Abstract

This article introduces a thematic section entitled La geografia della stratificazione sociale in Italia: Istruzione, lavoro e famiglia nelle aree centrali e marginali (The Geography of Social Stratification in Italy: Education, Work, and Family in Central and Marginal Areas). The section collects three papers analysing multiple forms of inequality (economic, occupational, socio-cultural, and demographic) that characterize both old and new territorial divisions in Italy. Each contribution examines geographical inequality by considering differences across various territorial scales — macro-regions, on the one hand, and central versus inner areas, on the other — and how these interact. While the results presented define the specificities and overlaps in the boundaries of geographical inequalities, they also contribute to the scientific debate on the topic. Furthermore, the shared analytical approach of the articles proves particularly valuable from both a methodological perspective and in terms of policy implications.