La construction d'un sens commun sur l'immigration en Italie. Les «gens» dans le discours médiatique et politique

In the political discourse, the reference to citizens' behavior is an argument of primary importance. In Italy, to justify restrictive policies on immigration or on citizenship rights granted to foreigners, the discourse often refers to the lack of preparation of the social fabrics or to the fact that too open a policy would increase racism. But for all that, the role of individual attitudes in the elaboration of immigration policies must not be exaggerated. The notion of public opinion, as commonly used, is mostly a fiction, if not a mere discursive tool. « Peoples' opinion », which is sometimes inquired in a « scientific » way through opinion polls, is not only the final and distorted result of complex and interdependent social dynamics, but also a devised referent.