Most of the current literature highlights the persistence of a gender gap, especially in Italy. The close relationship between segregating structures, expectations and behaviours strongly affects both women’s and men’s life courses within the family and at school. Sexist patterns, even regressive ones (Faludi, 1991), impact upon young people’s choices and upon gender role models, rigidly represented in both private and public spheres. Gender patterns still adhere strongly to the hegemonic male vision (Connell, Messerschmidt, 2005) and the subordinate female one (Bourdieu, 1998). The relationship between segregation and self-segregation, looking at how the existential paths of young people still appear restricted (Butler 2006), complying with a dominant model, devoid of the ‘freedom of doing’ and/or undoing (Fraire, 1995), emerges from the results of an active research project conducted in a secondary school with 160 students between 16 and 18 years old, in one of the more dynamic Italian industrial district, in the province of Pesaro Urbino. Data collected through 155 questionnaires and 10 focus groups bring evidence of an existing mismatch, in economic and cultural development, in gender “said and done” (West, Zimmerman, 1987): while in the labour market the alarming effects of the crisis exacerbate the already existing gender gaps, equal opportunities between women and men appear as an acquired value; but this is not reflected in life options. Here, traditional models, gender-based division of roles, and structurally subsumed inequality, are far from losing significance, pervading everyday choices and shaping expectations of young women and men.

The disinvestment on gender, equality and equal opportunities. Students point of view. Results from an action research in the context of the virtuous model of the Italian industrial district

FARINA, FATIMA;A. Genova
2014

Abstract

Most of the current literature highlights the persistence of a gender gap, especially in Italy. The close relationship between segregating structures, expectations and behaviours strongly affects both women’s and men’s life courses within the family and at school. Sexist patterns, even regressive ones (Faludi, 1991), impact upon young people’s choices and upon gender role models, rigidly represented in both private and public spheres. Gender patterns still adhere strongly to the hegemonic male vision (Connell, Messerschmidt, 2005) and the subordinate female one (Bourdieu, 1998). The relationship between segregation and self-segregation, looking at how the existential paths of young people still appear restricted (Butler 2006), complying with a dominant model, devoid of the ‘freedom of doing’ and/or undoing (Fraire, 1995), emerges from the results of an active research project conducted in a secondary school with 160 students between 16 and 18 years old, in one of the more dynamic Italian industrial district, in the province of Pesaro Urbino. Data collected through 155 questionnaires and 10 focus groups bring evidence of an existing mismatch, in economic and cultural development, in gender “said and done” (West, Zimmerman, 1987): while in the labour market the alarming effects of the crisis exacerbate the already existing gender gaps, equal opportunities between women and men appear as an acquired value; but this is not reflected in life options. Here, traditional models, gender-based division of roles, and structurally subsumed inequality, are far from losing significance, pervading everyday choices and shaping expectations of young women and men.
2014
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11576/2602197
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