History of social law in Italy: some considerations

The aim of this contribution is to observe the historical origin of the Welfare State crisis. Social law and national insurance systems have worked as a strategy to manage poverty and social exclusion. Jurists consider the new social laws as transient political measures so they do not extend them by means of interpretation. The policies put in place to combat poverty show that the collaboration between State and society was not intended to be a space to develop autonomy. Social bonds and solidarity do not depend solely on the State action, but also owe much to the spontaneous initiative of some members of society. At the origins, solidarity was realized through mutual aid societies. They represent an example of relationship between State and society which is alternative to the individualistic one, a «model» that combines the centrality of the individual with the necessary relational dimension of individual well-being.