
Marina Cacace
Marina Cacace is engaged since almost three decades in social research, mainly in the field of gender studies. In particular, she has explored the contrast between the increasing recognition of women and their competences in various social and professional sectors, and the persistence of phenomena of marginalisation and inequality, from the most subtle to the most striking. In this perspective, she has been also interested in the evolution of the feminist movement in contemporary societies, post-colonial feminist studies and the relationship between feminism and younger generations. In recent years, she has directed several projects aimed at promoting gender equality in universities and scientific institutions.
Her main research interests also include science-society relations, the analysis and measurement of poverty and social exclusion, and the application of complexity-informed approaches and methods to assess the impact of social policies and programmes of different kinds. Besides research activities in the strict sense, she has also frequently conducted monitoring, technical assistance and evaluation of projects and training activities.
As part of her professional activities, she carried out research on behalf of various organisations. Among them, the European Commission (Directorate General for Employment and Directorate General for Research), the Inter-American Development Bank, the World Bank, some organisms of the United Nations system (UNDESA, UNV, UNCHS), the Glocal Forum, the European Society for Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID), the Ministry of Labour and the Lazio Region. She was among the founding members of ASDO in 1995, serving as coordinator for several years.
She participated since its founding to the basic research activities promoted by the School of Sociology and Human Sciences, of which she has been the scientific director from 2009 to 2015. Her interest in this area has especially addressed, in recent years, the challenges of complexity and interdisciplinarity in the study of social change phenomena.
Selected publications:
• Bleijenbergh, I., Cacace, M., Falcinelli, D., del Giorgio, E., & Declich, G. (2020). How Dutch and Italian women’s networks mobilize affect to foster transformative change towards gender equality. European Journal of Women’s Studies, 1350506820941136.
• Kalpazidou-Schmidt, E., Cacace, M. (2019), “Setting up a Dynamic Framework to Activate Gender Equality Structural Transformation in Research Organizations”, Science and Public Policy, 46(1)
• Kalpazidou-Schmidt, E., Cacace, M. (2017), “Addressing gender inequality in science: The multifaceted challenge of assessing impact”, Research Evaluation, 26(2)
• Huttner, A., Cacace, M. (equal contribution), d’Andrea, L., Skevaki, C., Otelea, D., Pugliese, F., Tacconelli, E. (2017), “Inequality dynamics in the workplace among microbiologists and infectious disease specialists: a qualitative study in five European countries”, Clinical Microbiology and Infection, 23(5)
• Cacace, M., Balahur, D., Bleijenbergh, I., Falcinelli, D., Friedrich, M., Kalpazidou Schmidt, E. (2015), Structural Transformation to Achieve Gender Equality in Science. Guidelines, STAGES project
http://www.stages.unimi.it/upload/documents/Guidelines_STAGES_new.pdf
• Tacconelli, E., Poliak, M., Cacace, M., Caiati, G., Benzonana, N., Nagy, E., Kortbeek, T. (2012), “Science without meritocracy. Discrimination among European specialists in infectious diseases and clinical microbiology: A questionnaire survey”, BMJ Open, vol. 2, issue 6
• Cacace, M. (2010), “Le donne come attori del mutamento nella sfera pubblica”, in: Biancheri, R. (edited by), Il genere della partecipazione, Pisa, Plus
• Cacace, M. (2009), Guidelines for gender equality programmes in science, PRAGES project
https://ec.europa.eu/research/swafs/pdf/pub_gender_equality/prages-guidelines_en.pdf
• Cacace, M., Taurelli, S. (2007), La qualità formativa. Linee guida per un modello di valutazione nell’ottica del lifelong learning, Roma, EdUp
• Quaranta, G., Quinti, G., con Cacace, M. e Marta, F. (2005), Esclusione sociale e povertà. Contributo per la conoscenza e la misurazione dei rischi sociali e ambientali nel contesto internazionale, CERFE, Roma
http://www.cerfe.org/public/RESP.pdf
• Cacace, M. (2004), Femminismo e generazioni. Valori, culture e comportamenti a confronto, Milano, Baldini, Castoldi & Dalai
• Cacace, M., Quaranta, G., Quinti, G. (2003), Glocalization: Research Study and Policy Recommendations, CERFE-World Bank-Glocal Forum
http://www.cerfe.org/public/GLOCAL.pdf