ABSTRACT Online mutual help experiences may represent an opportunity for people with long-term ch... more ABSTRACT Online mutual help experiences may represent an opportunity for people with long-term chronic (LTC) conditions and their caregivers. However, there are very few accounts of or research on online practices of mutual support about such issues. On the other hand, the growth of online experiences of mutual aid has been extensive in recent decades. These experiences have been conventionally classified under the notion of ‘online support groups’. However, the notion of group seems to be reductive for the variety of forms, meanings and implications of such experiences. On the basis of these assumptions, our paper aims at: a) describing the main differences between traditional forms of mutual help and online mutual help; b) identifying the emerging forms of online mutual help experience, emphasizing their distinctive features; c) tracing the potential connections between different experiences and people, practitioners and institutions. We identify three main types of online mutual help experience: groups, communities and extemporary practices. We then analyze the value they can have for LTC people, caregivers, practitioners and institutions, emphasizing their heterogeneity. Finally we discuss the overall evolution of the mutual help phenomenon, considering its transition to an online dimension.
Workplace health promotion (WHP) are often depicted as an opportunity for pursuing a better and b... more Workplace health promotion (WHP) are often depicted as an opportunity for pursuing a better and broader well-being condition under the assumption that working environments affect the physical, mental, and social well-being of individuals who spend large proportion of waking hours at work. While most empirical studies provided medical evidence to the effectiveness of WHP programs, scholars question the instrumental purposes of these programs founded on the belief that “healthy workers are better workers”. Little is known, for instance, about the design of WHP programs and their acceptance by workers. Our study addresses this gap, analyzing the co-production of a WHP program in an Italian research institute promoted by the healthcare authority, the local government and the national center for prevention and security in the workplaces. To this aim, we adopt the notion of boundary object investigate how different stakeholders reclaim to take part and being involved in this process, re-s...
Workplace health promotion (WHP) are often depicted as an opportunity for pursuing a better and b... more Workplace health promotion (WHP) are often depicted as an opportunity for pursuing a better and broader well-being condition under the assumption that working environments affect the physical, mental, and social well-being of individuals who spend large proportion of waking hours at work. While most empirical studies provided medical evidence to the effectiveness of WHP programs, scholars question the instrumental purposes of these programs founded on the belief that "healthy workers are better workers". Little is known, for instance, about the design of WHP programs and their acceptance by workers. Our study addresses this gap, analyzing the co-production of a WHP program in an Italian research institute promoted by the healthcare authority, the local government and the national center for prevention and security in the workplaces. To this aim, we adopt the notion of boundary object investigate how different stakeholders reclaim to take part and being involved in this process, reshaping their goals and their boundaries and why a WHP program or parts of it may be rejected or renegotiated by its recipients. Our analysis reveals how each stakeholder contributes to reshape the WHP program which emerges as the modular product of the composition of each matter of concern. Most notably, the strong rooting in a clinical perspective and the original focus on only workers at risk is gradually flanked by initiatives to involve all employees. Moreover, workers draw a line as for the legitimacy of employers' intervention in the personal sphere of health promotion, embracing interventions addressing diet and physical activity while rejecting measures targeting smoking and alcohol consumption.
The article investigates the role of information asymmetries and sensegiving processes of citizen... more The article investigates the role of information asymmetries and sensegiving processes of citizens claiming for social services. The purpose of the article is to highlight the relevance of applicants’ agency, since it has been generally neglected in the analysis of social services provision. On the contrary, the article proposes an alternative view, considering applicants as actors who are able to develop dialectic strategies for claiming specific forms of social assistance. The article is based on a qualitative research, conducted following an inductive approach. The data have been collected in three different Italian municipalities, where the researcher has been the opportunity to perform a period of observation of the interviews between the social workers of the local social services department and the citizens applying for social assistance. The findings of the research point out that informational asymmetries play an ambivalent role in the definition of applicant’s strategies, since they represent an ambivalent and dynamic factor, rather than a mere source of disadvantage for the user. From this viewpoint, the citizens’ possibilities to access to social assistance are shaped by both institutional and dialectic factors: on the one hand, access to social assistance relies on specific criteria of eligibility (institutionally defined), but on the other hand the access is the outcome of situated sensegiving processes, performed by both the applicants and the gatekeepers of social services during their encounters. The findings of the research urge policy maker to re-consider applicants as strategic actors and opens the space for the development of new options of regulation of the delivery of social services. The paper suggests to consider the applicants for social services as people who, although in a condition of need, are capable to identify specific forms of assistance. From this point of view, informational asymmetries are not be considered as a stigmatic issue, but as a space which calls for further and less superficial investigation.
Online mutual help experiences may represent an opportunity for people with long-term chronic (LT... more Online mutual help experiences may represent an opportunity for people with long-term chronic (LTC) conditions and their caregivers. However, there are very few accounts of or research on online practices of mutual support about such issues. On the other hand, the growth of online experiences of mutual aid has been extensive in recent decades. These experiences have been conventionally classified under the notion of ‘online support groups’. However, the notion of group seems to be reductive for the variety of forms, meanings and implications of such experiences. On the basis of these assumptions, our paper aims at: a) describing the main differences between traditional forms of mutual help and online mutual help; b) identifying the emerging forms of online mutual help experience, emphasizing their distinctive features; c) tracing the potential connections between different experiences and people, practitioners and institutions. We identify three main types of online mutual help experience: groups, communities and extemporary practices. We then analyze the value they can have for LTC people, caregivers, practitioners and institutions, emphasizing their heterogeneity. Finally we discuss the overall evolution of the mutual help phenomenon, considering its transition to an online dimension.
The purpose of this paper is to provide an analysis of the convergence of the social reporting gu... more The purpose of this paper is to provide an analysis of the convergence of the social reporting guidelines available in Italy.The research is based on a documentary analysis of four selected social reporting guidelines provided by Italian institutions or translated in Italian.
This study identifies the leading and primary issues in social reporting practices across different sectorial and methodological schemes.
The results of the analysis point out that it is possible to identify an isomorphic convergence among the guidelines, though differences remain relevant and express peculiar institutional expectations on the behaviours of different typologies of organizations
Le organizzazioni sono sia il contesto sia il “motore” di numerosi fenomeni di innovazione, così ... more Le organizzazioni sono sia il contesto sia il “motore” di numerosi fenomeni di innovazione, così come possono esserne protagoniste, beneficiarie o vittime. Il libro propone un’analisi del concetto di innovazione organizzativa, considerandone le varie sfaccettature nell’elaborazione di strategie manageriali inedite e vincenti, nei casi di riconfigurazione di ruoli e compiti dei membri di un’organizzazione, nel mutamento dei processi di lavoro, nonché nella creazione di nuovi prodotti e servizi. L’analisi dei processi di innovazione organizzativa permette peraltro di ripensare all’idea stessa di organizzazione, inquadrandola come un costrutto dinamico e in continua evoluzione. Nel testo si esaminano i presupposti che favoriscono la generazione di un’innovazione, evidenziando come essa non debba essere considerata esclusivamente un risvolto del progresso tecnologico, né come sinonimo di sviluppo e prosperità. Adottando una prospettiva storica, il libro ambisce a dimostrare come non esista una ricetta unica per innovare, così come non siano certi e prevedibili gli esiti che accompagnano l’introduzione di un’innovazione.
Il servizio di segretariato sociale ha assunto un ruolo sempre più rilevante nel quadro dell’offe... more Il servizio di segretariato sociale ha assunto un ruolo sempre più rilevante nel quadro dell’offerta complessiva di servizi e prestazioni socio-assistenziali. Esso rappresenta uno dei principali punti di contatto tra le istituzioni (in particolare i Comuni) e i cittadini che necessitano di un intervento di assistenza sociale. È attraverso il segretariato sociale che i cittadini possono ricevere le prime informazioni sull’insieme dei servizi disponibili e le loro modalità e condizioni d’accesso. Al tempo stesso, il servizio di segretariato sociale svolge in molti casi una funzione di filtro e selezione per l’accesso e l’erogazione di determinate prestazioni assistenziali. L’organizzazione di questo servizio è quindi, di per sé, un passaggio importante nelle dinamiche di regolazione dell’accesso ai servizi di welfare erogati a livello locale. Presentando e discutendo i risultati di una ricerca empirica, il volume illustra come tuttavia le pratiche di organizzazione del segretariato sociale rimangano tuttora assai disomogenee e talvolta contrastanti. Sebbene il segretariato sociale sia previsto, a norma di legge, come uno dei livelli essenziali di assistenza sociale, la declinazione locale di questo servizio può infatti seguire diverse logiche organizzative, nonché differenti interpretazioni sul piano istituzionale e professionale della sua valenza. Questi diversi orientamenti rinforzano la tesi di una persistente disarticolazione dell’offerta di servizi socio-assistenziali a livello nazionale e, parallelamente, enfatizzano il peso degli attori organizzativi nella costruzione ed attivazione locale delle politiche assistenziali.
L’organizzazione dell’offerta dei servizi di assistenza sociale è da sempre articolata in diversi... more L’organizzazione dell’offerta dei servizi di assistenza sociale è da sempre articolata in diversi settori di intervento e stratificata su differenti livelli di gestione e programmazione. Il testo ne propone una panoramica complessiva, individuando una serie di coordinate per rappresentarne il profilo in chiave organizzativa. Il volume introduce alcuni elementi essenziali di analisi organizzativa, declinandoli per esaminare le strutture e le logiche di funzionamento dei principali enti pubblici e privati che operano nel settore. Si approfondiscono quindi gli assetti istituzionali che regolano i rapporti tra enti, professionisti ed utenza e che danno forma e contenuto all’offerta di servizi socioassistenziali. Infine, si mette in luce il contributo delle varie figure professionali coinvolte a diverso titolo nella gestione ed erogazione dei servizi.
The present publication contains a selection of the works presented at the 5th STS Italia Confere... more The present publication contains a selection of the works presented at the 5th STS Italia Conference, held in Milan from June, 12–14 2014. The main theme of this STS Italia conference’s edition was the intersection between Design Studies and Science & Technology Studies. The Conference was the main event of STS Italia, the Italian Society for the Study of Science & Technology and the 2014 edition was organized in collaboration with the Design Department of Politecnico di Milano. Thanks to this cooperation, the conference was a unique space for interdisciplinary encounters between different scientific and intellectual milieus, which have interacted on very practical terms, fostering a reflexive account both in Design and STS practices.
ABSTRACT Online mutual help experiences may represent an opportunity for people with long-term ch... more ABSTRACT Online mutual help experiences may represent an opportunity for people with long-term chronic (LTC) conditions and their caregivers. However, there are very few accounts of or research on online practices of mutual support about such issues. On the other hand, the growth of online experiences of mutual aid has been extensive in recent decades. These experiences have been conventionally classified under the notion of ‘online support groups’. However, the notion of group seems to be reductive for the variety of forms, meanings and implications of such experiences. On the basis of these assumptions, our paper aims at: a) describing the main differences between traditional forms of mutual help and online mutual help; b) identifying the emerging forms of online mutual help experience, emphasizing their distinctive features; c) tracing the potential connections between different experiences and people, practitioners and institutions. We identify three main types of online mutual help experience: groups, communities and extemporary practices. We then analyze the value they can have for LTC people, caregivers, practitioners and institutions, emphasizing their heterogeneity. Finally we discuss the overall evolution of the mutual help phenomenon, considering its transition to an online dimension.
Workplace health promotion (WHP) are often depicted as an opportunity for pursuing a better and b... more Workplace health promotion (WHP) are often depicted as an opportunity for pursuing a better and broader well-being condition under the assumption that working environments affect the physical, mental, and social well-being of individuals who spend large proportion of waking hours at work. While most empirical studies provided medical evidence to the effectiveness of WHP programs, scholars question the instrumental purposes of these programs founded on the belief that “healthy workers are better workers”. Little is known, for instance, about the design of WHP programs and their acceptance by workers. Our study addresses this gap, analyzing the co-production of a WHP program in an Italian research institute promoted by the healthcare authority, the local government and the national center for prevention and security in the workplaces. To this aim, we adopt the notion of boundary object investigate how different stakeholders reclaim to take part and being involved in this process, re-s...
Workplace health promotion (WHP) are often depicted as an opportunity for pursuing a better and b... more Workplace health promotion (WHP) are often depicted as an opportunity for pursuing a better and broader well-being condition under the assumption that working environments affect the physical, mental, and social well-being of individuals who spend large proportion of waking hours at work. While most empirical studies provided medical evidence to the effectiveness of WHP programs, scholars question the instrumental purposes of these programs founded on the belief that "healthy workers are better workers". Little is known, for instance, about the design of WHP programs and their acceptance by workers. Our study addresses this gap, analyzing the co-production of a WHP program in an Italian research institute promoted by the healthcare authority, the local government and the national center for prevention and security in the workplaces. To this aim, we adopt the notion of boundary object investigate how different stakeholders reclaim to take part and being involved in this process, reshaping their goals and their boundaries and why a WHP program or parts of it may be rejected or renegotiated by its recipients. Our analysis reveals how each stakeholder contributes to reshape the WHP program which emerges as the modular product of the composition of each matter of concern. Most notably, the strong rooting in a clinical perspective and the original focus on only workers at risk is gradually flanked by initiatives to involve all employees. Moreover, workers draw a line as for the legitimacy of employers' intervention in the personal sphere of health promotion, embracing interventions addressing diet and physical activity while rejecting measures targeting smoking and alcohol consumption.
The article investigates the role of information asymmetries and sensegiving processes of citizen... more The article investigates the role of information asymmetries and sensegiving processes of citizens claiming for social services. The purpose of the article is to highlight the relevance of applicants’ agency, since it has been generally neglected in the analysis of social services provision. On the contrary, the article proposes an alternative view, considering applicants as actors who are able to develop dialectic strategies for claiming specific forms of social assistance. The article is based on a qualitative research, conducted following an inductive approach. The data have been collected in three different Italian municipalities, where the researcher has been the opportunity to perform a period of observation of the interviews between the social workers of the local social services department and the citizens applying for social assistance. The findings of the research point out that informational asymmetries play an ambivalent role in the definition of applicant’s strategies, since they represent an ambivalent and dynamic factor, rather than a mere source of disadvantage for the user. From this viewpoint, the citizens’ possibilities to access to social assistance are shaped by both institutional and dialectic factors: on the one hand, access to social assistance relies on specific criteria of eligibility (institutionally defined), but on the other hand the access is the outcome of situated sensegiving processes, performed by both the applicants and the gatekeepers of social services during their encounters. The findings of the research urge policy maker to re-consider applicants as strategic actors and opens the space for the development of new options of regulation of the delivery of social services. The paper suggests to consider the applicants for social services as people who, although in a condition of need, are capable to identify specific forms of assistance. From this point of view, informational asymmetries are not be considered as a stigmatic issue, but as a space which calls for further and less superficial investigation.
Online mutual help experiences may represent an opportunity for people with long-term chronic (LT... more Online mutual help experiences may represent an opportunity for people with long-term chronic (LTC) conditions and their caregivers. However, there are very few accounts of or research on online practices of mutual support about such issues. On the other hand, the growth of online experiences of mutual aid has been extensive in recent decades. These experiences have been conventionally classified under the notion of ‘online support groups’. However, the notion of group seems to be reductive for the variety of forms, meanings and implications of such experiences. On the basis of these assumptions, our paper aims at: a) describing the main differences between traditional forms of mutual help and online mutual help; b) identifying the emerging forms of online mutual help experience, emphasizing their distinctive features; c) tracing the potential connections between different experiences and people, practitioners and institutions. We identify three main types of online mutual help experience: groups, communities and extemporary practices. We then analyze the value they can have for LTC people, caregivers, practitioners and institutions, emphasizing their heterogeneity. Finally we discuss the overall evolution of the mutual help phenomenon, considering its transition to an online dimension.
The purpose of this paper is to provide an analysis of the convergence of the social reporting gu... more The purpose of this paper is to provide an analysis of the convergence of the social reporting guidelines available in Italy.The research is based on a documentary analysis of four selected social reporting guidelines provided by Italian institutions or translated in Italian.
This study identifies the leading and primary issues in social reporting practices across different sectorial and methodological schemes.
The results of the analysis point out that it is possible to identify an isomorphic convergence among the guidelines, though differences remain relevant and express peculiar institutional expectations on the behaviours of different typologies of organizations
Le organizzazioni sono sia il contesto sia il “motore” di numerosi fenomeni di innovazione, così ... more Le organizzazioni sono sia il contesto sia il “motore” di numerosi fenomeni di innovazione, così come possono esserne protagoniste, beneficiarie o vittime. Il libro propone un’analisi del concetto di innovazione organizzativa, considerandone le varie sfaccettature nell’elaborazione di strategie manageriali inedite e vincenti, nei casi di riconfigurazione di ruoli e compiti dei membri di un’organizzazione, nel mutamento dei processi di lavoro, nonché nella creazione di nuovi prodotti e servizi. L’analisi dei processi di innovazione organizzativa permette peraltro di ripensare all’idea stessa di organizzazione, inquadrandola come un costrutto dinamico e in continua evoluzione. Nel testo si esaminano i presupposti che favoriscono la generazione di un’innovazione, evidenziando come essa non debba essere considerata esclusivamente un risvolto del progresso tecnologico, né come sinonimo di sviluppo e prosperità. Adottando una prospettiva storica, il libro ambisce a dimostrare come non esista una ricetta unica per innovare, così come non siano certi e prevedibili gli esiti che accompagnano l’introduzione di un’innovazione.
Il servizio di segretariato sociale ha assunto un ruolo sempre più rilevante nel quadro dell’offe... more Il servizio di segretariato sociale ha assunto un ruolo sempre più rilevante nel quadro dell’offerta complessiva di servizi e prestazioni socio-assistenziali. Esso rappresenta uno dei principali punti di contatto tra le istituzioni (in particolare i Comuni) e i cittadini che necessitano di un intervento di assistenza sociale. È attraverso il segretariato sociale che i cittadini possono ricevere le prime informazioni sull’insieme dei servizi disponibili e le loro modalità e condizioni d’accesso. Al tempo stesso, il servizio di segretariato sociale svolge in molti casi una funzione di filtro e selezione per l’accesso e l’erogazione di determinate prestazioni assistenziali. L’organizzazione di questo servizio è quindi, di per sé, un passaggio importante nelle dinamiche di regolazione dell’accesso ai servizi di welfare erogati a livello locale. Presentando e discutendo i risultati di una ricerca empirica, il volume illustra come tuttavia le pratiche di organizzazione del segretariato sociale rimangano tuttora assai disomogenee e talvolta contrastanti. Sebbene il segretariato sociale sia previsto, a norma di legge, come uno dei livelli essenziali di assistenza sociale, la declinazione locale di questo servizio può infatti seguire diverse logiche organizzative, nonché differenti interpretazioni sul piano istituzionale e professionale della sua valenza. Questi diversi orientamenti rinforzano la tesi di una persistente disarticolazione dell’offerta di servizi socio-assistenziali a livello nazionale e, parallelamente, enfatizzano il peso degli attori organizzativi nella costruzione ed attivazione locale delle politiche assistenziali.
L’organizzazione dell’offerta dei servizi di assistenza sociale è da sempre articolata in diversi... more L’organizzazione dell’offerta dei servizi di assistenza sociale è da sempre articolata in diversi settori di intervento e stratificata su differenti livelli di gestione e programmazione. Il testo ne propone una panoramica complessiva, individuando una serie di coordinate per rappresentarne il profilo in chiave organizzativa. Il volume introduce alcuni elementi essenziali di analisi organizzativa, declinandoli per esaminare le strutture e le logiche di funzionamento dei principali enti pubblici e privati che operano nel settore. Si approfondiscono quindi gli assetti istituzionali che regolano i rapporti tra enti, professionisti ed utenza e che danno forma e contenuto all’offerta di servizi socioassistenziali. Infine, si mette in luce il contributo delle varie figure professionali coinvolte a diverso titolo nella gestione ed erogazione dei servizi.
The present publication contains a selection of the works presented at the 5th STS Italia Confere... more The present publication contains a selection of the works presented at the 5th STS Italia Conference, held in Milan from June, 12–14 2014. The main theme of this STS Italia conference’s edition was the intersection between Design Studies and Science & Technology Studies. The Conference was the main event of STS Italia, the Italian Society for the Study of Science & Technology and the 2014 edition was organized in collaboration with the Design Department of Politecnico di Milano. Thanks to this cooperation, the conference was a unique space for interdisciplinary encounters between different scientific and intellectual milieus, which have interacted on very practical terms, fostering a reflexive account both in Design and STS practices.
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Papers by Paolo Rossi
The article is based on a qualitative research, conducted following an inductive approach. The data have been collected in three different Italian municipalities, where the researcher has been the opportunity to perform a period of observation of the interviews between the social workers of the local social services department and the citizens applying for social assistance.
The findings of the research point out that informational asymmetries play an ambivalent role in the definition of applicant’s strategies, since they represent an ambivalent and dynamic factor, rather than a mere source of disadvantage for the user. From this viewpoint, the citizens’ possibilities to access to social assistance are shaped by both institutional and dialectic factors: on the one hand, access to social assistance relies on specific criteria of eligibility (institutionally defined), but on the other hand the access is the outcome of situated sensegiving processes, performed by both the applicants and the gatekeepers of social services during their encounters.
The findings of the research urge policy maker to re-consider applicants as strategic actors and opens the space for the development of new options of regulation of the delivery of social services. The paper suggests to consider the applicants for social services as people who, although in a condition of need, are capable to identify specific forms of assistance. From this point of view, informational asymmetries are not be considered as a stigmatic issue, but as a space which calls for further and less superficial investigation.
This study identifies the leading and primary issues in social reporting practices across different sectorial and methodological schemes.
The results of the analysis point out that it is possible to identify an isomorphic convergence among the guidelines, though differences remain relevant and express peculiar institutional expectations on the behaviours of different typologies of organizations
Books by Paolo Rossi
Esso rappresenta uno dei principali punti di contatto tra le istituzioni (in particolare i Comuni) e i cittadini che necessitano di un intervento di assistenza sociale. È attraverso il segretariato sociale che i cittadini possono ricevere le prime
informazioni sull’insieme dei servizi disponibili e le loro modalità e condizioni d’accesso. Al tempo stesso, il servizio di segretariato sociale svolge in molti casi una funzione di filtro e selezione per l’accesso e l’erogazione di determinate
prestazioni assistenziali. L’organizzazione di questo servizio è quindi, di per sé, un passaggio importante nelle dinamiche di regolazione dell’accesso ai servizi di welfare erogati a livello locale.
Presentando e discutendo i risultati di una ricerca empirica, il volume illustra come tuttavia le pratiche di organizzazione del segretariato sociale rimangano tuttora assai disomogenee e talvolta contrastanti. Sebbene il segretariato sociale sia previsto, a norma di legge, come uno dei livelli essenziali di assistenza sociale, la declinazione locale di questo servizio può infatti seguire diverse logiche organizzative, nonché differenti interpretazioni sul piano istituzionale e professionale
della sua valenza. Questi diversi orientamenti rinforzano la tesi di una persistente disarticolazione dell’offerta di servizi socio-assistenziali a livello nazionale e, parallelamente, enfatizzano il peso degli attori organizzativi nella costruzione ed attivazione locale delle politiche assistenziali.
Conference Presentations by Paolo Rossi
The article is based on a qualitative research, conducted following an inductive approach. The data have been collected in three different Italian municipalities, where the researcher has been the opportunity to perform a period of observation of the interviews between the social workers of the local social services department and the citizens applying for social assistance.
The findings of the research point out that informational asymmetries play an ambivalent role in the definition of applicant’s strategies, since they represent an ambivalent and dynamic factor, rather than a mere source of disadvantage for the user. From this viewpoint, the citizens’ possibilities to access to social assistance are shaped by both institutional and dialectic factors: on the one hand, access to social assistance relies on specific criteria of eligibility (institutionally defined), but on the other hand the access is the outcome of situated sensegiving processes, performed by both the applicants and the gatekeepers of social services during their encounters.
The findings of the research urge policy maker to re-consider applicants as strategic actors and opens the space for the development of new options of regulation of the delivery of social services. The paper suggests to consider the applicants for social services as people who, although in a condition of need, are capable to identify specific forms of assistance. From this point of view, informational asymmetries are not be considered as a stigmatic issue, but as a space which calls for further and less superficial investigation.
This study identifies the leading and primary issues in social reporting practices across different sectorial and methodological schemes.
The results of the analysis point out that it is possible to identify an isomorphic convergence among the guidelines, though differences remain relevant and express peculiar institutional expectations on the behaviours of different typologies of organizations
Esso rappresenta uno dei principali punti di contatto tra le istituzioni (in particolare i Comuni) e i cittadini che necessitano di un intervento di assistenza sociale. È attraverso il segretariato sociale che i cittadini possono ricevere le prime
informazioni sull’insieme dei servizi disponibili e le loro modalità e condizioni d’accesso. Al tempo stesso, il servizio di segretariato sociale svolge in molti casi una funzione di filtro e selezione per l’accesso e l’erogazione di determinate
prestazioni assistenziali. L’organizzazione di questo servizio è quindi, di per sé, un passaggio importante nelle dinamiche di regolazione dell’accesso ai servizi di welfare erogati a livello locale.
Presentando e discutendo i risultati di una ricerca empirica, il volume illustra come tuttavia le pratiche di organizzazione del segretariato sociale rimangano tuttora assai disomogenee e talvolta contrastanti. Sebbene il segretariato sociale sia previsto, a norma di legge, come uno dei livelli essenziali di assistenza sociale, la declinazione locale di questo servizio può infatti seguire diverse logiche organizzative, nonché differenti interpretazioni sul piano istituzionale e professionale
della sua valenza. Questi diversi orientamenti rinforzano la tesi di una persistente disarticolazione dell’offerta di servizi socio-assistenziali a livello nazionale e, parallelamente, enfatizzano il peso degli attori organizzativi nella costruzione ed attivazione locale delle politiche assistenziali.