PHD SCHOOL IN SOCIAL SCIENCES AND ECONOMICS

Thesis title: Definire una generazione: dal concetto sociologico alla verifica empirica. Analisi della condizione giovanile in Italia, dell’essere giovane e dell’essere adulto

This study aims to recover and revitalize the sociological theory of generations, youth, and the transition to adulthood, in order to restore the full theoretical and empirical significance of the generational question. Building on Karl Mannheim’s classic contribution, it explores how generations can be understood not merely as age cohorts but as forms of social connection rooted in shared historical experiences and a collective consciousness of time. Adopting a pluralist approach that integrates different theoretical perspectives from Youth Studies, the research examines internal inequalities within the condition of youth, the processes of becoming adult, and the possibility of providing an empirical operationalization of the concept of generation. Based on a quantitative survey conducted on a representative sample of Italian young people aged 18 to 39, the study demonstrates that generations can be empirically observed as social realities and represent a privileged analytical lens for understanding the transformations of contemporary society.