoral community policies that have a significant impact onthe territory.

The ESDP presented the problem of the EU’s territorialdevelopment cohesion, bringing forward certain important polit-ical-strategic changes (looking, amongst other things, at the then-future expansion to the east). It did this using an explanatory par-adigm which was oriented towards overcoming the previousapproaches’ economic and infrastructural reductionisms, or atleast that was the intention. The document’s core speaks of theso-called “Triangle of Objectives”, or rather: a balanced, lastingdevelopment of the European area which is achievable only withthe coinciding cultivation of all three dimensions that character-ize the development: economy, society and environment.

It is our opinion that these premises (which correspond to asmany promises) have only been satisfied in part. The very docu-ment proves this to be the case. In particular, all too often the

document has portrayed the concept of social cohesion usingeconomic indicators only.

The target of the research carried out by the Centro Braudel isthree-fold: primarily, in part one (destruens), after having out lined,in historical terms, the excursus that brought about the ESDP’sestablishment, the document’s poor concept of territorial socialcohesion is examined; part two proposes a series of indicatorswhich are more socially orientated, which can be integrated withthe common economic interpretation (not only that of theESDP) of social cohesion, and applies them in the analysis of theprovince of Catania (but still in the scope of the broader south-ern context); in the third part a new explanatory model of thesocial cohesion concept is proposed in the light of the empiricalevidence gathered.

Authors

Pietro Barcellona, professor of Philosophy of Law and Directorof the Centro Braudel of the University of Catania. He has beenmember of the Consiglio Superiore della Magistratura and mem-ber of the Italian Parlament. He has written many books andessays that have been published by the main Italian book-pub-lishers.

Tiziana Briulotta, PhD in Sociology, collaborates with FamilySociology cathedra in Catania University. Hers more importantpublications regard essays about matrimonial instability, violenceagainst women, conciliation policy and moonlighting.

Francesco Caudullo, PhD in “Profili della cittadinanza nellacostruzione dell’Europa”, He is a Scientific Technician of theUniversity of Catania with research competence on “Historicaldevelopment of migration policies in Western Europe”, He col-laborates with the Centro Braudel.

Giuseppe Lorenti, journalist and writer, He collaborates with theCentro Braudel as expert on european projets. He has madereportages and documentaries for RaiDue, RaiTre and Telepiù.

Gaia Napoli, Master degree in “Politiche sociali, pari opportu-nità e culture mediterranee” University of Catania, coordinatorand teacher of Italian (L2), She collaborates with the CentroBraudel.

Guido Nicolosi, Researcher on Sociology of cultural and com-munication processes of the University of Catania. He collabo-rates with the Centro Braudel.

Anna Orofino, PhD student in “Profili della cittadinanza nella costruzione dell’Europa” University of Catania, dealing with migration policies and equal opportunities.

Chiara Platania, PhD in “Profili della cittadinanza nellacostruzione dell’Europa”, She deals with Ethic and nutrition.She has directed researches about Food farming and wine pro-duction sectors in the Eastern sicily.

308 Social Cohesion. An interpretative proposal

Finito di stampare nel mese di Dicembre 2007per conto di ED.IT - Cataniapresso Global Print - Gorgonzola (Milano)