Global Asymmetries: Economic, Social, and Cultural Inequalities in a Comparative Perspective
Overview
For the period 2025–2030, the research activities of the Virtual Center for the Study of Global Asymmetries are oriented toward the systematic investigation of asymmetries across economic, social, and cultural domains. The project aims to develop an interdisciplinary framework for understanding how different forms of inequality are historically produced, reproduced, and transformed within global contexts.
While particular attention is devoted to economic inequalities, the project adopts a broader perspective that includes social marginality, cultural hierarchies, and the uneven distribution of symbolic and material resources.
Research Objectives
The project seeks to:
- analyze the historical evolution of economic inequalities in a global perspective
- investigate the relationship between social marginality and cultural production
- explore how asymmetries are reflected and negotiated within everyday cultural practices
- examine the role of global and local dynamics in shaping unequal access to resources, visibility, and recognition
Key Research Areas
Economic Inequalities
The project examines patterns of uneven development, wealth distribution, labor structures, and global economic hierarchies, with particular attention to the interaction between global processes and local contexts.
Social Inequalities and Marginality
A central focus is placed on forms of exclusion and marginality, including those related to class, ethnicity, gender, and access to education and opportunities.
Sport and Asymmetries
Sport is analyzed as a key site for observing and reproducing asymmetries, including issues of access, representation, economic disparity, and global visibility.
Subcultures and Inequality
The project investigates the relationship between subcultures and inequality, focusing on how subcultural practices both reflect and challenge conditions of marginality, exclusion, and identity formation.
Popular Music beyond Western Contexts
Particular attention is devoted to forms of popular music that emerge outside Anglophone and Western contexts, exploring their role in expressing local identities, negotiating global influences, and challenging dominant cultural hierarchies.
Animation and Cultural Representation
The project includes the study of animated media (including cartoons) as a significant field for analyzing cultural narratives, representations, and asymmetries in global media production and circulation.
Methodological Approach
The project adopts an interdisciplinary methodology, combining tools from global history, cultural studies, sociology, and media studies. It integrates qualitative and comparative approaches, with attention to both historical processes and contemporary developments.
Expected Outcomes
The research is expected to produce:
- scholarly publications and working papers
- thematic bibliographies and research materials
- contributions to teaching activities and course development
- public engagement through digital dissemination
Timeline
2025–2030
Development of research activities, thematic expansion, and dissemination of results.
Note
This project represents the core research direction of the Virtual Center for the Study of Global Asymmetries and will be progressively expanded through collaborations, publications, and teaching initiatives.
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