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September 3 @ 8:00 am - September 5 @ 5:00 pm

During the SISP Conference of 2026 –  held in Trento, 3-5 September, Patrizia Catellani1 and Cristiano Vezzoni will chair a panel on Loneliness and Political Behaviour: Bridging Gaps in the Study of Social Disconnectedness

This is an overview of the two blocks:

Block I – Democracy, Social Disconnectedness, and Political Consequences

Focus: conceptualization of loneliness and social disconnectedness; democratic implications; causal mechanisms; political trust and political participation.

Speakers

  1. Claudia Neu – University of Goettingen

“Does Loneliness Undermine Democracy?”

An agenda-setting contribution discussing the relationship between loneliness, democratic participation, institutional trust, populism, authoritarian attitudes, and democratic resilience.

  1. Alessia Telari et al. – Catholic University Milan

“A Causal Modeling Approach to the Political Consequences of Social Disconnection in Europe” An examination of the pathways linking objective and subjective social disconnectedness to political attitudes and participation using European Social Survey data.

 

Discussant 1 + Q&A: 8 + 8 minutes

Block II – Conceptualization and Political Participation

Focus: measurement and conceptualization of loneliness; existential, social, and emotional loneliness; political engagement and turnout; implications for political behaviour research.

Speakers

  1. Luigi Ceccarini – University of Urbino

“Alone in the Polis. Existential Loneliness and Political (Dis)Engagement among Italian Citizens” A conceptual and empirical exploration of existential loneliness and its relationship with political attitudes and behaviours in Italy.

Speakers

  1. Francesco Marolla, Arturo Bertero, Cristiano Vezzoni – University of Milan

“The Hidden Toll of Loneliness on Electoral Participation. Longitudinal Evidence from the Netherlands” A longitudinal analysis of social and emotional loneliness and their effects on voter turnout.

 

Discussant 2 + Q&A: 8 + 8 minutes

 

Tabled Papers

Arturo Bertero, Francesco Marolla, Cristiano Vezzoni – University of Milan

“Disconnected Citizens: Social Isolation, Loneliness, and Voter Turnout in Europe”

Massimo Prearo, Federico Trastulli – University of Verona and LUISS Guido Carli – Rome

“Alert, but not Mobilised? How the Stigmatisation of Trans and Non-binary Italians Translates Politically”

The authors of tabled papers will be invited to participate in the final discussion.

 

Details

Organizer