Renato Stella is Full professor at Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Education, and Applied Psychology (FISPPA, University of Padova (Italy). He is member of PhD committee in Social Sciences and he teaches Sociology of Mass Communication (BA in Communication Studies) and New media and online communities (MA in Community psychology).
In the past years he has been coordinator of undergraduate course in Communication Studies, director of Department of Sociology and dean of the Faculty of Political Science. He served as Principal Investigator for national researches group that analysed the role of the media in contemporary society focusing on issues relating to ethic, social capital, public sphere. Recently, he took part in a national research project on media representation of the violence against women (in collaboration with University of Bologna, University of Palermo, University of Turin and University of Salento).
His research deals with media studies; mass society; new media and popular culture; the connection between sexuality, gender and media; porn studies; cybersex and young people. He is particularly interested in qualitative and participatory research.
Recent Publication
Stella R., 2011, Eros, Cybersex, Neoporn. Nuovi scenari e nuovi usi in rete, Franco Angeli, Milano
Stella R., 2017, Circulation of Technology, Circulation of Desire. Cybersex and the “Sadian Collective Intellectual”. Tecnoscienza: Italian Journal of Science & Technology Studies, 7(2), 129-150.
Stella R., 2016, Corpi virtuali. Una ricerca sugli usi erotici del web, Mimesis, Milano-Udine
Stella R., 2016, The amateur roots of gonzo pornography. Porn Studies, 3(4), 351-361.
Stella R., 2017, Il consumo di pornografia tra giovani adulti, in: Cirus Rinaldi (ed.), I copioni sessuali, Mondadori, Milano, p. 255-272
Stella, R., 2020, Porn culture, embodied experiences and knowledge of sexual practices. Sexualities, 23(3), 325-341
Stella R. (con Scarcelli C. M.), 2020, The mediated erotic lover. The role of pornography in the negotiation of gender roles and desire amongst Italian heterosexual couples. Journal of Gender Studies, 29(4), 420-430
Stella R. (con Scarcelli M. C.), 2017. Digital literacy e giovani. Strumenti per comprendere, misurare, intervenire, Franco Angeli, Milano.
Stella R. (con Piccioni T e Scarcelli C. M), 2020, Inexperienced, Addicted, at Risk. How Young People Describe Their Parents’ Use of Digital Media, Italian Journal of Sociology of Education, 12(1).