BOCCONI UNIVERSITY'S STUDENT NEWSPAPER #TIL - bimonthly publication year 24 issue 92, october 2020 initiative financed by Università Bocconi ...
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BOCCONI UNIVERSITY'S STUDENT NEWSPAPER
#TIL
bimonthly publication · year 24 · issue 92, october 2020 ·
initiative financed by Università Bocconi traileoni 1
OPINION
n. 92
EDITORIAL International
Bocconiani
The international focus Bocconi must have in the
next five-year plan
CONTENTS
Filippo Menozzi
“W
2 Editorial Marco Visentin
filippo.menozzi@studbocconi.it
marco.visentin@studbocconi.it
3 International Bocconiani
e are open”, Bocconi life achievements. We have chosen to
4-8 So what about the blended format? authorities proudly stated at deal with prejudices they face in academia
the grandiose inauguration just as much as in the industry. Overall, I
ceremony for the new SDA campus. It was am proud of the rigour and diversity that
W
9 A new dawn for globalization
less than a year ago, yet our community characterize this edition: the vast range of
seems to have undergone a radical topics we deal with and the diverse origins
10-11 Women in Economics: a tortuous path
change. and backgrounds of the writers prove
Our University has striven to provide that we are going in the right direction, hen I decided to attend Bocconi, I got a lot of weird looks apply. But to get that first person to apply, the programs on offer
12-13 Japan under Suga students with the same services and fulfilling our duty to be the newspaper of all from my American high school peers. Why was I going to need to speak to them more than they do now. In the International
opportunities that normally characterize it. Bocconiani. study in some unknown university when I had acceptances Politics and Government program, a single professor was not Italian,
14-15 Stati Uniti e attualità Unfortunately, its efforts have not always Authoritative commentators have from above par universities in the United States? Even my teachers and he taught a 3-credit course that was P/F. The topics should be
been successful – with regards in particular highlighted the powerful role information had to Google and ‘research’ the university before expressing their revolutionized too. A good dose of European learnings should obviously
to the past semester’s exam session plays in shaping people’s understanding opinions on whether I had made a solid choice or not. be maintained but we should not be exclusive to Europe in the way we
16 Lo stile di vita ecosostenibile: serve
davvero?
and to the current situation of student of events and in orienting their choices. This anecdote says a lot about our university, especially to those are now where the only extra-Europe learning is based on the US. I
associations’ activities – but I am sure we That is even more true in the context of the that live in it every day. I can imagine frustration comes first: we know have no difficulty in seeing why an Asian, African or South American
17 Per vivere bisogna morire all acknowledge the tremendous progress current global crisis, which is now affecting that Bocconi offers academic programs hardly matched in any other student would have second thoughts on coming here. Perhaps even
that has been made during the summer, not only health and economics, but also higher education institution in Europe, if not the world by bringing more frustratingly, they do not even have first thoughts coming here
18-19 Il mercato della carne all'ombra del thanks to which classes could eventually politics. In this framework we then imagine together the brightest academic minds of Italy. since they have never heard of Bocconi in their native countries.
capitalismo resume in blended format. our contribution to the Bocconi community: But the second, more rational response we need to have is an This brings me to the third point: increasing our social presence. This
Tra i Leoni has not been spared by we will devote ourselves to presenting introspective one. A question of why our university does not even have obviously has to go hand in hand with the other two points. However,
20-21 Notification: Let's be alone together the pandemic either: unable to print our rigorous and evidence-based analyses, bold the appeal of a US community college for American students, or an I find it unacceptable that most students in the United States, Asia,
bimonthly publications, we have resorted proposals and sharp, relevant enquiries. average UK university for most other international students. The answer, Africa and South America have never heard of Bocconi. This stems
22-23 What we should learn from Baruch to an online-only strategy, heavily relying on During the first phase of the Covid-19 in my opinion, is we do not do enough for ourselves on the international from an unwillingness to invest significantly in recruitment programs.
Spinoza our website and on social media platforms. pandemic, when the University was stage but rather continue to focus on increasing and improving our To a certain extent, it is understandable when comparing Bocconi,
It turns out, there might be something true physically closed and even attending European standing which is already where we want it to be. with its €12k-a-year tuition to universities that charge more than three
in the saying that we do our best when lectures became difficult, we set a historical The truth is that to become an elite university, we need to attract times that amount. Yet, there are low cost solutions that would allow
in difficult situations: rather than being record in online publications, which has the best students from all over the world, not just from Europe. And us to increase our international presence, the most evident being to
limited by this constraint, our activities have been met by a tremendous increase in that is where the university leadership’s focus should be for the next increase students’ involvement in the recruitment process. Not only are
flourished, inaugurating a new creative our readership – to the point that our five years. students a cheap alternative, they are also likely to be more successful
season that is already bringing exceptional website was visited by more than twice A few things are imperative in my opinion. A much stronger focus than adults in selling the university to their peers. And while there are
results. What used to be unimaginable is the number of readers of the same period must be placed on diversity. Searching “Bocconi demographics” will some initiatives that the university has installed, they do not reach the
now being accomplished. in 2019. What is more, we have continued return the PhD in Statistics, which has a course in demographics. The desired audience. Additionally, targeted, geo-specific social media ads
This edition of Tra i Leoni – I believe experiencing such levels of interest even only statistics I have been able to find on diversity are the percentage are easy ways to reach an even broader audience.
– will serve as evidence of our ambitious during the summer, proving that the numbers of students coming from Italy vs. foreign country. That split The truth is that in the occasion of the writing of the new five-year
aspirations. Featuring a detailed reportage foundations we laid down during such a is around 50-50 in most English-speaking programs. However, I worry plan, our university is at a crossroads, facing a critical question: does
on the impact of blended teaching on the bizarre and difficult semester are solid and that those stats may not be truthful since I, an Italian that just happened it want to intensify its position as an elite European university, known
whole Bocconi community, this issue aims our work was met by genuine interest. to be studying in the US, fall in the international students’ categories. for its academic rigor but not necessarily its global appeal, or does it
to share “information that matters”. The That, dear readers, was just the Furthermore, a large portion of the non-Italians are Europeans. want to finally take the leap, in an attempt to become truly recognized
other nucleus around which this edition is beginning. We wish everybody a good start The second focus is making our programs more attractive to foreign worldwide, attracting not only the best of Europe but the rest of the
centred concerns the condition of women, of the academic year and hope you will students. The first step is obviously diversity, the more people attend world? To me, the choice is simple, but the ball is in the administrations’
in particular from the point of view of their follow us and stay tuned. from, say, the Philippines, the more people from the Philippines will court and with it, Bocconi’s short- and long-term future.
2 traileoni traileoni 3
COVER STORY
So what about the
blended format?
The students'
Barbara Balcon Olimpia Vitali
barbara.balcon@studbocconi.it olimpia.vitali@studbocconi.it
perspective We asked you...
T
his semester marked a new phase frustration and can be so serious that they students is so low that all of them could
for our university: after months end up jeopardizing learning. actually fit in the classroom while still re-
spent online students were given specting social distancing measures and
the possibility to come back on campus What are the main advantages of students are left wondering why they are
and attend lectures in a blended format. the blended format with respect to split in two groups if that is the case. I have
How is the student body liking the ex- “traditional” in-person lectures, if witnessed myself classes in which the stu-
perience so far? To find out, we asked you any? dents on campus were as few as a dozen
to complete an anonymous survey – here According to the survey, the most pop- and those online around twenty.
is what you had to say. ular advantage is having access to record- Many advocate for traditional exams
ings: missing class now belongs to the in lieu of online exams. While the aversion
Is the experience of the online for- past as one can always watch or re-watch of students for Respondus is no mystery,
mat different, compared to last semes- later lectures. Some also enjoy having a the rationale behind the choice of online
ter? If yes, was that for the better? less busy week when attending online. exams for everyone was mainly granting
The consensus is that the experience Planning your day is easier and working equal treatment for on-campus and off-
of the online format has improved. Some students have an easier time staying on campus students.
of the changes that survey respondents track with their courses. Commuters can Despite live lectures being cited as one
appreciate the most are synchronous pass on coming to Milan just for, say, one of the main pros of the new blended for-
lectures (some courses were entirely pre- lecture only or they can watch from home mat by respondents, some reman nostal-
recorded last semester), syllabi adapted the ones held early or late. gic of pre-recorded lectures.
to online exams, tech support for teach- A few practical suggestions include
ers on the spot, increased interaction and, introducing the possibility of hearing stu-
overall, better organization. dents in class from home, being able to
Nevertheless, a portion of respondents according to split the screen and see both the slides
61.33%
reported discomfort, mainly due to techni- and the camera at the same time, break-
cal problems: the camera can only cap- out rooms for group activities.
ture a part of the whiteboard, sometimes One of the most radical suggestions
the streaming definition is so low that the submitted is the following: “Personally, I
latter it is illegible, the system often lags believe that the blended format should un-
or crashes and, sometimes, mistakes in
setting up recordings caused them to be
of survey dergo a complete redesign of the courses
and double lectures. For example, the
unrecoverable or unusable e.g. the white-
board is not fully visible or part of the lec-
respondents, online week could be used for theoretical
classes that, as we know, only require pay-
ture was not recorded.
Bocconi should ing attention and taking notes, something
that is very convenient to do from our own
What has been the biggest chal-
lenge in adapting to the blended
continue offering home. The on-campus weeks, instead,
should be used for those classes that re-
methodology?
Several students agree that getting
a blended format quire a greater degree of interaction.”
used to such an unusual format has been What did you miss the most when
a challenge per se. Staying on track has you were away?
proved rather tricky during off-campus If there was one thing you could The vast majority of students missed
weeks and, at times, alienating. However, change about the blended methodol- human interaction: meeting friends, class-
coming to class on campus has its down- ogy, what would it be? mates and teachers. They also missed
sides too: being in a half-empty class One of the main points that have been having a daily routine, a sense of return
without many opportunities for socialising made is that interaction with students on- to normalcy. The vibe of the campus and
does not feel quite the same es pre-Covid line is sometimes deficient: not all profes- studying there, be it at the bunker, the li-
lectures. sors make use of the chat or other means brary or Leoni are very dear to the com-
Difficulties deriving from the online for- of communications. They are also penal- munity. On a lighter note, some appear to
mat persist: respondents often report that ised by frequent technical problems, as have missed a great deal Bocconiane and
they struggle concentrating from home reported above. aperitivi and “everything, even running late
and that technical problems generate In some courses, the total number of for lectures”.
4 traileoni traileoni 5
COVER STORY
What has been the greatest challenge posed by the adoption of the blended format?
So what about the blended What I just mentioned: finding solutions that could grant quality
for both types of students (online and in presence) at the same
The first thing everyone can notice is that there are several new
things to do, you do not get to start a lecture as soon as you
format? The teachers' perspective
time. And I want to specify that I am trying to do so because it enter a classroom: all professors need to take care of atten-
is a very innovative experience in teaching. (LS) dance, wear a face shield and set up a number of technology
items – this can take as long as fifteen minutes.
Have you ever wondered what professors think about the blended format? Another and more conceptual challenge is posed by flexibility,
each teacher has his or her own teaching style and, in this con-
What is the rationale behind their choices? We asked them! text, those who are more open to change can strive. I person-
ally try to combine precision and adaptability – as teachers, we
cannot afford to be rigid. (GO)
Prof. Luca Sintoni Prof. Guido Osimo
We interviewed Prof. Luca Sintoni, who Below is an interview with Prof. Guido
Should Bocconi continue offering a blended format even after the Covid-19 emergency is over?
graduated in Economics and Corporate Osimo, teaching Mathematics. He was In my opinion, after the emergency, Bocconi should offer differ- Yes, of course. Clearly now we do not have alternatives, but
Legislation from our University. Here, he one of the pioneers of the blended format: ent online courses together with traditional ones, because it is when the emergency will be over, we will have the possibility
has been teaching Accounting and Finan- many of our readers might remember ta- clear that the Covid pandemic has changed the world. We need to choose. I would expect a wave supporting the re-adoption
cial Statement Analysis since 2010. Thanks to king their very first classes in the Mathematics to innovate the teaching system, without losing the added value of traditional methodologies and another one proposing a per-
his extremely engaging teaching method, he is very admired Crash Course online before coming on-campus as freshmen in consisting in the university community, in particular for Bocconi, manent implementation of some of the new features we intro-
by his students, so we decided to ask for his opinion about the the pre-Covid era. as we have a community with a strong identity. (LS) duced. In a way, I am deeply convinced that teaching is inter-
recent changes adopted by Bocconi University. acting, which could well imply live or in-presence interaction.
The conceptual framework has irreversibly changed and, in my
What are the main advantages of the blended format with respect to “traditional” in-person lectures, if any? opinion, some features are here to stay. (GO)
Personally, I am very proud that Bocconi University, and specifi- Being involved in blended learning for many years here at Boc-
cally the people who work there here, promptly reacted to the coni, I know that it truly adds something. My personal point Have you observed discrepancies in the performance of students between online exams and traditional ones?
unique circumstances of the Covid pandemic, setting up very of view has always been that you can delegate to the online Concerning the previous semester, in which, I remember, the Let me be frank, the main problem of online exams is cheating.
innovative and effective solutions for distance learning. The im- activities some of the lower level tasks such as review of easy teaching model was different between the ones adopted in this In accordance with the honor code, even when the probability
plemented solutions have the indiscussed advantage of allow- material or reference for standard material, which you do not academic year, we clearly saw (because we observed results of being caught cheating is low, students should not attempt to
ing students that have difficulties in coming to Milan to virtually really want to cover in the course every year. So, for example, statistically) that there are not any changes in grades for the do that. Clearly, such low probability is an issue that needs to be
attend the courses of this academic year and this, obviously, the Bocconi preparatory course has exactly this idea, that you different types of exams even if, obviously, the exercises and tackled, for example by introducing time constraints, random-
permits to also hold traditional lessons safely. Furthermore, I delegate to the online format some of the low-level material, questions that could be asked in online exams are different from ization and parametrization of the questions. Another solution
firmly believe that the biggest value of University is the match while covering higher level parts in class, as they need teacher- the written exams ones. that proves effective is adopting oral exams, as they are signifi-
between teachers and students, especially for the personal re- student interaction. I believe that this helps students to find different solutions to the cantly more reliable, despite being time consuming.
lationship that could be built, because in my opinion this en- Now my attitude towards this format has changed as new facts same problems and that it facilitates the application of knowl- The idea of performance is strictly linked to cheating, which im-
riches not only knowledge, but also people, and I say this even have emerged. Naturally, the online on blended format can be edge in a different context. This teaches us that we have to find plies higher grades and, at the same time, less effective learn-
if you probably know that I always try to use innovative teaching adapted to difficult situations much better than in-person teach- value also in different and challenging situations. What a great ing. The opportunity to cheat incentivizes students to study less
solutions. (LS) ing only, as it is more flexible. Having a blended format in use opportunity! As I like to repeat: dinosaurs became extinct be- and leads to a decoupling of performance in terms of grades
allows for fine tuning of the combination of in-person and online cause they did not learn to adapt. (LS) from performance in terms of learning. This is potentially disrup-
teaching to meet current needs. Another important idea is that tive and we must find an effective solution. (GO)
online learning is more modern and familiar for new generations,
who have a much quicker learning process in this sense. (GO)
Have you made any changes to your course or teaching style?
Absolutely yes, or better, as I said, I am trying. In any case our I do not use my tablet or personal computer anymore: due to
Compared to online only, have you noticed an increase in active class participation? course introduced some innovations some years ago that help technical reasons, I transfer my files to the class PC. This is a
It is very early to say something about this. At the moment, in The idea is that there is an increase in the complexity of the us. For example, videos of lessons recaps, animated slides and minor change, but it does affect the way I teach. Lectures are
any case, no. I have not seen an increase in participation, in the participation process. Now I really have two different audiences: an online exercise platform. Surely innovations can add value to more complex, and more time is devoted to setting up technol-
Accounting and Balance Sheet course. (LS) I have, say, fifty students sitting in front of me, and then I have traditional teaching methods. (LS) ogy, so I had to cut down a bit on chatting – which is something
the online students, that are at least as many. Managing those I used to do frequently in the past. We opted for not cutting the
and striving to encourage participation on both sides is, indeed, course syllabus, so now the schedule is quite tight and requires
challenging. It is tiresome and a little bit more time consuming constant focus. This contributes to making the teaching experi-
than what happens in a traditional context. (GO) ence more challenging. (GO)
How do you make sure, in practice, that the online part of the class feels included?
I think that this is the hardest part of teaching in this moment. There are some tricks and in my opinion one of them, is for example,
When you teach, you speak to someone. Obviously if you speak to make clear right away that I will not be using the chat. It is ex-
to the students that are physically in the classroom, you have tremely distracting and it interrupts the lecture way too often. Instead,
to use a specific method that includes gestures and timing in I encourage students to use the ‘raise your hand’ feature whenever
speaking. Whereas, if you speak to online students, the meth- they wish so that I can leave them the floor for questions or com-
ods change. In this moment, we have to do both things and this ments. I also introduce some pauses to ask questions and run polls
might reduce the teaching quality for both types of students. In online, which is very quick and convenient. (GO)
any case, I feel connected to online students also because social
networks taught us that we can feel close even being very far,
and because Blackboard Collaborate works very well, too. (LS)
6 traileoni traileoni 7
COVER STORY GLOBAL
So what about the blended format? A new dawn for
globalization
The teaching assistant's perspective Katya Mavrelli
mariaaikaterini.mavrelli@studbocconi.it
W
hy all this fuss with this wave? Why have governments, disputable, the political, social and economic tensions that have
citizens, large corporations and organizations become accompanied this wave are under scrutiny. Wondering what went
so fascinated with understanding the forces that lie be- wrong leads to questions about the fundamental existence of the
Alberto Frison hind globalization? Where did all this interest spur from? To logi- world as we know it.
To complete this mini-series about the opinion of the Bocconi Community about the blended format, we cally answer these pending queries, one must explore in depth the Many point to capitalism and its inability to keep generating
also asked a few questions to Alberto Frison, teaching assistant of Prof. Tito Boeri’s course The Econo- process that has been steadily engulfing our societies, changing prosperity, dismissing it as an outdated political and economic
mics of Imperfect Labour Markets. the way our economies operate and redefining decision-making system. Others view migration as the root of the problem. Massive
forever. waves of both legal and illegal movements of people across bor-
Even though it has been very much challenged over the course ders and continents spurred populist cultural backlashes in many
What are the main advantages of the blended format with respect to “traditional” in-person lectures, if any?
of global history, we are undoubtedly living in an era of globaliza- countries. With populist leaders still dominating the political scene,
This format still delivers high-quality teaching, despite being adopted as a response to exceptional times. After all, it helps over- tion – no movement or political development can question this. many also point to the growing income and political inequality that
coming communicative barriers, but the value remains in the actual content: people – professors, students – are still at the core. What has come under the microscope, however, is whether we followed the exchange of populations.
We are more and more acquainted to expressing ourselves from behind a screen and I have noticed that most of the interactions are experiencing a de-globalization or a slow-balization, as many Could the crisis that globalization is currently undergoing simply
during our lectures are coming from the online side of the class, as students might feel more at ease to speak up from distance. On experts suggest. be a trick of the light?
the other hand, I am glad some students can experience the lectures in presence. It returns a sense of normality and authenticity, With economies being more interconnected than ever and gov- In criticisms of the movement, many forget about the conditions
particularly to first year students. (AF) ernments aligning their policies to their allies’ interests, the cycli- that allowed Asian nations to lift hundreds of millions of people out
cal movement that emerged even before the First World War has of poverty. The dyad of capitalism and globalization allowed econ-
As a teaching assistant, what has been the greatest challenge posed by the adoption of the blended format? altered the course of global social developments forever. Despite omies to emerge as winners in the complex game of world trade
the long history of such waves of globalization, they never seize and to sustain economies that were in severe crises for decades.
This is my first year as a teaching assistant, but I had the chance to see what the role is about in the past years, as a student. to bring along large-scale changes in the political and economic Emerging markets, prominently in Asia, led to the development of
This time, some extra work must be done to make sure that the students online are able to follow the lecture and that they get sector. new ideas in the fields of technology, medicine and culture.
to participate in the class talk. This is what the professor I am assisting and I are focusing on the most: we spent valuable time Globalization has experienced accelerations that have led to Despite the growth in physical goods that marked the recent
fine-tuning methods, materials, and technical tweaks, building on the feedback we collect in class. I reckon the students are ap- progressive changes: new technologies, more interconnected waves of globalization which is slowing down, other waves are tak-
preciating it (AF) financial systems, evenly harmonized policies and more similarly ing their place. The markets of data analysis, information dissemi-
oriented political leaders have allowed countries to thrive and pur- nation and communication filtering continue to expand in direc-
In your opinion, do online students get equal treatment? sue significant developments. Though often perceived as strongly tions that cannot be guessed. Though old ties are disintegrating,
propelled by Western culture, globalization has gone hand in hand new forms of cross-border interactions are taking their place. The
My role can help making sure they do. Typically, I help connecting online students to the class in presence by echoing questions and answers with Westernization only in some cases, for instance in 19th cen- world might be experiencing less porous borders and rising nation-
both ways. Some compromises are inevitable, but I do believe that the value they receive is equivalent to what on-campus students get. Think- tury Japan. For the rest, it has been mostly about multilateral ex- alism, economic protectionism and threats to democracy, yet the
ing about it, the online format also provides some additional benefits, such as recordings of lectures remaining accessible even when the class changes of cultural features. However, many now ponder whether result is far from a closed-off world, one in which national borders
is over. (AF) globalization has entered a long phase of reverse, accelerating the limit the scope of national activity.
pace of de-globalization. Scientists and economists already sug- The world is too much of an interconnected and interlinked
Should Bocconi continue offering a blended format even after the Covid-19 emergency is over? gest that globalization might indeed be coming undone. place to allow this segregation and atomization to take place.
Yet this argument carries a lot of weight with it. Once thought No one questions the desire to build more protected economies,
In my opinion, this crisis prompted a shift to new ways of teaching that are here to stay. Most of the technologies we are now
of as an unstoppable wave, the forces of liberalization that spurred which will be immune to large-scale effects like wars and pan-
making use of in class were already part of our personal lives, thus many did not struggle much to adopt them. I am convinced
many decades of cross-border trade and national policy alignment demics; yet the formation of more self-sufficient economic sys-
the challenge is to smoothen their presence: they must add something to the traditional live class without interfering with it. I am
supportive of the opportunity to access education no matter where and when; personally, I truly enjoyed the possibility of sched- are now faltering, and the consequences might be disrupting. tems does not necessarily require the establishment of indepen-
uling my own ‘class time’ thanks to the recordings during my last months as a student. (AF) The malaise of interconnectedness appears more profound dent and isolated political entities. The challenges for the survival
than ever. With the growing trade war between the United States of liberalism, democracy and capitalism are here to stay, but the
and China and the rapid efforts of Middle East nations to domi- new waves of globalization that have emerged as a result of the
If there was one thing you could change about the blended methodology, what would it be? nate in the resource sector, the international tensions have become current crises spark some hope for the future of this phenom-
The quality of the existing work is already high, especially taking into account the emergency context in which all this has been more palpable than ever. Political decisions are now aligned with enon.
designed. On one side, I can imagine of pushing the technology edge: can we have students interact with the materials present- trade ones, in order to pursue a path of self-sufficiency and inde- Though this might seem like some formulaic political response,
ed live? How can we streamline online exams? But also, I wish it would be somehow easier for everyone to interact with others pendence from external influences. What was once perceived as the end of globalization is not here yet. As optimistic as this may
at deeper levels: I have built valuable relationships with colleagues and faculty during my years as a student and I am afraid necessary for economies to thrive is now considered an impedi- sound, it is considerably hard for a movement of such international
some might lose a similar chance in such a peculiar time. (AF) ment to national growth. scope and liberal perspective to disappear. As it is, globalization
We are already starting to see the consequences. Flows of has become linked to well-functioning of financial markets, interna-
overseas direct investment have fallen to levels not seen since the tional bodies, governmental organizations and social constructs. It
2008 global financial crisis, trade restrictions and tariffs are rising, is too hard to disentangle ourselves from all of this. What is pos-
multinational companies are less numerous and profitable than be- sible is the redefining of this wave; the adoption of a new character,
fore and the internet, once the most free-spirited and border-free one which is aligned with the current developments.
zone, is now brought to heel by autocrats poisoning the rivers of As globalization takes a new turn, hopefully for the better, the
unbiased information with propaganda. question to ponder is how long this new wave will last and what
Though the benefits of integration and mutual exchange are in- will come next.
8 traileoni traileoni 9
ECONOMICS
Women in economics:
a tortuous path
Taking cues from prominent scholars on
the gender disparity in economics
I
Francesca Sofia Cocco
francesca.cocco@studbocconi.it
t is not news that women are un- powerment in the society. This is peculiarly nomics is often presented just as bank- In Italy, the situation is less alarming.
der-represented in the Economics significant now, with the Pandemic setting ing and finance and this may discourage However, the data published by the Italian
profession worldwide. Even if most back Gender Equality in the job market. women to start their studies in the field: Society of Economists (SIE) show remark-
Bocconians have not yet experienced the On the other hand, she added that “Luckily, awareness on this issue is in- able differences along the study path. For
hard world awaiting researchers after the “from a collective perspective, in contexts creasing and actions are being taken to undergraduate students, the parity has
PhD, they have surely heard the claim that where diversity is greater, different group promote a more balanced but also a more nearly been reached (women are 42%
“Cleacc/Bemacc is full of women, Clef/ dynamics and different views on the rele- correct view on what economists do and over the total, in 2017-2018). But then
Bief and Cless/Bess lack them,” which vant topics are generated. These aspects what economics is about”. there is a leaky pipeline (graph 2).
proves to be true. favor an enrichment of the profession, with The trend nowadays Prejudices, implicit bias, and oth-
To investigate in depth the underlying the consequent development of more rel- “Women in Economics: Stalled Prog- er difficulties faced by a female re-
reasons of this phenomenon and its con- evant and solid knowledge and policy”. ress”, by Shelly Lundberg and Jenna searcher
sequences, we relied on the knowledge Research shows that, even within Eco- Stearns, included in the Journal of Eco- So, if women’s talents are distributed
and experience of academics engaged at nomics, some sectors appeal to them nomic Perspectives (Winter 2019), covers equally in the first years of studies, what
the forefront to promote Gender Equality more than others (graph 1). “Female re- the trend in the United States, on a 25- are the main obstacles faced by a student
in their profession. Pushed by the starting searchers tend to be more interested in year basis. It highlights that the progress in the path to become a researcher?
points extrapolated in the framework of our Labor and Development Economics, while in the field has slowed compared to that Firstly, there are many implicit biases, ing that a job requiring so many sacrifices vate life, and they face important difficul-
participation to the Gender Mentoring Ses- Financial, Theory and Monetary keep be- in other disciplines in the STEM. Although i.e. discriminatory behaviors that people and involving so much stress may not give ties in reaching the position they aim to.
sion at Econometric Society World Con- ing male-led. Also, women focus specifi- the general trend is increasing, it keeps on unconsciously manifest. “Economics tra- the desired payoffs. Janet Currie, pioneer in the Economic
gress (ESWC), which was held by Xiao- cally on gender issues, even if the theme is a low level: from the mid-2000s to now, ditionally has a competitive and aggressive This is connected to the difficulty for analysis of child development, faced a lot
hong Chen (Yale University), Janet Currie becoming more and more relevant among around 35 percent of PhD students and dimension. For example, there is evidence the underrepresented sex to create net- of negativity about her research agenda:
(Princeton University), Nezih Guner (CEM- men too,” Professor Profeta said. 30 percent of assistant professors were that, during the presentation of papers, fe- works. Like in any other environment, “People said to me directly in the face:
FI), Marina Halac (Yale University) and Nic- Professor Casarico explained that Eco- female. male speakers are more subject to press- interpersonal relationships are extremely “What you are doing may be of interest
ola Fuchs Schundeln (Goethe University ing questions by the audience, with the important in this job as well; even if it may to somebody, but it is not Economics”.
Frankfurt), we decided to deepen the topic, intent of hindering them”: Paola Profeta be taken for granted, a woman having dif- I chose to ignore these comments and
interviewing two Bocconian excellences in highlighted. Many institutions are trying to ferent interests and hobbies compared now you can find a whole research area
the field: Professor Alessandra Casarico solve this issue by introducing new rules, to men may have less occasions to build that covers essentially what I do. Indeed,
and Professor Paola Profeta, who is the such as not allowing questions for the first networks. I believe that it is important to evaluate
coordinator of the Dondena Gender Initia- ten minutes or giving the speaker the right How to balance personal and aca- the advices you receive and decide if you
tive (DGI). This center promotes research to choose the moment in which they want demic ambitions want to follow them or not”. The Princeton
in all areas of gender economics, policies to take questions. The job of an Academic is invasive, as scholar admitted that, when she had chil-
and diversity management and keeps in Another interesting point is the higher it absorbs completely the life of a young dren, she found it difficult to accept that
contact with policymakers, informing them bar faced for publishing their work: only researcher. Furthermore, it is demanding, her job would have not allowed her to en-
about the advantages of implementing new 11 percent of papers published in top-five infrequently remunerative and full of uncer- tirely respect the expectations from soci-
strategies in favor of women’s inclusion. journals since 1990 are female-authored. tainty, since it does not contemplate “per- ety to be a “perfect mother”.
DGI has already contributed to important Hengel’s investigation (2019) showed that manency”, especially at the start of the Paola Profeta experienced a similar
achievements in Italy, such as the quota women are held to higher writing stan- career. Basically, daily achievements are difficulty twenty years ago, when she dis-
system, the paternity leave packet and re- dards in academic peer review. Card et extremely important; and each stumble cussed her PhD thesis in her 7th month
tirement measures. al. (2020) added that men’s citations rise can influence their future in the field. of pregnancy: “At that time Economics
The benefits of more women in eco- when they collaborate with women, while Furthermore, PhD studies exactly over- was even more full of men than nowa-
nomics the opposite happens for the latter: when lap the “10-year clock”, that is the period days. People just did not understand my
According to Alessandra Casarico, they publish their works in collaboration of life when people start thinking of hav- choice and told me: “For 5 years from
the interest to have more women in the with men, they tend to receive less recog- ing children. Even if many universities are now, you will do nothing in this profession
Economics field can be drawn on two nition for their work. starting to offer more flexibility and sup- because you will have to dedicate yourself
perspectives. “From an individual point In addition, the lack of an established port to welcome researchers’ personal life to your family”. These obstacles were the
of view, the Economic disciplines have a system of mentoring and of role models is goals, this often is not a sufficient incen- prompts for my interest in gender stud-
higher return on the labor market, both impactful. Observing that there are so few tive. ies: I fight to demolish the prejudices that
in terms of employability and wages”. In women who reached positions of leader- In fact, even if this tends to be forgot- assimilate all women and hinder the pos-
other words, a higher participation in this ship, i.e. currently filling the role of full pro- ten, Economists are human beings with sibility of female talents to establish them-
field immediately boosts women’s em- fessors, one may feel discouraged, believ- their goals, both for their job and their pri- selves”.
10 traileoni traileoni 11
GLOBAL
Japan
under
Suga
Julia Galusiakowska
F
julia.galusiakowska@studbocconi.it
ollowing Shinzo Abe’s relinquish- the revolving door leadership – Japan fecture – new economic policies, aimed pandemic might be a catalyst for faster It is not China, but rather the pandem- reign does not guarantee the same re-
ment as a Japan Prime Minister might be walking a tightrope both at at strengthening local businesses, and more drastic economic changes. ic that appears to be playing bad cop. solve in the political interactions with
on the 28th of August, the coun- home and abroad. might be on the cards. In his promises, Knowing that any aggressive move re- two main potential Asian aggressors.
try has been in pursuit of a new leader. Suga put forth a new program oriented Beijing talks garding the long-lasting concerns, such As of now, Suga has vowed to re-
Having been in office for eight years, Follow-up to Abenomics at those with poor profitability and small One of the earliest tests of Suga’s as disputes around the South and East spect the alliance with the United States
Abe had prided himself in the assertive As foreseen by the East Asian ex- enterprises: people would select which political qualities may however come China seas, might bring Japan closer to as the cornerstone of Japan's diplo-
foreign policies and the proactive de- perts, Suga might follow the domes- local governments would receive their from abroad. Up to the present, Japan the US, China may concede. A decisive macy and security. Moreover, he intends
fense, departing from the long-lasting tic political line, continuing the one of residential tax. was in a secure position in relation to role in the Japanese international rela- to advance a free and open Indo-Pacific
postwar pacifism. Today, prompted by Abe’s, especially in conjunction to the A regulatory reform necessary to car- China. Simultaneously, Abe advocated tions is after all played by Covid-19 that region in the face of China's potential
illness, Abe has left office with Yoshi- economic sphere. Mr. Suga’s promise ry out the program, along with cheaper for the integration of the island’s econ- intensified insecurity along China’s pe- growing aggression. Yet, considering
hide Suga as his successor. to "further enhance Abenomics" is in communication fees Suga has been omy with those of its Asian neighbors. riphery. This includes crises in the Hima- his unknown diplomatic skills and the
In light of no better alternatives, the line with the predicted unaltered inten- strongly advocating for, are potential Playing along the expert predictions, layas and the South China Sea, and the fact that he has never served as a for-
faction leaders of the Liberal Democrat- sity of monetary easing, fiscal stimulus deviations from the foregoing economic Suga might seek for a stable political undermined Trump’s presidency. In ef- eign or a defense minister, prefiguring a
ic Party (LDP), which currently domi- measures, and the consumption tax policies. balance with China so as not to com- fect, uncertainty might loom large within Suga administration is hardly possible.
nates in the House of Representatives, rate. Similarly, Suga is unlikely to depart Although seemingly promising, this promise Japanese interests. He intends the US-Japan relationship, especially as The experts on East Asia emphasize the
have chosen Suga who, until now, has from the carefully preserved relation- new take on the Japanese economy to focus on the diplomatic ties that the approaching US presidential election plausible resemblance of Suga’s reign to
been administering the Japanese po- ship with the Bank of Japan. might bring uncalled-for results. In a have been beneficial for Japan in terms is probable to add fuel to the fire. the policies of Abe administration, given
litical stage through backdoor deal- What is more, following the pandem- move to lower the prices of the commu- of foreign security, including those with his “vital role in helping Abe govern."
ings. Stepping out of the shadows, Mr. ic outbreak, Abe promoted digitization nication fees, Suga may pressure tele- Australia and India. Multilateral trade Make Japan Great Again The unforeseen abrupt changes in
Suga will inherit every challenge that to help those in need on the federal communications firms to bring down agreements, including some with the While Abe succeeded in maintain- the global political arena combined with
has been faced by Abe. The corona- and local levels, to better navigate the mobile phone rates by as much as 40 European Union and the Comprehen- ing a stable relationship with President the consequences of the pandemic,
virus pandemic and its accompanying online application systems – which is percent, which, in turn, might defeat sive and Progressive Agreement for Trump, Suga will be the one to newly visibly inhibit Suga’s political maneu-
economic woes, the fate of the Tokyo anticipated to remain a top priority for the government’s 2% inflation target. a Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), establish and cement that with whoever vers and hence, impact the diplomatic
Olympic Games, and Japan’s diplomat- Suga. In the same manner, another con- were instrumental in Abe’s diplomatic wins the U.S. presidential race. This ex- relations of Japan. The next Japanese
ic ties with the US and China, are all at Even with that in mind, the political sumption tax increase will possibly undertakings. As predicted, Suga will tends as far as holding in checks the in- leader is expected to proceed on three
stake at the outset of this decade. experts are continuously hesitant to ex- decrease the ability to save, further now build upon that foundation, nego- creasing Chinese influence, with special fronts: fostering the relationship with
Before Abe’s rule, Japanese politi- clude the possibility of evasive indepen- lowering the level of investments, and tiating similar deals with the Southeast attention to the East China Sea, and the US and stabilizing the situation with
cal stage had seen six prime ministers dent actions of the new leader. Reckon- effectively slowing down economic Asia, India, and Australia in order to re- containing the North Korean nuclear ar- China without investing too much, while
in six years. With Suga taking over the ing with Suga’s past – growing up as a growth. Although he assured it would duce Japan’s reliance on Chinese sup- senal that Abe took a hard line against. at the same time cultivating versatile al-
rains, the analysts fret over a return to son of a strawberry farmer in Akita pre- not happen within the next ten years, the ply chains. Although a right-hand of Abe, Suga’s liances that would serve as a fallback.
12 traileoni traileoni 13
POLITICA STATUNITENSE
Stati Uniti e
attualità Anna Druda
anna.druda@studbocconi.it
L
a cronaca dello scorso settem- parsa della giudice Ginsburg, però, non Alcune famose decisioni della Corte ritira, il Presidente degli Stati Uniti no- resse nella nomina dei giudici. Il man- successore è senza dubbio decisiva
bre ha visto tra le notizie prota- è da attribuirsi soltanto alla sua statura sono state in grado di rivoluzionare per mina un nuovo giudice; seguirà poi una dato presidenziale dura quattro anni, per determinare il consolidamento di
goniste la morte della giudice personale, bensì anche alle conseguen- sempre un sistema consolidato e sono votazione da parte del Senato. otto nel caso di rielezione, mentre la codesta maggioranza e ancorare così,
della Corte Suprema degli Stati Uniti ze politiche che porta con sé, nell’im- diventate veri e propri pilastri giuridici Non esistono criteri prestabiliti nella carica di un giudice può durare svariati nei prossimi anni, la Corte a posizioni
d’America Ruth Bader Ginsburg. minenza di un’elezione presidenziale per l’America: ad esempio, la celeber- scelta dei membri della Corte: si tratta decenni, dunque un presidente che è in conservatrici.
Nata nel 1933 da una famiglia di tutt’altro che sicura. rima “Brown v. Board of Education of sempre di persone dalla grande cara- grado di consolidare una maggioranza Ora, in astratto, quali conseguenze
ebrei russi a New York, è stata la se- Ora, basta avere in mente qualche Topeka”, del 1954, ha aperto la strada tura professionale, ma è anche invalsa affine al proprio orientamento politico si potrebbe avere la nomina di un mem-
conda donna nella storia a essere no- nozione sbiadita di filosofia monte- all’integrazione degli afroamericani, sta- la prassi di rispecchiare all’interno della assicura la tutela della propria eredità bro della Corte Suprema da parte di un
minata al vertice del sistema giudiziario squieiana per ricordare che la separa- bilendo l’incostituzionalità della separa- compagine dei Nove la pluralità della istituzionale nel futuro, anche qualora presidente uscente sull’elezione presi-
statunitense; scelta dal presidente Clin- zione dei poteri è uno dei pilastri delle zione tra scuole pubbliche per bianchi e società americana. la Casa Bianca finisca saldamente in denziale?
ton, fu confermata dalla votazione in democrazie moderne; è dunque lecito per persone di colore. Questa consuetudine comporta che mano ad un avversario. La posizione di quest’ultimo ne usci-
Senato con una maggioranza che sfiorò chiedersi come ciò che accade nel si- I giudici sancirono che le leggi sta- le nomine vengano ponderate con mol- Veniamo ora all’attualità, attenendoci rebbe senza dubbio rafforzata, l’eletto-
l’unanimità. stema giudiziario possa coinvolgere il tali che prevedevano la distinzione tra ta attenzione per garantire la presenza di ai fatti: l’ex presidente Obama, nel cor- rato della sua parte politica vedrebbe
Di orientamento liberal, con un per- potere esecutivo, il governo della na- le classi non garantivano agli studenti giudici di entrambi i sessi, di varie etnie, so del suo mandato, ha nominato due consolidarsi nel futuro i risultati raggiun-
corso accademico stellare tra Harvard zione e il presidente. di colore lo stesso livello di educazione religioni e provenienze geografiche. È evi- Justices della Corte Suprema, Sonia ti negli anni della presidenza e la consi-
e la Columbia University in un periodo Per capire il delicato equilibrio di degli altri cittadini e quindi non rispetta- dente come tutti questi fattori possano Sotomayor ed Elena Kagan. dererebbe una conquista meritevole di
storico impegnativo per una giovane “pesi e contrappesi” che caratterizza il vano il principio delle uguali opportuni- influenzare quello che – in ultimo – è il cri- Nel 2016, anno dell’elezione del pre- essere premiata, tramite il voto.
donna, ha poi dedicato la propria vita sistema statunitense, bisogna sapere tà, previsto dal IV emendamento della terio più importante nella scelta operata sidente Trump, morì il giudice Antonin Un’ultima considerazione: la Corte
professionale alla promozione dell’u- cos’è la Corte Suprema, come opera e Costituzione. dal presidente: l’orientamento politico. Scalia – ultraconservatore, nominato da Suprema conta nove giudici ma non si
guaglianza tra uomini e donne, dappri- chi la compone. Altre se ne ricordano in materia di di- All’interno della Corte – e in tutta la Reagan ben trent’anni prima – il cui so- può escludere che in futuro vengano
ma come professoressa di diritto, poi La Corte Suprema è l’organo di ulti- ritto all’aborto, diritti dei lavoratori, ma- società americana – sono chiare le ten- stituto fu nominato l’anno seguente dal aumentati.
come avvocato ed attivista e in ultimo ma istanza del sistema giudiziario ame- trimoni tra persone dello stesso sesso denze politiche di tutti i giudici e questo neo-presidente. La possibilità va considerata dal mo-
da giudice della Corte Suprema. ricano. Tra i suoi compiti più importanti e diversi temi di grande rilevanza, sui consente di formulare delle previsioni Questo accadde poiché il Senato, mento che la Costituzione americana
Negli ultimi anni è diventata una vera vi è la Judicial Review of Legislation, la quali l’intervento di una compagine di sull’esito delle decisioni: le votazioni in ora come allora a maggioranza repub- non fissa un numero massimo di giudici
e propria icona pop: l’immagine della valutazione della conformità alla Costi- giudici preparati e capaci fu in grado di seno alla Corte avvengono a maggio- blicana, sostenne che, essendo il man- da nominare ed è comprensibile che – se
giudice Ruth B. Ginsburg è uno dei ta- tuzione delle leggi statali e federali. ampliare la tutela dei diritti di tutti i cit- ranza, dunque nei momenti in cui pre- dato in scadenza, la nomina dovesse dovesse essere eletto un presidente ap-
tuaggi più richiesti dagli studenti di di- Le sentenze della Corte hanno gran- tadini. valgono i liberal si attendono sentenze attendere. partenente ad un partito politico diverso
ritto di Washington; figura anche sulla de importanza dal momento che – ri- La Corte Suprema conta nove giu- di orientamento progressista; diversa- Considerata la composizione delle – egli abbia la volontà di riequilibrare le
copertina di un libro per bambini e viene cordiamo – gli Stati Uniti sono un paese dici, uno dei quali ne è presidente – il mente sarà quando a prevalere sono i Corte Suprema all’indomani della mor- correnti politiche in seno alla Corte, a fa-
riprodotta su magliette, sacche di tela, di common law, dunque, in ossequio Chief Justice –, nominati a vita. Quando conservatori. te della giudice Ginsburg, caratterizzata vore del proprio orientamento.
tazze e bicchieri. al principio dello stare decisis, il prece- uno dei seggi diviene vacante, poiché Si coglie ora con chiarezza il motivo da una maggioranza repubblicana per La questione è in divenire, potrebbe-
La risonanza che ha avuto la scom- dente giudiziario ha valore vincolante. il giudice che lo occupava muore o si per cui ogni presidente ha un forte inte- un voto – 5 a 4 – , l’investitura del suo ro presentarsi dei veri colpi di scena.
14 traileoni traileoni 15
AMBIENTE LETTERATURA
Lo stile di vita ecosostenibile: serve davvero? Per vivere bisogna morire
Il mito del consumatore verde e il ruolo dell’azione politica
Bocconi d'Inchiostro
Oriana Fallaci e la sua lotta
Letizia Festa
Federica Rocchi
L
Sara Gobetti
sara.gobetti@studbocconi.it a morte è da sempre uno dei grandi interrogativi dell’u- i momenti più terribili, uno su tutti l’uccisione del suo grande
manità e, in quanto tale, ha dato materiale sconfinato amore Alekos Panagulis. La stessa brillante razionalità che con-
a generazioni di artisti e scrittori, che del mistero del- traddistinge i suoi articoli, reportage e libri si può ritrovare in una
la vita da sempre fanno la loro principale fonte di ispirazione. dimensione più intima, come quella delle lettere rivolte ad amici
Petrarca la definiva non duol, ma refugio, mentre Foscolo e i e parenti, dalla quale emerge chiaramente il suo coraggioso ap-
romantici la invocavano come il momento in cui l’uomo si mi- proccio alla vita durante il periodo della malattia.
sura con se stesso. Ognuno di noi, prima o dopo, è destinato Al nipote Edoardo, che le chiede come procede il suo perio-
i
a confrontarsi con questo mistero irrisolto, ma esistono grandi do di clausura per completare il suo romanzo, scrive, "Un fatto
scrittori che hanno votato se stessi all’arte in maniera così com- è certo: se morissi il giorno dopo essere arrivata al punto cui
pleta da sconfiggerla in qualche modo, lasciandoci un’eredità di dovrei arrivare, morirei felice." Una scelta dettata dalla sua vo-
n un articolo di Internazionale intitolato “Il mito del consu- quanto basta. Per esempio, se il governo limitasse gli alleva- inestimabile valore. È senza dubbio tra questi il caso di Oriana cazione di scrittore, che considera i propri libri dei veri figli, fatti
matore verde” viene riportato un estratto del nuovo libro menti intensivi di carne ridurremo le emissioni di anidride car- Fallaci (1929-2006), che ha reso la sua vita e la sua morte una di carta anziché di carne, e ai quali dedicarsi completamente.
del giornalista olandese Jaap Tielbeke. Non si tratta del bonica come non potremmo mai fare cercando di consumare testimonianza della sua arte e del suo acume, grazie ai quali è Il suo ultimo figlio, “Un cappello pieno di ciliegie”, è una straor-
classico pezzo “le dieci azioni che puoi fare quotidianamente meno carne. riuscita con l’ironia distintiva delle sue opere a scrivere di argo- dinaria epopea della sua famiglia, una saga che copre gli anni
per salvare il pianeta”, ma sembra proprio sostenere un argo- In realtà, è giusto e doveroso perseguire entrambe le vie. menti molto complessi, come la natura umana e i conflitti più dal 1773 al 1889, con incursioni nel passato e in un futuro che
mento antagonista. Attuare un comportamento quotidiano di tutela dell’ambiente importanti dell’ultimo secolo. precipita verso il bombardamento di Firenze del 1944.
L’autore pone l’attenzione sul fatto che, benché sia giusto e da un lato, cercare di fare sentire la propria voce attraverso La Fallaci non definiva se stessa con parole che fossero A conclusione di questo piccolo omaggio ad Oriana, ripor-
utile vivere in modo green, non saranno le azioni dei singoli in- un’azione politica dall’altro. Diversi elettori europei stanno vo- differenti da scrittore, come recita anche l’epitaffio della sua tiamo uno stralcio pregno di significato tratto proprio dal suo
dividui a salvare il pianeta. La raccolta differenziata o lo spegni- tando partiti verdi, e non è un caso che l’Eurobarometro ab- lapide al Cimitero degli Allori di Firenze. Fu, però, molto più di ultimo romanzo, in cui lei stessa narra – senza filtri, come in
mento delle luci non fermeranno il processo di deterioramento bia sottolineato un incremento esponenziale di interesse per il uno scrittore: rivoluzionando la concezione classica di gior- ogni suo scritto – il suo rapporto con l’Alieno e ciò che esso
della terra. cambiamento climatico negli ultimi anni. Anche se questi partiti nalismo, ha intervistato i grandi della Terra – da Kissinger a rappresenta:
Infatti, l'autore sottolinea che venti società energetiche sono hanno poca speranza di attecchire nel contesto esecutivo di Khomeini – e come corrispondente di guerra ha seguito i con- "Io odio la Morte. L'aborro più della sofferenza, più della per-
responsabili del 35 per cento di tutte le emissioni di gas ser- certi paesi - come, per esempio, il nostro - concedergli il voto flitti più importanti del nostro tempo – dal Vietnam al Medio fidia, della cretineria, di tutto ciò che rovina il miracolo e la gioia
ra dal 1965. Egli sostiene che queste imprese usufruiscano di può essere uno strumento per la popolazione di sollevare la Oriente. Una vita, la sua, sempre in prima linea per raccontare d'essere nati. Mi ripugna guardarla, toccarla, annusarla, e non
campagne di disinformazione per scaricare la colpa sul cittadi- questione ambientale ai “piani alti”. I leader politici, i media e i con piglio arguto da buona fiorentina la realtà per come appa- la capisco. Voglio dire: non so rassegnarmi alla sua inevitabili-
no, facendogli credere che sia esclusivamente sua la responsa- più importanti stakeholders del business terrebbero in conside- riva ai suoi occhi, violando la sacra regola dell’obiettività come tà, la sua legittimità, la sua logica. Non so arrendermi al fatto
bilità di fare delle scelte sostenibili. Un esempio sono gli articoli razione questa presa di coscienza da parte degli elettori? Non vincolo giornalistico. che per vivere si debba morire, che vivere e morire siano due
come quello citato sopra, in cui vengono suggerite una serie possiamo sapere fino a che punto, ma di certo vale la pena ten- Dopo la scoperta del cancro, la sua decisione di non conti- aspetti della medesima realtà, l'uno necessario all'altro, l'uno
di azioni quotidiane – ma non solo: viene spesso consigliato di tare. La storia ci insegna che un’azione collettiva può generare nuare le cure per dedicarsi alla scrittura del suo ultimo libro fece conseguenza dell'altro. Non so piegarmi all'idea che la Vita sia
fare qualcosa di insolito, come acquistare un'auto elettrica – cambiamenti radicali, se perseguita con autentico interesse da molto scalpore in Italia, sebbene non ci si potesse aspettare un viaggio verso la Morte e nascere una condanna a morte.
che avrebbero lo scopo di illudere le persone di aver contribuito parte delle persone. una scelta diversa da una donna che per tutta la vita aveva pre- Eppure l'accetto. Mi inchino al suo potere illimitato e accesa da
attivamente al salvataggio del pianeta. Contemporaneamente, Una luce si è già acceso in questo senso, ovvero le proteste dicato l’importanza di sacrificarsi in nome di un qualcosa di più un cupo interesse la studio, la analizzo, la stuzzico. Spinta da
si attiverebbe anche il meccanismo opposto: ci si sente in colpa Fridays For Future nate nel 2019. Questo è un chiaro esempio ampio di noi stessi, che potesse giustificare il nostro passaggio un tetro rispetto la corteggio, la sfido, la canto, e nei momenti
se non si acquistano oggetti fatti in bambù e se si mangia carne di una porzione della popolazione – principalmente giovani – su questa terra. Il suo rapporto con l’Alieno – così chiamava il di troppo dolore la invoco. Le chiedo di liberarmi dalla fatica
più di due volte a settimana. che crede che lavare gli indumenti a 30 gradi non sia sufficiente. suo cancro – fu una battaglia senza riserve, combattuta fino d'esistere, la chiamo il regalo dei regali, il farmaco che cura ogni
Questa sensazione indotta di sentirsi responsabili è utile se È importante, fondamentale se vogliamo, ma non è abbastanza all’ultimo giorno a colpi di dita sulla macchina da scrivere, unica male. Tra me e lei c'è un legame fosco e ambiguo, insomma.
portasse le persone ad avere comportamenti positivi per l’am- se non è accompagnato da un’azione politica strutturata che fedele compagna della sua esistenza, che l’aiutò ad esorcizzare Un'intesa equivoca e buia."
biente, ma è scorretta se si considera che non sono gli individui possa destare i governi e le grandi imprese.
i veri colpevoli. Per rispondere alla domanda – evidentemente provocatoria
Secondo l’autore, le grandi società inquinanti innescano il – contenuta nel titolo di questo articolo: sì, avere delle abitudini
senso di colpa nei cittadini attraverso campagne ed inserzio- ecosostenibili serve ed è importante, e sarebbe tanto irragione-
ni, per distogliere l’attenzione dal loro operato. Nel frattempo, li vole quanto nocivo affermare il contrario.
rendono dipendenti dai loro prodotti non sostenibili, e non fanno Tuttavia, il mito del consumatore verde esiste, poiché la re-
nulla per rendere il loro approccio più green. sponsabilità risiede principalmente nelle aziende inquinanti e nei
Il giornalista sottolinea come il potere dei singoli sia limitato, leader che non agiscono. È scorretto da parte di questi attori
mentre gli amministratori delegati e i politici possono dare forma inculcare negli individui un senso di colpa che non gli dovrebbe
alle infrastrutture ed effettuare dei cambiamenti che hanno una appartenere. Ciononostante, spetta proprio ai cittadini il potere
maggiore portata. Tielbeke non sostiene che le scelte indivi- di cambiare concretamente le cose, da un lato adottando uno
duali non abbiano alcun potere. Tuttavia, per ottenere un cam- stile di vita ecosostenibile, e dall’altro compiendo un’azione po-
biamento concreto dobbiamo appellarci ad un’azione politica. litica concreta. Questi due aspetti, presi singolarmente, sono
Senza rigide norme che ci impongono certi comportamenti, utili, ma solo abbracciandoli entrambi si può sperare in un cam-
non siamo in grado di cambiarli autonomamente, o almeno non biamento positivo.
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