Showing papers on "Relational sociology published in 2007"

OLD AND NEW FAMILY POLICIES The perspective of relational sociology

Abstract: If we analyse the fundamental principles that inspire family policy inherited from the 20 century, we can pinpoint three broad “ideal-typical” orientations: the “lib” policy, the “lab” policy and the “corporate” policy. The author believes that the lib/lab solutions do not meet the need to attribute an appropriate role to the family in society, most of all because they don’t recognize the family as a social subject having a proper societal role and an associated complex of rights/duties. Family policy needs a referent, that is, the family, defined in relational terms. It cannot be effective and just if policy doesn’t confer a social and juridical status of subject to the family. The author proposes a new approach to family policy: a relational approach. The relational approach is based on two fundamental pillars: 1) the adoption of a principle of complex subsidiarity in the governance of family policies, and 2) the recognition of the complex citizenship (political and civil) of the family, coherent with this principle.

Verso un'analisi strutturale delle forme di governance

Abstract: This article suggests a sociological analysis of the concept of governance. First, the author presents an analysis of the characteristics of the social contexts that have supported the origin and the development of the concept of governance. Then, some political and sociological definitions of this concept are discussed. Secondly, the author presents a relational definition of governance and he shows how the relational sociology provides a multidimensional conception. The relational sociology furthermore allows to identify some empirical indicators of this concept. Finally, the author analyses the structural properties of the social networks that can be a resource for the processes of mutual-coordination between autonomous and interdependent actors. Then, some structural indicators of governance are discussed.

Paradigma relazionale e capitale sociale comunitario allargato

Abstract: This article presents the relational definition of the community social capital. This form is assumed by the social capital when the latter becomes an attribute (or quality, or characteristic) of the informal, friendly and neighbouring networks. The main purpose of this article is to present the way relational sociology conceives of the concept of community social capital. First, the author focusses on the central position of the community contents in different theories of social capital, and on the specific contribution of the individualist and holistic paradigms of social research; secondly, he illustrates the theoretical and empirical research that allowed the relational paradigm to suggest a particular definition of the community social capital. He goes on to suggest a way of operationalizing the theoretical concept. In this part of the article, the author analyses the data collected on the occasion of two different researches. Finally, he outlines some of the main analytical implications of the relational definition suggested for the concept of the community social capital.