CALL FOR PAPERS
Youth, Cultural Values, and Transitions between Native and Migrant Generations
Workshop for Early-Career Researchers
January 28, 2026
SPS Seminar Room – Via Conservatorio 7
Department of Social and Political Sciences, University of Milan
Event organized by two Fondazione Cariplo-funded research projects:
BOnD – Between Origin and Destination
MAYBE – Moving into Adulthood: Youth Beliefs, future Expectations, and life choices
The BOnD and MAYBE projects invite early-career researchers to submit proposals for a workshop dedicated to youth, intergenerational dynamics, and cultural transitions in Lombardy.
The workshop aims to bring together empirical research on the role of cultural values and beliefs in shaping transitions to adulthood and different behaviours, such as decisions around education, work, and family, with a focus on comparisons between natives, second generations, and first-generation migrants. Emphasis is placed on value-based explanations and the cultural dimensions of youth experiences in Lombardy, which serves as a significant, strategic case study within Italy.
Making Data Available to Young Scholars
To promote the use of original research data and foster knowledge production by emerging scholars, the BOnD and MAYBE teams are making their newly collected datasets available for the purpose of this workshop. These data, currently under embargo, will be shared in advance with selected participants for the preparation of their analyses. The aim is to introduce these resources to a wider scientific community, in particular to PhD students and postdoctoral researchers, and to stimulate new contributions on youth, migration, and cultural change in Lombardy. Contributions may also be considered for further dissemination in the format of working papers or publications.
Use of Project Data
Participants are expected to develop and present their contributions using the original datasets collected within the BOnD and MAYBE projects, which include data on migrant integration, value orientations, and transitions to adulthood.
In particular, BOnD data are well-suited for studying differences between natives and people with a foreign background, both first- and second-generation, in terms of values and attitudes (such as moral views, gender roles, and diversity), as well as their relationship with various topics such as labour force participation, interethnic friendships, perceived discrimination, and participation in sports. The BOnD project interviewed 2,800 individuals, divided among natives (n = 800), second-generation individuals (including the 1.75 generation,n = 849), and first-generation immigrants (n = 1,151). Data collection took place between December 2024 and March 2025, using centre sampling technique that covered the entire territory of Lombardy. Among those with a foreign background, the most represented groups were Moroccan (n = 213), Egyptian (n = 174), Albanian (n = 171), Pakistani (n = 96), and Chinese (n = 87).
The MAYBE data offer a unique opportunity to investigate conceptions of adulthood and preferences/plans about their future (e.g school-work transition, leaving parental home, having children, etc.) among late adolescents/early adults, including children of immigrants, by focusing on the interplay between intergenerational and intercultural value transmission. The value orientations considered concern the following fields: individualism vs collectivism; gender and family values; religious and ethno-national values; and political values. The MAYBE project interviewed 2,756 students in the final year of high school in Lombardy (Italy), between February 2023 and March 2024, employing a probabilistic multistage sampling design (81 schools, 165 classes) with stratification by school type (lyceum, vocational, technical) and province. 2,135 students had both parents born in Italy (77.4%), 401 were children of immigrants (14.5%) and 208 were of mixed origin (7.5%).
Access to the data will be provided after abstract selection.
Suggested Topics
We invite both theoretically informed and empirically grounded proposals, especially related to:
- Cultural values and life aspirations among youth in Lombardy
- Intergenerational transmission of beliefs and norms
- Cultural integration and identity formation
- Value-based explanations of educational, occupational, or family transitions
- Similarities and differences in values
- The role of gender and social background in shaping cultural orientations and choices
- Religion, beliefs, and traditions in transitions to adulthood
How to Apply
All applicants are asked to submit an abstract (maximum 2,500 characters) describing their proposed contribution, along with a short bio (maximum 1,000 characters) containing their academic background and affiliation, by September 15, 2025. Please send your application using this form: https://forms.office.com/e/s8F6G14r5K .
The selection committee will notify applicants of the success of their application by September 30, 2025.Selected participants will receive access to the necessary data within seven days of confirmation.
For further information, please contact: Simona Guglielmi (MAYBE, simona.guglielmi@unimi.it) or Francesco Molteni (BOnD, francesco.molteni@unimi.it).
Photo by Devin Avery on Unsplash