What is it about?
Conducted in 2017, this research is an enquiry on discrimination in the market for home mortgages in northern Italy. The data show that there is limited evidence of it as far as gender or family size is concerned. Instead, findings show the presence of discrimination against southern Italians and especially foreigners. Applications from foreigners are likely to be rejected between 38% and 58% when compared to applications from Italians.
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Why is it important?
The article is important because it is one of the few to extend discrimination research to the Italian market and because it takes on "experienced" discrimination. This last aspect is particularly relevant in that it highlights that perceptions are, in many cases, a reflection of actual discrimination cases.
Perspectives
The area in which we conducted the research in northern Italy is known to lean on extreme right wing politicians when it comes to election of mayors, senators, and members of parliament. It is interesting to notice that some of that political preference reflects on actual behavior of actual people (bankers) performing their jobs. The discrimination we could account for was not grounded on anything but to the fact of being foreigner. It is also curious to notice that "foreigner" includes Italians that are not originally from the area.
Dr Davide Secchi
Syddansk Universitet
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Experienced Discrimination in Home Mortgage Lending: A Case of Hospital Employees in Northern Italy, Business & Society, March 2015, SAGE Publications,
DOI: 10.1177/0007650315575040.
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