Gli orientamenti valoriali degli adolescenti

Value orientations of the little-known Generation Z (i.e., young people born between the first and second millennium) may offer a lens through which to better understand the most recent changes in contemporary society. The present paper features an analysis of the values driving the adolescents’ behaviour of Generation Z in the Italian context as well as the continuities and discontinuities detected in comparison with the Millennial generation. The empirical research, based on a sample of 1,994 students from 44 Italian schools, reveals a multifaceted picture of adolescents also characterised by some elements of continuity with the generation of the Millennials. Nonetheless Generation Z, due to its complexity in terms of values inclinations, may not be easily ascribed to standard classifications. This may suggest the necessity to adopt new analytical tools in the study of adolescents and their values.