Giovani, Solidarietà e Reti Sociali in Zone Vulnerabili del Sud in Tempo di Covid

[Autom. eng. transl.] The lockdown represented an important test for the maturity of associations in being a reference point for the population. The associations have had to rethink their actions by meeting new needs and the necessary limitations. On the one hand, solidarity and a sense of community have aggregated new volunteers, on the other hand the terms of inequalities have been heavily aggravated and the fatigue of any reflection on the future in a present that is still transitory is highlighted. Faced with these challenges, we wanted to interview associations operating in an area of the South characterized by a high socio-economic vulnerability, such as the metropolitan area of Naples, targeting young people or characterized by the commitment of young people in association itself. Through 20 semi-structured interviews, conducted between September and November 2020, association practices were investigated and how these changed during the lockdown, the commitment of young people before and during the lockdown and the connections established by associations to deal with the emergency and a growing fragility. The results highlight how young people are actually difficult to involve in volunteering, but they also note how in many cases the pandemic has acted as an activator of young people in the community, under normal conditions not engaged in solidarity practices, who are made available to help where 'was needed. Furthermore, the associations have shown great proof of maturity by modifying or completely reinventing their practices to be truly at the service of the population and, in some cases, even rethinking and reconstructing the logic of relationships with other actors.