The wind of protest goes ... and then returns. Feminist movements in Italy from the 1970s to the 2020s

Abstract

The chapter deals with the actual trends in the sociology of social movements within multi-level governance. In the first part, it illustrates the differences between “Movements of the 1960s and 1970s” and “New” social movements, stressing the approach defined by Jürgen Habermas. As a focus, it points out a critical analysis of collective mobilisation in Italy. In the face of a trend towards alignment of urban governance modes across Europe, current mobilisations revolve around issues of environmental protection, access rights to high-quality schools, higher education, work, protection for working mothers etc. The forecasts of rapid exhaustion of the protest waves of the 1960s and 1970s with the consequent return to an internal policy of the triangle of parties, trade unions and institutions have proved to be largely wrong, at least as far as Italy is concerned. The chapter refers to protests taking place in Italy in the 2020s, directing particular attention to feminist movements and actions activating the social and political potential of women.