Objectives
The research hypothesis is to verify in what terms the health crisis, which then became social and economic, can be considered as a great behavioral experiment. Covid-19 has forced everyone, individuals, groups and institutions, to a radical test of lifestyles and development. This global stress test has revealed, with terrifying peaks of tragedy, some significant fragilities, both at the level of the fabric of interpersonal relationships and at the level of the development models, not exactly sustainable, of companies, cities, and entire countries. Forced adaptation to change, both at the individual and collective level , was therefore not painless, but also brought with it at least the chance for a renewed awareness: the stakes of sustainability increasingly have to do with the protection of a dignified existence for all, including generations to come. The "Behavioural Change" research intends to take advantage of this exceptional opportunity precisely to test the need, now urgent, to adopt lifestyles that are decidedly less self-referential. The goal is to interpret and enhance all those behavioral signals that go in the direction of a better ability to cope with global shocks, such as the pandemic, also thanks to the essential support of development policies capable of supporting and promoting the resilience of individuals and groups.
To this end, it will first be a matter of identifying whether, and to what extent, the behavioural change we are experiencing is gradually stabilising, i.e. transforming itself from a simple emergency tactic, dictated by the contingency of the contagion, to a possible strategy for the future. What, in particular, are the new value priorities that are imposed on those taken for granted? How has the perception of risk to individual and collective health changed compared to the hitherto predominant weight of production efficiency? Are there already structured behaviors, for example in terms of consumption, that we can define as good practices that are more respectful of the environment and human dignity?
There will be four methodological strategies with which to verify the research hypothesis:
a) first of all, a survey, entrusted to Ipsos, which will serve to precisely identify the main changes in behavior measured on a representative sample of the Italian population. An in-depth study of the categories of teachers and entrepreneurs will serve to focus on some sensitive areas of the experience of daily life, such as, for example, sustainable consumption practices, uses of the network, remote work, social activities and free time. Since the aim is to verify the stabilizing trends of change, the survey will be organized in two moments: the first at the beginning of the research (i.e. in 2021) and the second at the end (during 2023).
b) secondly, a qualitative survey will be conducted, again in two moments, on some local activities (in particular production, commercial, services, digital platforms for sharing goods and services, schools and third sector associations): the objective here is to detect what changes are taking place from an economic point of view, in the organization of processes, in the change in business models, the management of relations with the territory, with customers and suppliers.
c) the third methodological strategy will be a behavioral analysis aimed at verifying more circumscribed and decisive aspects of the change taking place. In particular, the aim is to measure, for example, the effect of pandemic risk on social preferences and on individual perception and propensity for trust; the effect of the lockdown on the use and effectiveness of digital teaching tools; the possible gaps in students' academic performance as a result of distance learning.
d) Finally, as a fourth strategy, which will be configured as part of the "third mission" of the university, the project includes participatory activities carried out in schools, with the support and collaboration of the Orientation Office; workshops in different types of companies with the participation of corporate stakeholders (HR and corporate welfare managers and employees); experimentation workshops aimed at fostering experiences that help to overcome the psychological difficulties generated by a prolonged situation of relational deprivation and mobility.
