Home>Emanuele Ferragina

Emanuele Ferragina

Full Professor, HDR

Centre for Research on Social Inequalities (CRIS), The Laboratory for Interdisciplinary Evaluation of Public Policies (LIEPP)

Associate Member of the Department of Social Policy and Intervention at the University of Oxford

Research Interest(s): Socioeconomic inequalities, Welfare regimes, Family policy, Political economy, Social capital, Artificial Intelligence, Comparative method

Discipline(s): Sociology

Subdiscipline(s): Political Economy

Biography

Emanuele Ferragina (HDR) is Full Professor of Sociology and member of the CRIS and LIEPP. Prior to joining Sciences Po in January 2015 he was a lecturer at University of Oxford, where he also obtained his doctorate. His fields of interest include international political economy, comparative social policy, labour market and family policy, the political economy of care and social reproduction, and the political economy of Italy.

Currently his research is focused on two broad topics. A first stream of research relates to the development of the ‘rising invisible majority’ concept and the liberalization of European labour markets. This work explores the connection between international political economy and the changing composition of European (and Italian) society, and illustrates how labour market and welfare state dynamics are key institutional channels that mediate this association in different countries. A second stream of research investigates how family policy expansion is related to the political economy of welfare state retrenchment, social reproduction and female employment/wages.

His contribution to the public debate has taken various forms. He was one of the founding members of the Think Tank Fonderia Oxford. He has published several articles in national newspapers and academic blogs, and popularized his research by participating to several talk shows in Italy and France. He published also two books for the general public. The first, Chi Troppo, Chi Niente (trans. Who Gets Too Much, Who Gets Nothing) argued that a stronger redistributive process is the best way to make Italy more efficient, and was awarded the Medal of the Italian Parliament. The second volume, La Maggioranza Invisible (trans. The Invisible Majority), discussed the transformations of Italian society and the rise of a majoritarian social group unheard from within politics and underrepresented at the institutional level.

PhD Candidates: Emanuele Ferragina welcomes perspective students willing to propose projects related to his research interests.

Thesis Supervision

  • Andrew ZolaWelfare Attitudes and Common Sense through Crises: The Sociological Basis of the Political Economy
  • Elisa Farnese 
     

publications

PEER-REVIEWED ARTICLES

  • Emanuele Ferragina. Accessing early childcare: A study of administrative barriers in France. Social Policy and Society, 2025. (10.1017/S1474746425100857). (hal-05234153v1)
  • Emanuele Ferragina, Romain Delès, Mathieu Rossignol-Brunet, Andrew Zola. L'égalité de genre favorise-t-elle un rapport positif à la parentalité ? Revue française de Science Politique, 2025, 75, pp.119-145. (10.3917/rfsp.751.0119). (halshs-05233943v1
  • Emanuele Ferragina, Teva Marescaux. L’inégalité d’accès aux crèches dans le département le plus pauvre de France. Revue de la petite enfance, 2025, 146, pp.76-86. ⟨hal-04927481⟩
  • Dino Pedreschi, Luca Pappalardo, Emanuele Ferragina, Ricardo Baeza-Yates, Albert-László Barabási, et al.. Human-AI Coevolution. Artificial Intelligence, 2024, art.104244. ⟨10.1016/j.artint.2024.104244⟩. ⟨hal-04786484⟩
  • Emanuele Ferragina, Alessandro Arrigoni. I «lunghi anni Ottanta» come fase di transizione dell’economia politica italiana. Rivista italiana di storia internazionale, 2024, 2024/1, pp.29-48. ⟨10.30461/113537⟩. ⟨hal-04601207⟩
  • Emanuele Ferragina, Alessandro Arrigoni. The social and political bases of political economy: interpreting and periodising Italian developments since WWII. New Political Economy, 2024, 29 (5), pp.770-787. ⟨10.1080/13563467.2024.2344854⟩. ⟨hal-04559686⟩
  • Emanuele Ferragina. The ‘two lives’ of Esping‐Andersen and the revival of a research programme: Gender equality, employment and redistribution in contemporary social policy. Social Policy and Administration, 2024, ⟨10.1111/spol.13029⟩. ⟨hal-04559644⟩
  • Emanuele Ferragina, Christopher Deeming. Comparative mainstreaming? Mapping the uses of the comparative method in social policy, sociology and political science since the 1970s. Journal of European Social Policy, 2022, pp.095892872211284. ⟨10.1177/09589287221128438⟩. ⟨hal-03832082⟩
  • Emanuele Ferragina. Welfare state change as a double movement: Four decades of retrenchment and expansion in compensatory and employment‐oriented policies across 21 high‐income countries. Social Policy and Administration, 2022, 56 (5), pp.705-725. ⟨10.1111/spol.12789⟩. ⟨hal-03855905⟩
  • Emanuele Ferragina, Federico Danilo Filetti. Labour market protection across space and time: A revised typology and a taxonomy of countries’ trajectories of change. Journal of European Social Policy, 2022, 32 (2), pp.148-165. ⟨10.1177/09589287211056222⟩. ⟨hal-03856688⟩
  • Marta Pasqualini, Marta Dominguez Folgueras, Emanuele Ferragina, Olivier Godechot, Ettore Recchi, et al.. Who took care of what? The gender division of unpaid work during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in France. Demographic Research, 2022, 46, pp.1007-1036. ⟨10.4054/DemRes.2022.46.34⟩. ⟨hal-03677747⟩
  • Emanuele Ferragina, Alessandro Arrigoni, Thees Spreckelsen. The rising invisible majority. Review of International Political Economy, 2022, 29 (1), pp.114-151. ⟨10.1080/09692290.2020.1797853⟩. ⟨hal-03570754⟩
  • Emanuele Ferragina, Andrew Zola. The End of Austerity as Common Sense?: An Experimental Analysis of Public Opinion Shifts and Class Dynamics During the Covid-19 Crisis. New Political Economy, 2022, 27 (2), pp.329-346. ⟨10.1080/13563467.2021.1952560⟩. ⟨hal-03566232⟩
  • Emanuele Ferragina, Zachary Parolin. Care earnings in the United States and 24 European countries: The role of social policy and labour market institutions. Social Policy and Administration, 2022, 56 (1), pp.118-137. ⟨10.1111/spol.12759⟩. ⟨hal-03566215⟩
  • Emanuele Ferragina, Ettore Recchi. Leggere la società attraverso il welfare: la lezione di Achille Ardigò. Autonomie locali e servizi sociali, 2021, 1/2021, pp.79. ⟨10.1447/100475⟩. ⟨hal-03384735⟩
  • Emanuele Ferragina, Alessandro Arrigoni. Selective Neoliberalism: How Italy Went from Dualization to Liberalisation in Labour Market and Pension Reforms. New Political Economy, 2021, ⟨10.1080/13563467.2020.1865898⟩. ⟨hal-03570722⟩
  • Zachary van Winkle, Emanuele Ferragina, Ettore Recchi. The Unexpected Decline in Feelings of Depression among Adults Ages 50 and Older in 11 European Countries amid the COVID-19 Pandemic. Socius: Sociological Research for a Dynamic World, 2021, 7, pp.237802312110327. ⟨10.1177/23780231211032741⟩. ⟨halshs-03361263⟩
  • Ettore Recchi, Emanuele Ferragina, Emily Helmeid, Stefan Pauly, Mirna Safi, et al.. The “Eye of the Hurricane” Paradox: An Unexpected and Unequal Rise of Well-Being During the Covid-19 Lockdown in France. Research in Social Stratification and Mobility, 2020, vol. 68, art.100508. ⟨10.1016/j.rssm.2020.100508⟩. ⟨hal-03203732⟩
  • Emanuele Ferragina. Family policy and women's employment outcomes in 45 high‐income countries: A systematic qualitative review of 238 comparative and national studies. Social Policy and Administration, 2020, ⟨10.1111/spol.12584⟩. ⟨hal-03566928⟩
  • Emanuele Ferragina. The political economy of family policy expansion: Fostering neoliberal capitalism or promoting gender equality supporting social reproduction?. Review of International Political Economy, 2019, ⟨10.1080/09692290.2019.1627568⟩. ⟨hal-03567077⟩
  • Emanuele Ferragina. Does Family Policy Influence Women’s Employment?: Reviewing the Evidence in the Field. Political Studies Review, 2019, 17(1):65-80. ⟨10.1177/1478929917736438⟩. ⟨hal-01647927⟩
  • Emanuele Ferragina. L’essor paradoxal des politiques familiales. L'Année Sociologique, 2018, 68(2):423-454. ⟨10.3917/anso.182.0423⟩. ⟨hal-03399594⟩
  • Emanuele Ferragina, Mary Daly. Family policy in high-income countries: Five decades of development. Journal of European Social Policy, 2018, 28 (3):255-270. ⟨10.1177/0958928717735060⟩. ⟨hal-03399659⟩
  • Emanuele Ferragina, Mark Tomlinson, Robert Walker. Poverty and Participation in Twenty-First Century Multicultural Britain. Social Policy and Society, 2017, 16(4):535-559. ⟨10.1017/S1474746416000440⟩. ⟨hal-03414404⟩
  • Emanuele Ferragina, Alessandro Arrigoni. The Rise and Fall of Social Capital: Requiem for a Theory? Political Studies Review, 2017, 15(3):355-367. (10.1177/1478929915623968). (hal-03579871v1
  • Emanuele Ferragina. The welfare state and social capital in Europe: Reassessing a complex relationship. International Journal of Comparative Sociology, 2017, 58(1):55-90. (10.1177/0020715216688934). (hal-03981612v1)
  • Emanuele Ferragina. Comprendre le développement des politiques familiales dans les pays riches de l’OCDE. Informations sociales, 2016, 2(193):24-33. (10.3917/inso.193.0024). (hal-03399789v1)
  • Emanuele Ferragina, Joseph Feyertag, Martin Seeleib-Kaiser. Outsiderness and Participation in Liberal and Coordinated Market Economies. Partecipazione e conflitto - PArticipation and COnflict, 2016, (3):986-1014. (10.1285/i20356609v9i3p986). (hal-03579872v1)
  • Emanuele Ferragina, Martin Seeleib-Kaiser. Determinants of a Silent (R)evolution: Understanding the Expansion of Family Policy in Rich OECD Countries. Social Politics, 2015, 22(1):1-37.(10.1093/sp/jxu027). (halshs-01349455v1)
  • Emanuele Ferragina., Grisiola F. Social Innovation on the Rise: yet another buzzword in a time of austerity. Salute e società, 2015, (1):169-179. (10.3280/SES2015-001013). (halshs-01512107v1)
  • Emanuele Ferragina, Martin Seeleib-Kaiser, Thees Spreckelsen. The Four Worlds of 'Welfare Reality' – Social Risks and Outcomes in Europe. Social Policy and Society, 2015, 14(02):287-307. (https://doi.org/10.1017/S1474746414000530). (halshs-01336298v2)
  • Emanuele Ferragina, Francesca Grisolia, Social Innovation on the Rise: yet another buzzword in time of austerity? Salute e società, 2015, (XIV)1 [Inglese]:165-175 (halshs-01512107v1)
  • Emanuele Ferragina. The socio-economic determinants of social capital and the mediating effect of history: Making Democracy Work revisited. International Journal of Comparative Sociology, 2013, 54(1):48-73.  (10.1177/0020715213481788). (halshs-01421227v1)
  • Emanuele Ferragina, Martin Seeleib-Kaiser, Mark Tomlinson. Unemployment Protection and Family Policy at the Turn of the 21st Century: A Dynamic Approach to Welfare Regime Theory. Social Policy and Administration, 2013, 47(7):783-805. (10.1111/j.1467-9515.2012.00855.x). (halshs-01318284v2)
  • Emanuele Ferragina. Il fantasma di Banfield: una verifica empirica della teoria del familismo amorale. Stato e mercato, 2011, 2:283-312. (https://doi.org/10.1425/35233). (halshs-01314715v1)
  • Emanuele Ferragina, Martin Seeleib-Kaiser. Welfare regime debate: past, present, futures? Policy and Politics, 2011, 39(4):583-611. (10.1332/030557311X603592). (halshs-01347336v1)
  • Emanuele Ferragina. Social Capital and Equality: Tocqueville's Legacy: Rethinking social capital in relation with income inequalities. The Tocqueville Review/La revue Tocqueville, 2010, 31(1):73-98. (10.1353/toc.0.0030). (halshs-01314708v1)
  • Emanuele Ferragina. Le teorie che non muoiono mai sono quelle che confermano le nostre ipotesi di base: cinquant'anni di familismo amorale. Meridiana, 2009, (65-66):265-287.  (doi.org/10.1400/149310). (halshs-01314074v1)
  • Emanuele Ferragina. The never-ending debate about The moral basis of a backward society: Banfield and ‘amoral familism’. Journal of Anthropological Society of Oxford, 2009, 1(2):141-160. (anthro.ox.ac.uk). (halshs-01314030)

BOOKS

  • 2014, La Maggioranza Invisibile, BUR/Rizzoli.
  • 2013, Chi Troppo, Chi Niente, BUR/Rizzoli.
  • 2012, Social Capital in Europe: A Comparative Regional Analysis, Edward Elgar.

OTHER PUBLICATIONS

  • Salvatore Citraro, Giovanni Mauro, Emanuele Ferragina. Burstiness in Emotions: A Case Study on Collective Affective Responses in Italian Soccer Fandoms. Luca Maria Aiello; Tanmoy Chakraborty; Sabrina Gaito. Social Networks Analysis and Mining. 16th International Conference, ASONAM 2024, Rende, Italy, September 2–5, 2024, Proceedings, Part I, Springer Nature, pp.56-69, 2025, Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 303178541X, 9783031785412. ⟨10.1007/978-3-031-78541-2_4⟩. ⟨hal-04922235⟩
  • Manuel Alvariño, Alessandro Arrigoni Liepp, Llorenç Soler-Buades, Emanuele Ferragina. The End of the Age of Dualisation? A Comparative Analysis of Fifty Years of Labour Market Protection Reforms in Spain and Italy. 2025. ⟨hal-04909856⟩
  • Emanuele Ferragina. The 'Two Lives' of Esping-Andersen and Its Contradictions: Gender Equality, Employment and Redistribution in Contemporary Social Policy studies. 2023. ⟨hal-04274406⟩
  • Emanuele Ferragina, Andrew Zola. An obituary for Austerity Narratives? An Experimental Analysis of Public Opinion Shifts and Class Dynamics during the Covid-19 Crisis. 2020. ⟨hal-03389170⟩
  • Emanuele Ferragina. Understanding Family Policy Transformation in the light of Critical Political Economy. 2022. ⟨hal-03562991⟩
  • Emanuele Ferragina, Federico Filetti. Eppur si muove: labour market protection varieties and trajectories of change across 21 high-income countries and three decades. 2021. ⟨hal-03389156⟩
  • Emanuele Ferragina, Marta Pasqualini, Ettore Recchi, Andrew Zola. Who cares about health and the economy through the Covid-19 pandemic? Longitudinally tracking changes and heterogeneity in people’s perceptions of risks. SocArXiv, 2021, ⟨10.31235/osf.io/rv7e3⟩. ⟨hal-04103880⟩
  • Emanuele Ferragina, Zachary Parolin. Care Earnings in the United States and European Union: The Role of Social Policy and Labour Market Institutions. 2020. ⟨hal-03389168⟩
  • Jen Schradie, Emanuele Ferragina, Marta Pasqualini, Ettore Recchi, Mirna Safi, et al.. L'année de la Covid en France ou l'histoire d'un double confinement. 2020, pp.8. ⟨10.5281/zenodo.4382685⟩. ⟨hal-03386552⟩
  • Jen Schradie, Emanuele Ferragina, Marta Pasqualini, Ettore Recchi, Mirna Safi, et al.. The Covid Year in France: A Tale of Two Lockdowns. 2020, pp.8. ⟨10.5281/zenodo.4383162⟩. ⟨hal-03386551⟩
  • Ettore Recchi, Emanuele Ferragina, Olivier Godechot, Emily Helmeid, Stefan Pauly, et al.. Living through Lockdown: Social Inequalities and Transformations during the COVID-19 Crisis in France. 2020. ⟨hal-03203721⟩
  • Nicolas Sauger, Emanuele Ferragina, Emily Helmeid, Stefan Pauly, Ettore Recchi, et al.. La vie après le confinement : retour à la normale ou quête d'un nouveau cap ?. 2020, pp.8. ⟨10.5281/zenodo.3897359⟩. ⟨hal-03393048⟩
  • Nicolas Sauger, Emanuele Ferragina, Emily Helmeid, Stefan Pauly, Ettore Recchi, et al.. Life after lockdown: Getting back on track or charting a new course?. 2020, pp.8. ⟨10.5281/zenodo.3897226⟩. ⟨hal-03393046⟩
  • Mirna Safi, Philippe Coulangeon, Olivier Godechot, Emanuele Ferragina, Emily Helmeid, et al.. When life revolves around the home: Work and sociability during the lockdown. 2020, pp.10. ⟨10.5281/zenodo.3839312⟩. ⟨hal-03393054⟩
  • Emanuele Ferragina, Carlo Barone, Emily Helmeid, Stefan Pauly, Ettore Recchi, et al.. Dans l’oeil du cyclone : La société française après un mois de confinement. 2020, pp.8. ⟨10.5281/zenodo.3784110⟩. ⟨hal-03393051⟩
  • Mirna Safi, Philippe Coulangeon, Olivier Godechot, Emanuele Ferragina, Emily Helmeid, et al.. La vie entre quatre murs : travail et sociabilité en temps de confinement. 2020, pp.10. ⟨10.5281/zenodo.3839288⟩. ⟨hal-03393052⟩
  • Emanuele Ferragina, Carlo Barone, Emily Helmeid, Stefan Pauly, Ettore Recchi, et al.. In the eye of the hurricane: French society a month into the lockdown. 2020, pp.8. ⟨10.5281/zenodo.3783990⟩. ⟨hal-03393049⟩
  • Emanuele Ferragina, Emily Helmeid. Sommes-nous plus préoccupés par la santé ou par l’économie ?. 2020. ⟨hal-03391969⟩
  • Ettore Recchi, Emanuele Ferragina, Emily Helmeid, Stefan Pauly, Mirna Safi, et al.. Lockdown for All, Hardship for Some: Insights from the First Wave of the CoCo Project. 2020, pp.6. ⟨10.5281/zenodo.3757870⟩. ⟨halshs-03070206⟩
  • Ettore Recchi, Emanuele Ferragina, Emily Helmeid, Stefan Pauly, Mirna Safi, et al.. Confinement pour tous, épreuve pour certains. Les résultats de la première vague d'enquête du projet CoCo. 2020, ⟨10.5281/zenodo.3757813⟩. ⟨halshs-03070063⟩
  • Ettore Recchi, Emanuele Ferragina, Olivier Godechot, Emily Helmeid, Stefan Pauly, et al.. Living through Lockdown: Social Inequalities and Transformations during the COVID-19 Crisis in France. 2020. ⟨hal-03099647⟩