Paradoxes of the Knowledge Society. Some Considerations on the Italian Situation

This paper intends to present some paradoxical aspects within the Italian route towards the Knowledge Society, and to propose a critical analysis of the problematic transition from theory to practice of the Knowledge Society. Starting from a concept of permanent education put forward by UNESCO in the Seventies, and continuing with the more recent "Lisbon Strategy", the plan seems to be clear: "becoming the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world". However, despite successes in some important sectors, the ongoing evaluation of the Lisbon Strategy has highlighted difficulties in economical growth, employment, innovation and social inclusion. Furthermore, the ongoing financial crisis has worsened these problems. As such, the relaunching of the "Europe 2020 Strategy" as a way out of the crisis, in line with the Lisbon proposals, confirms that the path towards the Knowledge Society is inevitable. According to the statistics released by OECD and EUROSTAT, Italy has fallen behind because of evident contradictions: even though the idea of a knowledge society is celebrated on the level of rhetoric, public resources for strategic sectors remain insufficient. Is there a shift from the illusion of progress to disappointment?