The article aims to suggest two different scenarios for the transformation of social policy and social work in Italy in relation with the emergence of new trends in the philanthropic sector. Over the past two decades, a growing body of literature has pointed to the shift that philanthropy is undergoing at the global level under the influence of Venture Philanthropy and Impact Investing. Distinctive features of this ‘new philanthropy’ are the blending of the principles and tools of giving with those deriving from the market and the financial sector, as well as the role played by scientific expertise and assessment in legitimising actors and activities. Relying on document analysis, interviews and participant observation, we show how these features are taking shape in the field of social policy and social work in Italy. The promotion of social impact investing and the connected debate on social impact measurement are the most significant elements through which new philanthropic actors and principles are gaining relevance. Nevertheless, their actual capacity to transform social policy and social work is still unclear and we therefore suggest that hybridisation and desocialisation are two possible scenarios for the transformation of the social domain.

L’articolo si propone di suggerire due diversi scenari di trasformazione delle politiche sociali e del lavoro sociale in Italia in relazione all’emergere di nuove tendenze nel settore filantropico. Negli ultimi due decenni, un crescente corpo di letteratura ha evidenziato il cambiamento che sta interessando la filantropia a livello globale sotto l’influenza della cosiddetta Venture Philanthropy e dell’Impact Investing. Tratti distintivi di questa ‘nuova filantropia’ sono la combinazione dei principi e degli strumenti della benevolenza con quelli derivanti dal mercato e dal settore finanziario, nonché il ruolo svolto dalla competenza scientifica e dalla valutazione nel legittimare attori e attività. Basandoci sull’analisi di documenti, su interviste e sull’osservazione partecipante, mostriamo come queste caratteristiche stanno prendendo forma nel campo delle politiche sociali e del lavoro sociale in Italia. La promozione del Social Impact Investing e il connesso dibattito sulla misurazione dell’impatto sociale sono gli elementi più significativi attraverso i quali stanno acquistando rilevanza nuovi attori e principi filantropici. Tuttavia, i loro effetti trasformativi sulle politiche e i servizi sociali non sono ancora chiari e pertanto suggeriamo che l’ibridazione e la desocializzazione sono due possibili scenari per la trasformazione del dominio sociale.

Bifulco, L., Caselli, D. (2022). New philanthropy, social impact and social work: insights from the Italian case [ Nuova filantropia, impatto sociale e lavoro sociale: Approfondimenti dal caso italiano]. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL WORK, 1-13 [10.1080/13691457.2022.2063801].

New philanthropy, social impact and social work: insights from the Italian case [ Nuova filantropia, impatto sociale e lavoro sociale: Approfondimenti dal caso italiano]

Bifulco, Lavinia
;
Caselli, Davide
2022

Abstract

The article aims to suggest two different scenarios for the transformation of social policy and social work in Italy in relation with the emergence of new trends in the philanthropic sector. Over the past two decades, a growing body of literature has pointed to the shift that philanthropy is undergoing at the global level under the influence of Venture Philanthropy and Impact Investing. Distinctive features of this ‘new philanthropy’ are the blending of the principles and tools of giving with those deriving from the market and the financial sector, as well as the role played by scientific expertise and assessment in legitimising actors and activities. Relying on document analysis, interviews and participant observation, we show how these features are taking shape in the field of social policy and social work in Italy. The promotion of social impact investing and the connected debate on social impact measurement are the most significant elements through which new philanthropic actors and principles are gaining relevance. Nevertheless, their actual capacity to transform social policy and social work is still unclear and we therefore suggest that hybridisation and desocialisation are two possible scenarios for the transformation of the social domain.
Articolo in rivista - Articolo scientifico
Italy; knowledge; Philanthropy; social impact; social work;
filantropia; Conoscenza; Impatto sociale; Lavoro sociale; Italia;
English
18-apr-2022
2022
1
13
none
Bifulco, L., Caselli, D. (2022). New philanthropy, social impact and social work: insights from the Italian case [ Nuova filantropia, impatto sociale e lavoro sociale: Approfondimenti dal caso italiano]. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL WORK, 1-13 [10.1080/13691457.2022.2063801].
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/10281/368189
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