THE SWEDES DO IT BETTER - FLAVIA RESTIVO

Sweden offers us a proven path towards a chain of significant relational and social improvements. Change comes from opening minds from childhood to a fuller awareness of one's own and others' sexual identity, the rights and duties that follow, and respect for other people.

Yes, they do it better in Sweden: data, figures, and lists of civic achievements in the field of social harmony say so, along with the significant decrease in crimes related to the oppression of others, the presumption of being able to dispose of them at will. How did they succeed? By spreading a serious, healthy, open, and comprehensive sexual-affective culture in all schools starting from childhood, with programs entrusted to experts who have accompanied the maturation of young Swedish citizens. The Scandinavian country introduced sexual education in schools as early as 1955. We, on the other hand, are stuck. Our national culture is hindered by a patriarchal paradigm, where the moralistic tensions induced by a conception of sexuality based on ignorance of oneself and others are at the root of the unjust social disparity between women and men in work and family, but at the same time also of psychological and physical violence, abuses, phobias, and femicides. This book compares the individual, educational, and social cultures of Italy and Sweden to show that progress in this field is not only necessary but also possible and valuable. The ironic comparison reveals itself after a few pages as a cry of love for our country, petrified by "traditional roles" and the stubbornness to not want to change, so that it can open up to a more conscious future. We can do it.