Alessandro Crociata (p), Alessandra Faggian, Massimiliano Agovino, Pier Luigi Sacco

Valentina Montalto

In this paper we investigate the existence of proximity effects in gender inequality in the labour market for Italian provinces. In order to do so, we use Spatial Markov Chains. The data are provided by the Italian National Institute of Social Security for the years 2008–2016. We find that proximity effects do play an important role in the spatial diffusion of gender inequality, and that the spatial composition of a province in terms of neighbourhoods is a key factor in determining a province future evolution of gender inequality. In particular, clusters of provinces characterized by uniformly high levels of inequality seems to suffer from a perverse ‘geographical lock-in’ effect that calls for a coordinated action across areas to implement effective policies.

Annie Tubadji (p)

Maria Grazia Deri

A system that depends on value judgements cannot be adequately studied without including values as a factor for the operation of the system, but a scientific study of values should be objective – i.e. without deterministic and inevitably subjective labelling of values as good or bad. The current study suggests these two criteria can be met by following the Culture-Based Development (CBD) approach, which proposes that the universality of a value could be analyzed based on its objective effect across space on a socio-economic output, without moral evaluation of the value and the outcome themselves. The Japanese attitude to happiness, called IKIGAI, serves as an example here and is analyzed in a CBD value-free manner as a universal value for life-satisfaction and productivity. Using World Value Survey data and standard regression analysis, we demonstrate that the application of the CBD approach is feasible and allows for identifying if an individual’s subjective valuing of an attitude, such as high appreciation of IKIGAI, is universally conducive to higher life satisfaction and higher productivity or this is only a local culturally dependent phenomenon.

Enrica Lemmi (p), Maria Grazia Deri

Alessandro Crociata

See extended abstract

Valentina Montalto (p), Carlos Jorge Tacao Moura, Sven Langedijk, Michaela Saisana

Annie Tubadji

See extended abstract