Assist. Prof. Dr. Valeria Piro, University of Padova, Italy
Valeria Piro is a Researcher at the University of Padova, specializing in Sociology. Her research interests focus on labor processes, migration, racialization of labor, and collective work organization, using qualitative and ethnographic methods. She holds a PhD in Sociology and Social Research Methodology from the University of Milan. She has also led national research groups and is the Principal Investigator of the “INMIGRHEALTH” project on migrant occupational health. Dr. Piro has contributed to various academic programs, including in migration studies and citizenship. ๐๐๐ฌ
Publication Profile
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Research Interests and Expertise
Dr. Valeria Piro is a Researcher at the University of Padova, where she teaches Organizational Cultures in the Sociology program. She holds a PhD in Sociology and specializes in labor processes, migration, racialization of the workforce, and work organization. Her research focuses on individual and collective agency, labor unions, and the intersection of work and life spaces. Using qualitative and ethnographic methods, Dr. Piro explores these areas to understand societal dynamics. In June 2022, she achieved the National Scientific Qualification for Associate Professor in Sociology of Economic, Labor, and Environmental Processes. ๐๐๐ฌ
Academic Background and Training
Dr. Valeria Piro earned her PhD in Sociology and Research Methodology from the University of Milan in 2015, with a thesis on day labor in Sicilian tomato factories. She holds a Master’s degree in Cooperation and Local and International Development from the University of Bologna (2011), focusing on the migrant movement in Barcelona. Dr. Piro also holds a Bachelor’s in Cultures and Human Rights from the University of Bologna (2007). She has participated in numerous professional development courses, including the “Teaching 4 Learning” course at the University of Padova in 2023. ๐๐๐
Research Roles and Experience
Dr. Valeria Piro has held several prominent research positions, starting with her current role as a Fixed-term Researcher (Type A) at the Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Pedagogy, and Applied Psychology at the University of Padova since November 2022. She has previously worked as a Research Fellow at the University of Milan (2021-2022) and at the University of Padova (2020-2021, 2018-2020). Dr. Piro also held a Research Fellow position at the University of Bologna (2016-2018) and completed her PhD studies at the University of Milan (2011-2015). ๐ฌ๐๐งโ๐ซ
Teaching and Training Experience
Dr. Valeria Piro has extensive teaching experience across various subjects and courses. In 2023, she taught in the Masterโs program “Food and Society” at the University of Milano Bicocca. She has also conducted courses on new work organization models, immigration training, and prevention of exploitation in collaboration with several institutions. Notably, in 2016, she obtained a certification in teaching Italian as a second language (Ditals II). Dr. Piroโs work is impactful, as she actively contributes to developing new approaches for immigration and labor rights. ๐๐งโ๐ซ๐
Research Focus
Assist. Prof. Dr. Valeria Piroโs research primarily focuses on labor migration, agricultural work, and the socio-economic conditions of migrant workers in Italy, particularly in the context of industrial agriculture. Her work explores themes of marginality, exploitation, labor segmentation, and the intersection of race and production. She investigates the living and working conditions of migrant workers, particularly in greenhouses and packinghouses. Additionally, Dr. Piro delves into the dynamics of labor rights, union strategies, and the social and spatial implications of youth participation in urban spaces. ๐๐ฉโ๐ซ๐ฑ๐๐งโ๐พ
Publication Top Notesย 
- Ghettos, camps and dormitories: Migrant workersโ living conditions in enclaves of industrial agriculture in Italy – Cited by 34 – 2020 ๐
- Migrant Farmworkers in ‘Plastic Factoriesโ: Investigating Work-Life Struggles – Cited by 24 – 2021 ๐ฑ
- Abitare (ne) i luoghi di lavoro: il caso dei braccianti rumeni nelle serre della provincia di Ragusa – Cited by 23 – 2017 ๐
- Ghetti e campi. La produzione istituzionale di marginalitร abitativa nelle campagne siciliane – Cited by 19 – 2019 ๐๏ธ
- The emergency management of migration and agricultural workforce during the pandemic: the contradictory outcomes of the 2020 amnesty law – Cited by 18 – 2021 ๐ผ
- Processi di territorializzazione e flussi migratori. Pensare le migrazioni in prospettiva territoriale – Cited by 18 – 2019 ๐
- Subcontracted racial capitalism: the interrelationship of race and production in meat processing plants – Cited by 15 – 2021 ๐
- Entering the โplastic factories’: Conflicts and competition in Sicilian greenhouses and packinghouses – Cited by 15 – 2016 ๐ฑ
- What is deemed to be “fake”? The case of “fake agricultural workers” in South Eastern Sicily – Cited by 14 – 2015 ๐งโ๐พ
- Making a home in the city: how young people take part in the urban space – Cited by 11 – 2019 ๐๏ธ