Conclusions

This concluding chapter synthesizes the volume’s findings to assert the enduring relevance of social capital for Italian democracy. It confirms the persistence of the traditional North-South divide while revealing a significant internal reorganization: a relative decline in major metropolitan areas and the former “red regions,” now overtaken by the Northern special-statute regions and the rest of the North-East. To better capture this complex shift of civic engagement, where political disaffection does not necessarily equate to a decline of civicness, the volume introduces a key methodological innovation: the construction of two distinct indices: a “classical” one and a “critical” one excluding electoral turnout. While social capital remains positively linked to economic development and public service quality, these correlations have weakened. The analysis depicts social capital as a foundational element for social cohesion and sustainability, demonstrating its significant impact, both theoretical and empirical, in reducing social isolation and fostering inclusion. While grounded in territorial data, the chapter opens new avenues for research into the interplay betweenbridging, bonding, and network forms of social capital with social inequality and societal well-being. Ultimately, this is a call to action: investing in social capital is indispensable for building cohesive and sustainable communities.