Project funded by the Compagnia di San Paolo Foundation for the allocation, through a competitive procedure, of a social research training grant at FIERI for young individuals with a migrant background.
Due to the quality of the projects submitted, two grants were awarded instead of one, the first for the period September 2022 – August 2023 and the second for the period March 2023 – February 2024.
The first grant was awarded to the young researcher Sara Korbi, who will conduct research titled ‘Digitalization and Migrations: IT Platforms and Agricultural Work.
Abstract:
The digital transition is an extremely current phenomenon and is impacting numerous economic sectors. If the main objective is to make production processes more efficient, accessible, and transparent, the impact on the condition of workers, especially their rights, is significant and ambivalent,
The project aims to study this issue, with particular reference to migrant workers as a particularly disadvantaged and vulnerable category from a legal, social, and educational perspective.
Specifically, the research project aims to focus on the agricultural labor market, where migrant labor plays an increasingly significant role and is now considered indispensable by many for the sector’s competitiveness and sustainability.
As known, this sector is characterized by particularly unstable and short-term employment relationships. This leads to a substantial portion of migrant labor being recruited irregularly or through hybrid methods, which are only partially regular. This results in widespread forms of severe labor exploitation.
Digitalization, particularly through the proliferation of platforms for job demand and supply in the sector, could have a positive impact in terms of increased efficiency and transparency, reducing the space for abuse.
The research will focus on the use of platforms to facilitate the matching of labor demand and supply. It will consider the national context but will specifically focus on some of the main agricultural sectors in Piedmont, a significant agri-food hub where the presence of foreign labor is highly significant.
The study will adopt a multi-level perspective and consider the roles and viewpoints of a variety of actors (businesses, workers, industry organizations, technicians and experts, including software developers, consumers, etc.).
Although the project focuses on immigrant workers already present in the national territory, the research findings could serve as a useful starting point for further studies on possible applications (potential and critical issues) for transnational matching, functional to legal immigration policies from third countries.
The second grant was awarded to the young researcher Giulia Liti, who will conduct research titled “Transformations and Characteristics of Anti-Racist Activism in Italy.”
Abstract:
Starting from the late 1980s, following the increase in foreign immigration to Italy, some anti-racist movements began to emerge to counter discrimination and prejudices against migrants. Over the past thirty years, numerous networks, associations, and projects have developed to counter racism, employing various strategies and modes of action.
The research aims to trace the history of anti-racist movements in Italy from 1989 to the present through the analysis of documents and conducting interviews with activists. In particular, the aim is to focus on the current landscape to highlight the characteristics of contemporary anti-racist activism, identifying its main trends.
The purpose of the research is to deepen understanding of anti-racism in Italy, aiming to consciously reflect on the discriminations in our society and the strategies to counteract them.
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