The passeggiata and popular culture in an Italian town

"In this study, Giovanna Del Negro presents an account of social life in the central Italian town of Sasso. Focusing on the passeggiata (ritual promenade), Del Negro provides a picture of dressing, walking, courting, and socializing in Sasso's piazza. The book shows how different segments of Sassano society (older women and teenage girls, motorbike boys and established professionals) use performances in the passeggiata to depict themselves as modern, stake their place in the town's collective self-image, and debate the meanings of modernity. Set against the backdrop of Italy's mid-1990s corruption scandals, the study captures the mood of a key moment in recent Italian history. Examining everything from Sassano interpretations of tabloid television and soap operas to community games and postcards, Del Negro offers insights into the local culture. This work addresses contemporary debates about modernity and globalization and will interest anyone interested in folklore, gender, cultural studies, anthropology, or Mediterranean studies."--BOOK JACKET.