Dipartimento di Comunicazione e Ricerca Sociale

CoRiS Department promotes and carries out high standard research by collaborating with other institutions and corporations.

Funding institution: The Territorial Cohesion Agency – Verification and Control Unit (NUVEC) – Monitoring Cohesion Policy implementation, and Territorial Public Accounting System
Type of funding: Research grant
Description: Analysis of the decision-making process of public spending agencies in Italy. Focus is on authorities that are connected with cohesion policies that operate in the area, people responsible for managing national and European funds aimed towards bridging the gap between North and South as well as encouraging social cohesion. Further research is on traditions related to choice, reference values and orientations, acquired experience and abilities, established relationships, ways to interpret links within communities, problem solving strategies, successes and failures, any criticism that is found.
Scientific coordinator for the institution: Andrea Vecchia, Territorial Cohesion Agency
Scientific coordinator for CoRiS: Carmelo Lombardo  

Funding institution: General Directory for Communications Technologies and for ICT Security – Higher Institute of Communications and Information Technologies
Partner: Department of Political Science at Cagliari University (Scientific coordinator: Alessandro Lovari)
Description: The project represents the first systematic analysis dedicated to the evolution of structures and models of institutional communication following the development of Internet and social media, focused on the analysis of professional figures within the field of public communication that have distanced themselves from the roles indicated in the 150/2000 law.
The objective is to critically analyse the world of digital and social media to identify the factors that determine the quality and effectiveness of public digital communication.
In particular, we focused on the perceived elements of the quality of digital communication by public communicators, highlighting different types of multichannel integration, moved by the strategic use of social media in the public sector. Furthermore, we analysed conversations on social media on relevant themes for the public sector (and, in particular, Ministers and central state Administrations). Further relevant themes are: the quality of governmental communication within the field of PNNR promotion, the strategic role of communication within processes of digital transformation, the role of emerging technologies for institutional communication and listening to citizens.
Scientific coordinator for the institution: Eva Spina, General Director DGTSI-ISCTI
Scientific coordinator for CoRiS:  Alberto Marinelli, Francesca Comunello

Funding institution: Fund for development and cohesion, Piano Stralcio Ricerca e innovazione 2015-2017
Type of funding: Ph.D. scholarship
Partner: Nuova Atlantide Coorporation
Description: This research is focused on the socio-economic activities related to touristic experiences and the knowledge of places of cultural interest within the province of Matera, municipality of Accettura. The goal is to bring forward a contribution to the ideation and realisation of social innovation projects that can contrast phenomena of de-anthropisation (decline of population, aging, low employment and low capital) and reduce quantitative and qualitative local public service offers that characterise the marginalisation process described by the “National strategy for Internal Areas”.
Scientific coordinator for the institution: Tommaso Santochirico, designer
Scientific coordinator for CoRiS: Stefania Parisi

Funding Institution: Con I Bambini Social Enterprise
Type of funding: Ph.D. scholarship
Partner: Antropos Onlus, Paolo Bulgari Foundation
Description: The objective of this project is to sustain schools and actors of the education world for the activation of integrated response to the cultural needs within childhood and adolescence within the East area of Rome. The project includes 5 macro areas of action: in schools, the activation of socio-educational laboratories in classrooms, as well as counselling services for teachers and parents; in “aula vicina”, there will be regional offices organised as a space of social and psychological listening and a multimedia space finalised to aid students that are in online learning and their families; in the geographical area, to increase community with laboratories dedicated to urban regeneration, workshops, and recreational, sport and cultural activities; in schools and jobs, with activities focused towards getting lost students back on track; in educating communities, to swap skills, knowledge, and good practices between stakeholders in order to help the growth of the community. One of the main parts of the intervention programme planned in the area is evaluating the social impact of the project, in order to experiment an evaluation methodology that is versatile and build ad hoc for the outskirts of Rome.
Scientific coordinator for the institution: Cristina Gerardo, Antropos Onlus
Scientific coordinator for CoRiS: Veronica Lo Presti  

Funding institution: Sorgenia S.p.A.
Type of funding: Outsourcing
Description: Gender-based violence, in particular male violence against women, is a recurring theme within the fields of media and gender studies. This project, organised by the Department of Communication and Social research at Sapienza University, in collaboration with Sorgenia, leading company in the energy sector and an advocate against violence against women, belongs within this frame. The objective is to identify media counter-narrations on violence against women, through organised research divided into 3 actions: looking into international public documents (institutional guidelines, deontological papers for communication specialists); an analysis of exemplary journalistic and advertising materials (both positive and negative); interviews to witnesses within the world of information and anti-violence organisations. What makes the project original is the transformative paradigm that it takes on, which focuses on the positive aspects of communicative action, trying to actively include men.
Scientific coordinator for the institution: Miriam Frigerio, Sorgenia
Scientific coordinator for CoRiS: Gaia Peruzzi  

Funding institution: National Forum for the Third Sector
Type of funding: Research agreement
Description: This project is aimed towards third sector organisations, who are invited to participate in research and formation activities, aimed towards developing projects that can have an impact on the Italian territory, specially in the South. The objective is to address innovative themes, and to work on intervention proposals and action strategies. In particular, the action-research has as an objective the initiation of the development of ideas surrounding the issue of diversity within organisations of the third sector. The project aims to make a Mooc to analyse positive and negative case studies regarding inclusion policies. As a consequence of this, all participants will be invited to reflect on their own organisations, and think of ideas of development that will also have an impact on the surrounding area.
Scientific coordinator for the institution: Maurizio Mumolo, Director of the National Forum for the Third Sector
Scientific coordinator for CoRiS: Gaia Peruzzi

Funding institution: Noema HR Srl
Type of funding: Outsourcing
Description: The objective of this project is to build an evaluation/monitoring module for predispositions and abilities to work remotely. The tool gives companies the possibility to identify the areas in which to intervene to improve remote working. The main aspects that are evaluated are: sense of responsibility, proactivity, professionalism, importance of interpersonal relationships, stress management, independence, goal oriented vs procedure oriented, team working, communication style.
Scientific coordinator for the institution: Patrick Forestieri, Noema HR Srl
Scientific coordinator for CoRiS: Fabrizio Martire

Funding institution: Carabinieri force – Legal affairs and military status
Description: Analysis on the organisational wellbeing of the personnel of the Carabinieri force in workplaces for the decade 2010-2020 through the examination of secondary data collected by the Carabinieri force, as well as the collection of primary data through questionnaires and focus groups on a national scale. The collection of data is aimed towards the individuation of areas of wellbeing (comfort; clarity of objectives and coherence between what is said and what is done; recognising, valorising and stimulating competences; listening to personnel; transmitting information; collaborative work environment; easy, quick actions and decision-making processes; organisational justice and equity; a sense of social usefulness; openness to the outside world and to cultural and technological innovation; acceptable levels of stress; conflict management) and formulation of specific indicators for specific contexts, in order to prepare monitoring and analysis procedures.
Scientific coordinator for the institution: Col. Roberto de Cinti, Carabinieri force, Legal affairs and military status office
Scientific coordinator for CoRiS: Mariella Nocenzi 

Type of project: Grant Scheme for Common Cultural Heritage: Preservation and dialogue between Turkey and the EU-II (CCH-II)
Partner: Rotta di Enea association in collaboration with the Municipality of Edremit (Turkey)
Description: The project is about the development of spaces and contents related to the myth of Aeneas, as told by the Latin poet and writer Publio Virgilio Maro (Virgil), considered one of the most pervasive and important cultural heritages shared by ancient civilisations of the Mediterranean, recently put under the spotlight after the approval of the Aeneas Route as a cultural itinerary promoted by the European Council. The objective of the project is to rebuild and share a shared heritage that is only partially known, so as to make it more accessible and visible on online platforms. The valorisation of Virgil’s epic will be achieved by the production of content related to Aeneas’ itinerary, as well as by building a platform called A.R.I.S.T.E. (Aeneas Route IT System for Travel and Education); both will be useful to spread content on the myth narrated by Virgil and on the locations that Aeneas visited on his journey, as well as to offer materials for non-formal education.
Scientific coordinator for CoRiS: Paola Panarese