Logics of rule and intervention: a theoretical framework and an empirical observation of the Italian regional reforms

The new forms of organising and delivering welfare tend in many ways to move from hierarchic standpoints, frameworks and ways of distribution of power and resources. On one hand, introducing market or quasi-market instruments to rule the distribution of resources and new relationships of competition and cooperation among the actors. On the other, promoting new forms of governance and multi-level governance based on the co-participation of different social, institutional and political actors. Finally, trying to support and exploit the activation of the informal resources of citizens, families and local communities. Forward, on, in recent years, a growing rhetoric about the welfare reform in the European countries, has been going at emphasising some particular perspectives: first, the new and empowering role of demand within the processes of supply formation, and the supposed and consequent ending of the institutional self-reference of the latter. Second, the growing role of the local actors, particularly the private and nonprofit ones, in the decision making processes around policy strategies and management. Third, the acknowledgment of the fundamental role of families and local communities to supply care and better conditions of socio-economic life and to participate in the local welfare designing.The paper aim at describing a possible theoretical framework useful to deal with the complex dynamics of change and, therefore, at pointing out some results emerged in a study on the new regional rules of the Italian social assistance construction. The core of the analysis moves from the idea that is possible to get more information about the forms of interaction that the new rules are going to push, favour or settled down. And that, for this aim, could be effective draw inspiration from some principles of the theory of the logical types in the way Gregory Bateson has done, of the “formal” sociology of Georg Simmel, and of the principles of the socio-economic exchange according to the thought of Karl Polanyi. Stemming from these viewpoints, the paper will describe and discuss what we call logics of rule and logics of intervention of the welfare system, in general, and in the case of the Italian regional reforms of the social assistance. The logics of rule are defined and distinguishable depending on the modes the forms of resources exchange, the principles of belonging and the types of power are regulated and legitimated. Modes, that are recognizable in the ideal types of social institutions: state, market, community and association. Then, the logics of intervention, are defined and distinguishable, not depending on contents, needs and aims, but referring to the way the interactions between citizens and institutions are pre-structured by the same macro-variables: types of resource exchange, principles of belonging and types of power. Following that, it is possible to identify four different logics: service, project, utility, support to the reciprocal action. Exploiting some elementary concepts of the theory of logical types, the paper will try to figure out what kind of local equilibriums in distribution of power are, and could be made, possible combining these different logics. And, referring to the batesonian “logical categories of learning and communication” what kind of change for recipients and institutions are pursued. As a result, theoretical concepts and practical issues regarding freedom, dependence, negotiation, choice and economic value are explored, chiefly in order to highlight contradictions and paradoxes emerging from some ways to combine the different logics.