The Potential Role of Religion in the Public Sphere. Considerations By Means Of the Contemporary Imaginary

Abstract

In this contribution, we will try to outline, within the contemporary socio-cultural framework, the role that religion might play. What we will outline are reflections and considerations emerged from some studies and field research conducted in recent years within the ARC Centre (Centre for Anthropology of Religion and Cultural Change) of the Catholic University of Milan, such as two large research projects carried out between 2005 and 2010 and centered on the "new blue collar classes" 1 and the geographical and social outskirts of some Italian cities 2 . In addition to this research work, at the moment, we are carrying out a large-scale project in collaboration with the Institute "L. Sturzo" in Rome on the "Italian Social Generativity" 3 1 The research project, carried out by a group of researchers at the Catholic University of Milan, arose from the need to understand the conditions of a wide segment of the Italian population, facing a growing and problematic vulnerability. It employed both quantitative and qualitative methods. The former assumed the form of a wide survey (sample size=1800); the latter of an ethnographic analysis carried out in four Italian cities. The population under investigation was composed by Italian people aged 20 to 50, with a level of education up to the primary school certification. For any further details, see Magatti & Debenedittis (2006).