Vol. 17 No. 33 (2026): Precarious dwelling. Everyday practices, caring relations, and meaning-making processes
Articles

Dwelling as a Wicked Problem: Housing, Inequality and Precarious Life Trajectories

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  • Maria Alessandra Molè
Maria Alessandra Molè
Roma Tre University, Italy
DOI: https://doi.org/10.36253/smp-17135

Published 2026-08-04

Keywords

  • dwelling,
  • wicked problems,
  • precariousness,
  • inequalities

How to Cite

Molè, M. A. (2026). Dwelling as a Wicked Problem: Housing, Inequality and Precarious Life Trajectories. SocietàMutamentoPolitica, 17(33), 23–33. https://doi.org/10.36253/smp-17135

Copyright (c) 2026 Maria Alessandra Molè

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Abstract

Over recent decades, dwelling has become one of the major social issues in Western societies, assuming a central role in both public and academic debate. Access to housing can no longer be understood solely in terms of the availability of dwellings, but rather as a multidimensional phenomenon intersecting transformations in the labour market, changes in family structures, and the widening of socio-economic inequalities. This contribution analyses dwelling as a social process, focusing on the tension between people’s rights and privileges which characterises contemporary societies. Through a theoretical framework drawing on the concept of wicked problems, this paper discusses the structural criticalities of housing, paying particular attention to its effects of the commodification. The theoretical reflection is then brought into dialogue with the findings of a qualitative study conducted in the city of Rome. It, therefore, aimed at exploring the symbolic, relational and identity-related meanings of dwelling for people who have experienced, and in many cases continue to experience, conditions of severe housing precariousness.

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