“And Yet It Moves!” - Civil Society in Southern Italy

Present-day disaffiliation is one of the causes of the growing social isolation in Italy. Especially in the South, social vulnerability is connected to poverty, high rates of crime, feelings of fear and mistrust, decline of traditional values. Civic engagement and democratic participation are actually hindered by that context. Aim of my essay is to analyse how in such a social complex and contradictory situation, civic and political movements may actually arise, as it is the case in contemporary Southern Italy. New voluntary associations networks are characterized by an high degree of civicness although they are often in conflict with central political institutions. Il focus my attention on the generation of social capital within these movements, on their social structure, internal solidarity, organization, and public visibility. The outcome of this analysis is an evaluation of the social effectiveness of these movements and their capability to affect public policies.