Valentina Moiso | Università degli Studi di Torino (original) (raw)

Money, Domestic Finance, Vulnerability by Valentina Moiso

The article presents an ethnographic case study on mortgage bank lending practices and discusses ... more The article presents an ethnographic case study on mortgage bank lending practices and discusses the method of assessing individual applicant behaviour, with a specific focus on young people. Creditworthiness assessment is an important issue to study in terms of the use of predictive systems in decision-making processes and their effects in terms of social inclusion. The paper shows how specific social representations regarding the creditworthiness and reliability of people are embedded in customer risk assessments in Italian banks. It also highlights how these embedded representations have performative power in defining the boundaries of access to credit, and how branch operators attempt to negotiate the algorithm-defined assessment when it does not match their view of the social assessment. The representations embedded in the algorithms have considerable constraining power in differentiating the opportunities for certain social categories. These tools have been constructed according to the historically situated behaviour of people with creditworthiness characteristics defined by stability, which does not seem to fit with the actual behaviour of people with different characteristics framed in changing contexts.

Il volume in cui è contenuto il contributo, che fa da introduzione al capitolo tradotto di Olivie... more Il volume in cui è contenuto il contributo, che fa da introduzione al capitolo tradotto di Olivier Godechot "Il bazar della razionalità. Per una sociologia delle forme concrete di ragionamento", muove dal riconoscimento epistemologico dell’incertezza come tratto endemico macroscopico di ogni società umana. L’opera è concepita tenendo a mente due finalità complementari e almeno in parte sovrapposte: una culturale, l’altra politica. Per quanto attiene al primo aspetto, il lavoro intende esporre il dibattito – non di rado conflittuale – tra scienza, politica, media e società a un pubblico più ampio e articolato di quello composto da chi se ne occupa per contingente necessità o per mestiere. Ciascuno dei cinque capitoli contiene un “classico” del pensiero dei Science Technology and Society Studies ed è preceduto da un’introduzione di registro divulgativo allo scopo di facilitare la metabolizzazione dei contenuti e, per quanto possibile, attualizzarli nel contesto storico e culturale che oggi viviamo.
Il secondo dei due fini, quello politico, si manifesta nella scelta di tenere fede alla lezione weberiana circa lo sguardo della sociologia sui fatti del mondo: mantenersi laici e avalutativi sui problemi tra scienza, politica, media e società. Non si tratta però di un’azione facile, né popolare, considerando che siamo nell’era del consenso guadagnato sulle polarizzazioni e le gogne online. Eppure, pare l’unico modo sensato di collocare in prospettiva i temi discussi.

Sinapsi designa a un tempo la collana editoriale che questo libro inaugura e il Comitato scientifico-editoriale che vi lavora. Si tratta di un gruppo di studiose e studiosi provenienti da sette atenei italiani e accomunati dallo studio dei rapporti di reciproca influenza, collaborazione e, talvolta, conflitto tra scienza, politica, media e società. I nomi e le rispettive afferenze sono dettagliati nell’introduzione.

Young people in European countries are facing increased insecurity on the labour market, given th... more Young people in European countries are facing increased insecurity on the labour market, given the widespreadness of flexibilisation process, having lost the safety net provided by welfare state that has characterized the generation of their parents. The way this process is enacted varies across countries: in literature is well know how institutional filters such as labour market regulation and welfare system mediate the impact of flexibilisation, shaping the opportunities context for individual decisions. This leads to consequences non only in the present, but also in the mediumterm, shaping the opportunities and the representations of young people. In our paper we intend to consider in the institutional setting also the financial system. We take into account the level of inclusion of the banking system, with particular attention to the access to credit. We have focused the credit risk assessment models used by banks in a given system, and the way by which the type of contract is assessed in the different systems: while some country are more inclusive, other are characterized by denying the credit access to atypical workers. The possibilities to fall into debts, and specifically the devices proposed by banks to do it, are a factor that shape not only the opportunities, the strategies and the risk of vulnerability of young people facing job and income insecurity, but also their representations of opportunities and risks about their future. In this paper, the individual strategies, as well as individual meanings, feelings and representations are analysed with semi-structured interviews to 50 young people facing job insecurity in Italy, a country characterized by a low credit access. The analysis comes from Except project – Horizon 2020 program, lasting three years (2015-2018), aimed to highlight the point of view of young people who are experiencing precariousness.

Esperti. Come studiarli e perché il Mulino, Bologna 2020, ISBN: 9788815286055. "Quando io uso una... more Esperti. Come studiarli e perché il Mulino, Bologna 2020, ISBN: 9788815286055. "Quando io uso una parola" disse Humpty Dumpty in tono non privo di disprezzo, "la parola significa quello che io voglio farla significare, né più né meno." "La questione è" disse Alice "se può dare alle parole tanti significati diversi." "La questione è" ripeté Humpty Dumpty "chi è che comanda...ecco tutto." (Lewis Carroll, Alice dentro lo specchio, 1871)

Social Exclusion of Youth in Europe. The Multifaceted Consequences of Labour Market Insecurity, 2021

in M. Unt, M. Gebel, S. Bertolini, V. Deliyanni-Kouimtzi and Dirk Hofäcker (eds.) Social Exclusio... more in M. Unt, M. Gebel, S. Bertolini, V. Deliyanni-Kouimtzi and Dirk Hofäcker (eds.) Social Exclusion of Youth in Europe. The Multifaceted Consequences of Labour Market Insecurity, Policy Press, Bristol, pp. 315-339.

Social Exclusion of Youth in Europe. The Multifaceted Consequences of Labour Market Insecurity, 2021

The financialization of global capitalism, defined as a new accumulation regime, as the ascendenc... more The financialization of global capitalism, defined as a new accumulation regime, as the ascendency of the "shareholder value" orientation or as the financialization of everyday life (Van der Zwan 2014), is a key phenomenon of our times and a major concern for economic and social sciences. Focusing especially on the third definition, a well-established group of scholars, in particular from Europe, has analysed the use of financial products through close empirical descriptions of social practices. In doing so, they focused on technical devices, norms and obligations, social ties and relationships involved in it, showing not only different uses of financial instruments, but also different ways of calculating and understanding what finance is and what it is for.

https://oaj.fupress.net/index.php/cambio/issue/view/528

E. Colombo e P. Rebughini, Youth and the Politics of the Present. Coping with complexity and ambivalence, Abingdon-on-Thames, Routledge., 2019

Youth and the Politics of the Present presents a range of topical sociological investigations int... more Youth and the Politics of the Present presents a range of topical sociological investigations into various aspects of the everyday practices of young adults in different European contexts. Indeed, this volume provides an original and provocative investigation of various current central issues surrounding the effects of globalization and the directions in which Western societies are steering their future. Containing a wide range of empirical and comparative examples from across Europe, this title highlights how young adults are trying to implement new forms of understanding, interpretation and action to cope with unprecedented situations; developing new forms of relationships, identifications and belonging while they experience new and unprecedented forms of inclusion and exclusion. Grounding this exploration is the suggestion that careful observations of the everyday practices of young adults can be an excellent vantage point to grasp how and in what direction the future of contemporary Western societies is heading. Offering an original and provocative investigation, Youth and the Politics of the Present will appeal to students and researchers interested in fields such as Youth Studies, Globalization Studies, Migration Studies, Gender Studies and Social Policy.

La Rivista delle Politiche Sociali, 2018

The article investigates the relationship between poverty and housing and the role of public rent... more The article investigates the relationship between poverty and housing and the role of public rent policies. Through an analysis of the 2014 ItSilc data, the connections between poverty and housing costs are investigated, both objectively and subjectively. The aim is to assess the role of housing allowances in helping disadvantaged families cope with housing costs. A comparison between households in the private rental market and those in social housing shows the different extent of public support. In this regard, the article proposes a simulation for the definition of rent based on available income, in order to calibrate the impact of different forms of public housing support.

Autonomie Locali e Servizi Sociali, 2018

The article explores the link between precarious employment and retirement in Italy, analyzing ho... more The article explores the link between precarious employment and retirement in Italy, analyzing how it is addressed by young people working with atypical contracts and discontinuous incomes. Youth' representations, meanings and coping strategies are investigated through semi-structured interviews. The analysis is framed in the reforms that have changed the structure of the Italian pension system, combining public pensions with occupational and private plans. The effects of financialisation of pension system on the younger generations with low labour market attachment are discussed.
Pension System; Financialisation; Atypical Work; Savings; Complementary Pensions.

This chapter focuses on the client–operator relationship in a Bank of the Credito Cooperativo sys... more This chapter focuses on the client–operator relationship in a Bank of the Credito Cooperativo system (BCC; Mutual Bank thereafter), a bank characterized by a strong link with the territorial identity, interlocked with a particular activation of trust in the face-to-face client–operator interaction in the branches. Following the mutuality rules, all the BCC banks have to respect territorial boundaries. Moreover, they have few decisional levels and a simple organizational structure. These elements facilitate the ‘embeddedness’ of operators in the social and economic context in which they operate. The possibility for clients to become members, a low standardisation, a contained use of ITC in risk assessment and in sharing information on financial products, are the main features that configure the situated interactions between client and operator.

La banalizzazione – fatta dai media e dai politici – dei giovani italiani come “bamboccioni” non ... more La banalizzazione – fatta dai media e dai politici – dei giovani italiani come “bamboccioni” non rende conto della complessità dell’interazione delle diverse sfere culturali, istituzionali ed economiche che incidono nel passaggio verso l’età adulta. Vale quindi la pena interrogarsi in maniera più approfondita su quali siano le attuali sfide dei giovani, tra bisogni di realizzazione lavorativa e di autonomia. Attraverso l’analisi di dati quantitativi e la raccolta di quasi 400 interviste in nove Paesi europei, il libro realizza un’inchiesta sul tema soffermandosi sulle peculiarità della società italiana, quali la tarda uscita dalla famiglia di origine e la scarsa capacità dei nostri giovani di muoversi in un mercato del lavoro sempre più flessibile, e chiedendosi che cosa si possa offrire loro dal punto di vista del lavoro e delle politiche per sostenerli e per garantire alle nuove generazioni e insieme al nostro Paese un futuro migliore.

Leaving home is regarded as one of the key markers of the transition to adulthood. Previous studi... more Leaving home is regarded as one of the key markers of the transition to adulthood. Previous studies have shown that the degree to which labour market vulnerability affects decisions about leaving the parental home and forming a family differs across countries and across different welfare state regimes. In countries that provide more generous supports for youth, the impact of labour market weakness on housing autonomy is reduced. Still, it remains unclear what dimensions of the institutional setting may be most important when it comes to buffering the relationship between labour market insecurity and individual autonomy among young people.

Against this background, the paper uses multilevel models to investigate whether and how passive labour market policies and the structure of the housing market can moderate the relationship between labour market exclusion and youth housing autonomy.

The results show that the level of expenditure on passive labour market policies, as well as the level of coverage of these policies, do not play a moderating role on the association between unemployment and housing autonomy, suggesting that further investigation in this domain would benefit from the inclusion of qualitative information on the design of passive measures. On the contrary, the structure of the housing market shows a positive role, although relatively low, in moderating the association between unemployment and housing autonomy, together with a negative moderating role of the level of indebtedness of the households. These findings shed light on the domains where policy intervention might provide better returns when it comes to fostering the achievement of housing autonomy for youth.

No.16 -Long-term socio-economic consequences of insecure labour market positions 2 EXCEPT Working... more No.16 -Long-term socio-economic consequences of insecure labour market positions 2 EXCEPT Working Papers are peer-reviewed outputs from the http://www.except-project.eu/ project. The series is edited by the project coordinator Dr. Marge Unt and by the project cocoordinator Prof. Michael Gebel. These working papers are intended to meet the European Commission's expected impact from the project:

Report on the impact of the institutional setting and policies on the autonomy of youth in insecu... more Report on the impact of the institutional setting and policies on the autonomy of youth in insecure labour market positions in EU-28 & Ukraine 2 EXCEPT Working Papers are peer-reviewed outputs from the http://www.except-project.eu/ project. The series is edited by the project coordinator Dr. Marge Unt and by the project cocoordinator Prof. Michael Gebel. These working papers are intended to meet the European Commission's expected impact from the project:

Social Exclusion of Youth in Europe. The Multifaceted Consequences of Labour Market Insecurity, 2021

https://oaj.fupress.net/index.php/cambio/issue/view/528

E. Colombo e P. Rebughini, Youth and the Politics of the Present. Coping with complexity and ambivalence, Abingdon-on-Thames, Routledge., 2019

La Rivista delle Politiche Sociali, 2018

Autonomie Locali e Servizi Sociali, 2018

La finanza islamica, ovvero in sintonia con le norme della sharīʿah, si sta proponendo con sempre... more La finanza islamica, ovvero in sintonia con le norme della sharīʿah, si sta proponendo con sempre maggiore convinzione sui mercati globali. Se la relazione con gli strumenti di debito e credito tradizionali è al centro dell’attenzione della letteratura, il presente articolo assume il punto di vista meno indagato del rapporto tra fedeli di Maometto e gestione di risparmi e investimenti nei paesi occidentali, partendo dai risultati della ricerca esplorativa pubblicata nel volume “La Banca e il Minareto” (Ed. Dehoniane, 2017). Nell’analisi del nesso tra precetti religiosi, strumenti, principi e iniziative legati all’economia emergono razionalità, norme e valori, pratiche familiari e comunitarie che ci informano sull’integrazione sociale delle comunità musulmane in Italia.

Cappellato, V., Moiso, V., Salute e corsi di vita, in M. Cardano, G. Giarelli, G. Vicarelli (eds.), Sociologia della salute e della medicina, Bologna, Il Mulino, ISBN: 9788815287922.

Food supply chains have faced many transformations in the past decades, despite a weak interest o... more Food supply chains have faced many transformations in the past decades, despite a weak interest of sociological studies on the one hand and a low impact on public opinion on the other. In recent years, however, the debate in the Italian social sciences presents many elements of considerable originality, connected with the international literature in the analysis of the global dynamics of the distribution of value and bringing to light the intensification of local processes of exploitation of workers and the environment. Through a detailed review of the main international theoretical contributions and of the most recent researches carried out in Italy on the agri-food chains and their local reconfiguration, the paper contributes to the framing of relationship between local agriculture and global agri-food chains in the Italian case. The aim is to highlight the tension between the pressures exerted in agri-food system and the processes of ecological transition underway which stimulate a rethinking of the forms of economic, environmental and social sustainability.

This paper is focused on the regulation and distribution of value along the agri-food chain of th... more This paper is focused on the regulation and distribution of value along the agri-food chain of the Moscato grapes in Piedmont region, where two among the most important Italian Docg (Controlled and Guaranteed Denomination of Origin) wines (in terms of exports) are produced. On the one hand, the Docg certification guarantees the territorial rootedness of this agri-food chain, delimiting the production and transformation of the Moscato grape in a specific area. On the other hand, as a strategic instrument for quality certification at a commercial level, it contributes to expose this area to the influence of external actors. This article contends that the action of some global players in the beverage sector – oriented towards industrialized production and large-scale retail trade – has induced a reconfiguration of the relationships among different actors involved in this agri-food chain and a redefinition of their economic bargaining practices. These processes resulted in a more unequal distribution of the value compared to the past. The article explores in particular the agreements defining the purchase of grapes between farmers and processors, highlighting the progressive transition from the cooperation between local actors to the need of a coordination, which is brokered by opportunist actors.

Keywords: Agri-food chain; Viticulture; Wine production; Food regime analysis

Mondi Migranti, 2019

The paper analyses a case study in the frame of nested market: a cooperative located in Southern ... more The paper analyses a case study in the frame of nested market: a cooperative located in Southern Piedmont promoting entrepreneurship for refugees and asylum seekers toward entrepreneurship in the agri-food sector. The area is characterized by the production of Moscato, a Designation of Controlled and Guaranteed Origin wine, and recently it has nominated UNESCO World Heritage site; however, it presents some criticality in terms of economic integration and social cohesion. The cooperative intends to enhance local resources by introducing alternative production methods and circuits of commerce, fully respecting the remuneration of work in all phases of the supply chain and the environment. The design and implementation of the project, the actors involved, the funding and the tools used are presented in the paper, highlighting originality and weakness also in order to discuss their scalability.

Holders and reservists. The differential inclusion of migrant workers in the viticulture of South... more Holders and reservists.
The differential inclusion of migrant workers in the viticulture of Southern Piedmont

The article is focused on seasonal immigration related to the harvest period and to the productive cycle of the wine farms in some areas of Southern Piedmont, paying special attention to the city of Canelli. Here the employment of foreign labour, mostly from Macedonia, has been accompanied by a general deterioration of working conditions in the vineyards and to a spread of exploitation. Many agricultural cooperatives - almost all run by immigrants - operate as intermediaries for the placement of foreign labour. These cooperatives often disregard law devices and charge the cost of labour at the lowest price, satisfying the demand from local companies and penalizing foreign workers. The exploitation of these immigrants is analysed by authors taking into account the progressive differentiation between Macedonians established permanently on the territory in last years and migrant workers who arrive according to the seasonal nature of agricultural activities. Secondly, the conditions of employment and stay of seasonal workers are read according to the specific local regulation of socio-economic relations, which is influenced by the wine production specifications, the persistence of tradition and other recent changes occurred in the local context. Finally, a last analysis concerns actions, interests and reactions of main players in the place, primarily administrators and economic operators of Canelli.

The article deals with an alimentary education programme characterized by the introduction of fre... more The article deals with an alimentary education programme characterized by the introduction of fresh fish into the canteen menu of a primary school. The aim of this contribution is the reconstruction of the socio-material network and dynamics developed by the programme. The analytical focus is shared, situated, and it includes the things that co-produce the educational action throughout the food catering chain. The sociology of translation and the issue of performativity are the theoretical starting points of the article. A non-standard research design is adopted by the composition of qualitative techniques and in coherence with the aims above mentioned. Empirical findings allowed to underline misalignments in the translation in practice of the education programme.

I paesaggi vitivinicoli del Sud Astigiano sono stati recentemente inclusi nella lista dei siti Pa... more I paesaggi vitivinicoli del Sud Astigiano sono stati recentemente inclusi nella lista dei siti Patrimonio dell’Umanità Unesco, un riconoscimento che richiede come prerequisito - e nello stesso tempo dovrebbe incentivare - la partecipazione della popolazione residente alla tutela del Patrimonio culturale e naturale del proprio territorio. In particolare, il paper focalizza l’area di produzione del Moscato illustrando, mediante uno studio di caso condotto tramite interviste in profondità e osservazione partecipante, fenomeni che mettono in forte tensione tale quadro. Infatti, da un lato il successo della candidatura ha evidenziato la capacità di alcuni attori locali - operativi prevalentemente a livello urbano - di mobilitare risorse intorno a un progetto partecipato di sviluppo responsabile del territorio, quanto mai necessario in un contesto di crisi delle attività economiche legate alla tradizione agricola. Il lavoro vitivinicolo, un tempo ambito privilegiato di integrazione sociale, subisce in loco importanti trasformazioni anche in seguito al venire meno del ruolo di alcuni attori collettivi storicamente rilevanti quali i consorzi e le cantine sociali. Dall’altro lato, negli stessi territori si registra un fenomeno di immigrazione stagionale straniera piuttosto rilevante, legata al periodo della vendemmia e al ciclo produttivo delle aziende vitivinicole. I tradizionali lavoratori stagionali di queste aree sono stati infatti sostituiti negli ultimi anni da lavoratori stranieri, la maggior parte provenienti da Bulgaria, Romania e Macedonia. Questo processo di sostituzione sembra essersi accompagnato a un generale peggioramento delle condizioni di lavoro nei vigneti e a una diffusione di forme di sfruttamento nemmeno troppo celate.
In questo scenario, per la prima volta si intravedono forme auto-organizzate tra la popolazione immigrata residente: emergono infatti nuove cooperative di lavoro a titolarità straniera che agiscono sul territorio come intermediari per il collocamento della forza lavoro immigrata permanente e stagionale. Questa nuova forma di regolazione del lavoro agricolo non ha però affatto garantito la partecipazione attiva e l’integrazione della comunità immigrata, né ha costituito un terreno di incontro con le istituzioni locali. Anzi, la strategia prevalente di queste cooperative è spesso quella di fatturare al prezzo più basso il costo del lavoro, penalizzando i braccianti stranieri sotto molteplici punti di vista: salari ridotti al minimo, pagamenti in nero, orari estesi, mancanza di turni di riposo, assenza di controlli per la sicurezza. E d’altra parte, proprio per queste ragioni, tali cooperative soddisfano interessi particolaristici degli attori economici locali, alimentando un sistema che sembra caratterizzarsi per il basso livello di coesione sociale.

Management of migrant presences and their access to use of public services are issues arising wit... more Management of migrant presences and their access to use of public services are issues arising with some urgency also in non-urban contexts of immigration. For a long time the debate on immigrant integration has focused mainly on policies adopted by mid-sized or large cities, and much less attention has been paid to what occurs in smaller towns and rural areas. Here, answers to problems of foreigner inclusion and their coexistence with natives open field to a wide range of strategies carried on by different actors - institutional and not - that bring often to partial solutions in a short-term perspective, with risk that particular interests prevail in order to reproduce local power relations and to maintain immigrants in a marginal position. The paper takes into account social and economic integration of immigrants in an area of Southern Piedmont (North-West Italy) economically not disadvantaged and characterized by a long tradition in viticulture sectors, where some small towns with little previous experience receiving immigrants have recently become new important destinations both for permanent settlement, in particular for people coming from Macedonia, and for flows of seasonal foreign workers. We focus on measures actually adopted by local authorities to support local economic activities and to maintain high the security of natives, and on the other hand we also highlight the role of civil society in promoting social cohesion and initiatives in favour of immigrants.

STS CONFERENCE “Critical Issues In Science, Technology and Society Studies”, Conference theme: Tr... more STS CONFERENCE “Critical Issues In Science, Technology and Society Studies”, Conference theme: Transitions to Sustainability.

This on-going research deals with a public procurement alimentary programme consisting in the introduction of fresh local fish into the primary school canteen‏. The scenario is characterized by the involvement of organic and local producers with a substantive reassessment of the traditional food catering chain. In line with the STS sensitivity, the main aim is to trace how the reconfiguration of the action-net developed by the food programme is enacted. The catering chain, the collective learning relations and the organizational changes are investigated. In this “extended” unit of analysis, pupils (and their agency), learning devices, relations among professional (from the dietician to the cook) are included.
Ethnographic observation of the canteen including the shadowing of the actant "fresh fish" ( from the farm to the children’s plate), solicited diaries kept by professionals and pupils, interviews to institutional actors, are the empirical sources of data.
The provisional findings are organized around the main criticalities and ineffectiveness emerging from the project planning. In particular, misalignment between the working practices in the meal preparation, affected by a specific legislation, and the consuming practices in the school canteens emerges. This creates a fall in the translation of meal qualities through the food catering chain, partially frustrating the collective learning process enacted.

Donatiello, D., Moiso, V., Martone, V., La filiera agroalimentare tra sfruttamento, caporalato ed ecoreati. Evoluzione del fenomeno e prospettive di contrasto, in Agromafie e caporalato, sesto rapporto, Osservatorio Placido Rizzotto Flai-Cgil, Roma

Nuanced explanations of the factors underpinning the mafia’s movements across territories have re... more Nuanced explanations of the factors underpinning the mafia’s movements across territories have recently been proposed. However, more light must be shed on the mechanisms through which mafiosi try to infiltrate the legal economy in non-traditional territories. Accordingly, this study aims to micro-found interactions and exchanges that mainly involve mafiosi, politicians and economic actors in expansion areas. Focusing on the local level, we will show how the misuse of several administrative tools generates a profitable opportunity structure for mafiosi. To this end, we present an in-depth comparative case study of three events involving the construction industry that took place in Northern Italy. The main findings show that: (i) mafiosi are skilled at smoothing social relations, enlarging and consolidating opaque networks predating their arrival; (ii) they give rise to different types of mutual exchanges and network structures.