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DOCUMENT RESUME ED 057 263 AA 000 756 AUTHOR DiPenzo, Gordon J. TITLE Sociology in Italy Today. INSTITUTION Delaware Univ., Newark.; Institute of International Studies (DHEW/OE), Washington, D.C. PUB DATE 71 NOTE 58p. EDRS PRICE MF-$0.65 HC-$3.29 DESCRIPTORS College Faculty; College Students; *Data Collection; Employment Opportunities; Graduate Study; *Interviews; Libraries; Organizational Change; Professional Occupations; *Research Methodology; *Sociology; *Surveys; Universities IDENTIFIERS *Italy ABSTRACT The purpose of this assessment is to update earlier surveys of Italian sociology, particularly in terms of developments within the past 10 to 15 years--and again, to offer primarily an American perspective on such an overview. The present assessment differs in that many of the data upon which it is based are derived from informal study conducted during a two-year period. This study involved on-the-spot visits to universities, research agencies, publishing houses, library inspections, and a number of personal interviews, throughout Italy, with sociologists, university professors, research people, students, and other personnel associated with Italian soci3logy. Formal research was also conducted. It was found that Italian sociology during the past 25 years has emerged into one of the strongest positions among the countries of Europe. Further progress, however, depends to a great extent upon reorganization of the Italian university and the creation of emplLyment opportunities for sociologists throughout Italian society. Reportedly only a very small percentage, less than 10%, of gradual- from Trento and the post-graduate programs are successful in employment commensurate with their professional training and interests. (Author/CK) SOCIOLOGY IN ITALY TODAY GORDONcJ. DiRENZO PROFESSOR OF SOCIOLOGY University of Delaware and University of Rome* 1971 SOCIOLOGY IN ITALY TODAY Assessments of the post-World War II development of sociology in Italy have been made periodically (Rapport, 1957; Rose, 1958; Treves, 1959,1960; Evangelisti, 1961; Moss) 1964). The purpose of this present attempt is to update earlier surveys of Italian sociology, principally interms of de- velopments within the past ten to fifteen years--and, again,to offer primarily an American perspective on such an overview. Unlike previous statements of this Rind, the presentassessment differs in that many of the data upon which it is based derive froman informal study conducted by this author during the past twoyears. This study involved on-the-spot visits to Imiversities, research agencies, publishing houses, library inspections; ant, of course,a number of personal interviews, throughout Italy, with sociolosts, university professors, researchpeople, students, and other personnel associated, in oneway or another, with sociology in Italy today. HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES Any current discussion of sociolog -n Italy is apt to be distorted severely unless placed in its proper historical context. It is important to recall the crucial, and somewhat unique, episodes which marked the emergence, development, demise, and eventual re-birth of sociology in Italy.1 Italy is one of the few countries which has hada charter association with the field of sociology, and--as in almost al/ otherdisciplines--has made classical contributions to this new science. One thinks principally in this respect perhaps of the works of Pareto, Mosca,and Michels, Yet, many have been the efforts of Italian scholars who have playeda significant 2 role in the historical development of sociology. Other major, although not classical, figures (e.g., Squillace, Niceforo, Sigbele) in Italian sociology during the latter half of the nineteenth century are too little remembered outside their native land.Nonetheless, one needs only to take a cursory glance over the table of contents of the now-defunct Rivista Italiana di Sociologia, which commenced publication in 1897, for an indication of the intellectual company which the pioneering Italian sociologists kept, as well as for a testimony of the strong development of sociology in Italy at that time:In those pages one can find, with regularity, original publications of several of the principal, and now classical, figures in the history of sociology, such as Durkheim, Glumplowicz, and Pareto. All in all, Italian contributions to sociology are distinguished historically by their erratic and discontinuous character-- the consequent of fate and unfortunate circumstances. In Europe, during the latter decades of the nineteenth century, it was widely believed that sociology, particularly as practiced in the United States, was completely positivistic because of its emphasis on empiricism. Hence, sociology in Italy, much alive and progressively fertile at that time, became fallaciously identified in this view with the philosophy of positivism. Soon after the turn of the century, neo-Hegelian philosophy became the dominant intellectual force in Italian culture, and sociology--under the antagonisms and incessant attacks of the influential spokesmen of this philosophy--experienced a progressive impoverishment that culminated in a quick demise. Pre-eminent among these men of letters was Benedetto Croce (1866-1952), a proponent of historicism, who has been widely accused as the chief abortionist of the embryonic Italian sociology, 3 3 a death instrumented by means of his widelyreceived, and influential, philosophy of Idealistiu Man, as a sentient and creetivebeing, was not subject to natural laws, and socialscience could never be anythingmore than history (see Rose, 1950). Croce had become in effect theintellectual .dictator of Italy, and established for himself the personal goalof a renovation of Italian culture _ anti-positivistic dimensions. The effective suppression of sociology, however,was accomplished by a former student--and later politicalfoe--of Croce, Giovanni Gentile (1875-1944), who had become one of the official philosophers of theFascist regime. As Minister of Education inthe early Mussolini governments, Gentile implemented Croce's philosophical dicta against sociology bymeans of legislation that controlled the academic life of Italy throughthe structure of the university system, and more specifically bymeans of an academic ostracism that stifledthe establishment ofcourses and the creation of professorships in thefield of sociology. Similarly, the teaching of sociology, along with psychology, was removedfrom the curricula 2 of middle (scuole medie) andsecondary schools (licei). Fascism, in keeping with itsfundamental nationalim, from intellectual currents in therest of the woriu, aud especiallyfrom those in the United States where sociology was flourishing. Particularly anethema, of course, was that empirical brand of sociologyemanating from the so-called Chicago school. This intellectual black-outwas darkened all the more by the Vatican which opposed sociology for thesame reasons, as well as for its own particularaversion: the profane (empirical and scientific methodology) invasionof the sacred (religious behavior). Hence sociology, for all intents andpurposes, came to a virtual death which was tolled dramatically by the.cessation of the publicationof the Rivista Italiana di Sociologiain 1921. 4 4 These official set-backs, however, did not mean that Italywas totally without sociological activity during the Fascist period. To be sure, clandes- tinely and otherwise, some work in sociologywas carried on, often under another rubric.And some scholarly activity, while occasionallylabelled sociology, was a uniquely Italian brand that apparently causedlittle concern, as sociology, to the anti-positivists because of its non-empirical,somewhat more philosophical, and political character. Ferrarotti (1957) contends that those Italian sociologists who managedto survive intellectually, especially classical figures such as Pareto,Mosca, and Michels, did so because their sociologicalconcerns, and presentations thereof, were com- patible with the philosophy of Idealism, andhence as well with the aims of Fascism, for which they had appreciable propagandisticvalue (in areas such as demography, corporativism, charismatic leadership, and racism)in lending justification to this political and ideologicalmovement. One such aspect of sociology that was not suppressed duringthe reign of Fascism was demography. 3 This branch of the discipline, however,was not associated directl.v saith socioogy, bITt t as as,2ciated (and so remains in most quarters today) with thedisciplines of statistical and act_arial sciences. Much influence in the area of sociaa 7ciencecame from the demographer Corrado Gini, who servedas head of the T,vE.rnment's Statirtical Institute. Gini, often remembered as a socioloList for his theolry of social metabolism, did develop--underrequirements for the degree in statistics as provided in the legislativeanactments o2f 1936-38--a particuLarly neo-biological brand of sociologyat the UnIersity of Rome, and which to a great extent has been perpetuatedto thisay by his students, principally his professorial successor, VittorioCastellamo, who within this contInuity has played a major role In thecurrent re-development of sociology 5 in Italy. Yet, some claim that Gini's influence during the inter-waryears was essentially negative in that he suppressed other people's sociology (see Rose, 1950). The end of World War II brought a new era of scholarship to Italy, and with it came a re-birth of sociology. Fascism was conquered, and with its defeat came the annihilation of much of the

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