La narrazione del CORSI, ANNA 2023/2024 Abstract The advent of the neoliberal economic-political model and the 2008 financial crisis triggered a profound transformation of the labor market, marked by various phenomena, including unemployment, job insecurity, globalization, and digitalization, which have hindered workforce integration and the ability to plan for a long-term future. This has led to psychological, cultural, and social consequences, including a worsening of inequalities, with a significant impact on the population’s well-being. According to the literature, this socioeconomic context is justified and perpetuated by meritocratic ideology, which legitimizes existing hierarchies and supports the maintenance of the status quo. However, in common understanding, this ideology is typically associated with ideas of justice and equal opportunity. This study, using both quantitative and qualitative methods, explores the perceptions of a group of young adults (equally divided between university students and workers) regarding meritocratic ideology, their social and economic outlook, and their attitudes toward the future. It examines how these factors influence their current academic and professional situations and their consideration of future scenarios in the labor market, with specific reference to factors such as digitalization and the spread of artificial intelligence.

The advent of the neoliberal economic-political model and the 2008 financial crisis triggered a profound transformation of the labor market, marked by various phenomena, including unemployment, job insecurity, globalization, and digitalization, which have hindered workforce integration and the ability to plan for a long-term future. This has led to psychological, cultural, and social consequences, including a worsening of inequalities, with a significant impact on the population’s well-being. According to the literature, this socioeconomic context is justified and perpetuated by meritocratic ideology, which legitimizes existing hierarchies and supports the maintenance of the status quo. However, in common understanding, this ideology is typically associated with ideas of justice and equal opportunity. This study, using both quantitative and qualitative methods, explores the perceptions of a group of young adults (equally divided between university students and workers) regarding meritocratic ideology, their social and economic outlook, and their attitudes toward the future. It examines how these factors influence their current academic and professional situations and their consideration of future scenarios in the labor market, with specific reference to factors such as digitalization and the spread of artificial intelligence.

L’avvento del modello economico-politico neoliberista e la crisi finanziaria del 2008 hanno provocato una profonda trasformazione del mondo lavoro, caratterizzato da vari fenomeni, tra cui disoccupazione, precarizzazione, globalizzazione e digitalizzazione, ostacolando l'inserimento lavorativo e la possibilità di pianificare un futuro a lungo termine. Ciò ha determinato conseguenze psicologiche, culturali, sociali, tra cui l’inasprimento delle disuguaglianze, con un forte impatto sul benessere della popolazione. Tale contesto socioeconomico, secondo la letteratura, viene giustificato e perpetuato dall’ideologia meritocratica, che legittima le gerarchie esistenti e favorisce il mantenimento dello status quo. Tuttavia, secondo la concezione comune, quest’ideologia viene normalmente associata ad un’idea di giustizia e pari opportunità. Il presente studio, di natura sia quantitativa che qualitativa, esplora la percezione di un gruppo di giovani adulti (equamente suddivisi tra studenti/esse universitari e lavoratori/trici) riguardo l’ideologia meritocratica, la loro visione sociale ed economica e il loro atteggiamento verso il futuro, indagando come tali fattori influenzino le loro attuali realtà accademiche e professionali e la considerazione di futuri scenari nel mercato del lavoro, con riferimento a fattori quali la digitalizzazione e la diffusione dell’intelligenza artificiale.