DOCSLIB.ORG

Italian Civil Society Facing New Challenges ……

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Italian Civil Society Facing New Challenges …… CIVICUS Civil Society Index ITALIAN CIVIL SOCIETY FACING NEW CHALLENGES …… Edited by Giovanni Moro and Ilaria Vannini Rome, May 2006 With the support of CIVICUS Civil Society Index Report for Italy 1 FOREWORD Cittadinanzattiva (Active Citizenship) is an independent civic participation movement, which was established in 1978 and operates in Italy and Europe. Its mission is to empower citizens as actors to protect rights and care for common goods. It has 76,000 members in Italy, participating in 235 local assemblies or federated associations. Cittadinanzattiva operates through networks aimed at involving citizens in different areas of policy making. The networks are the Tribunal for Patients’ Rights and the Coordination of Chronically Ill Associations operating in health care and welfare; the “Citizens’ Advocates” operating in consumer protection and general interest services; the Justice for Rights network engaged in justice system and legal intervention; the School of Active Citizenship, working on education institutions and civic education and the Active Citizenship Network, linking about 70 national-based citizens’ associations operating in 28 European Union countries. The main result that Cittadinanzattiva substantially contributed to achieving was the 2001 reform of the Italian Constitution introducing (art. 118.4) the principle of “horizontal” subsidiarity, which recognises autonomous citizens’ activity for general interest, as a pillar of the republic. Cittadinanzattiva has been a member of CIVICUS since the second half of ‘90s. In Cittadinanzattiva’s tradition there is a strong link between civic action and research, and between domestic and international commitment. This tradition was at the heart of Cittandinanzattiva’s decision, in 2003, to carry out the Civil Society Index in Italy. Now that the project has been completed, it is clear that that the CSI was an important opportunity to create a common ground of knowledge on civic activism in Italy. The CSI enriched the self-awareness of civil society organisations (CSOs) and increased the attention of many stakeholders. The research itself was implemented through a strong involvement of people and organisations. I hope that the results of the research, reported in this document, will be used as a common tool for building better knowledge and more effective action. The Active Citizenship Foundation (FONDACA, www.fondaca.org) played a crucial role in the success of the project. FONDACA, an institution based in Rome, was created in 2001 with the mission of supporting the development of civic activism through social research, advanced training, cultural dialogue and the mobilization of resources. It was inspired by the experience and mission of Cittadinanzattiva and, among others, was the scientific advisor on the CSI implementation both at national and European level. I am very grateful for the contribution of FONDACA people to the project. Teresa Petrangolini, General Secretary Cittadinanzattiva (Active Citizenship) CIVICUS Civil Society Index Report for Italy 2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Civil Society Index (CSI) in Italy was carried out by Cittadinanzattiva and FONDACA in cooperation with a wide range of organisations and individuals. The project’s methodology was developed by CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation. The National Advisory Group (NAG), in line with the proposed methodology, assisted from the very beginning of the project. We would like to express our gratitude to the NAG members who selflessly offered their time, knowledge and information in order to successfully accomplish this project. The members of the NAG include: Gregorio Arena, Pier Paolo Baretta, Pietro Barbieri, Costanza Fanelli, Altero Frigerio, Renato Frisanco, Antonio Lombardi, Antonio Longo, Stefania Mancini, Giulio Marcon, Marco Martorelli, Marco Musella, Maria Teresa Rosito. Throughout the course of the project implementation, about 30 key informants and experts were consulted on various aspects of the research in order to provide information and advice. We want to thank all of them for their time and assistance. We also want to thank the civil society and stakeholder organisations who convened and managed the focus groups at the regional level. They are Cittadinanzattiva, Confindustria, Fondazione Cesar, Legacoop, Sodalitas and Spes. We are also grateful to the individuals who were involved in the media research on television, radio and print media. A number of individuals made general contributions to the research in its various phases. We want to thank them for making a very complex process easier. These individuals are listed in the Annexes. We are grateful to Legacoop, which supported the Cittadinanzattiva and FONDACA investment in this project. Lastly, we wish to express our appreciation to Mahi Khallaf, Finn Heinrich and Lorenzo Fioramonti, from the CIVICUS Civil Society Index team, for their selfless assistance and advice provided during the project implementation. Vittorio Ferla, Giovanni Moro, Ilaria Vannini CIVICUS - Civil Society Index - Italian Team CIVICUS Civil Society Index Report for Italy 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS FOREWORD ...............................................................................................................................................................1 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .............................................................................................................................................2 TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................................................................3 TABLES AND FIGURES ...............................................................................................................................................4 LIST OF ACRONYMS ..................................................................................................................................................6 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .............................................................................................................................................7 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................................................12 I CIVIL SOCIETY INDEX PROJECT & APPROACH.........................................................................................14 1. PROJECT BACKGROUND ......................................................................................................................................14 2. PROJECT APPROACH ...........................................................................................................................................15 II CIVIL SOCIETY IN ITALY ..............................................................................................................................19 1. HISTORICAL OVERVIEW OF CIVIL SOCIETY .........................................................................................................19 2. OVERVIEW OF THE CONCEPT OF CIVIL SOCIETY .................................................................................................20 3. KEY DISTINGUISHING FEATURES OF THE COUNTRY CONTEXT ...........................................................................21 4. MAPPING OF CIVIL SOCIETY IN ITALY ................................................................................................................22 III ANALYSIS OF CIVIL SOCIETY ...................................................................................................................30 1. STRUCTURE .........................................................................................................................................................30 1.1 The Extent of Citizen Participation in Civil Society........................................................................................30 1.2 Depth of Citizen Participation in Civil Society................................................................................................32 1.3 Diversity of Civil Society Participants.............................................................................................................33 1.4 Level of Organisation.......................................................................................................................................37 1.5 Inter-Relations within Civil Society ................................................................................................................42 1.6 Civil Society Resources ...................................................................................................................................43 Conclusion .............................................................................................................................................................46 2. ENVIRONMENT ....................................................................................................................................................47 2.1 Political Context...............................................................................................................................................47 2.2 Basic Rights and Freedoms..............................................................................................................................50 2.3 Socio-economic Context..................................................................................................................................52 2.4 Socio-cultural Context .....................................................................................................................................52
Load more

Recommended publications
  • CIT2-CT-2003-506023 INTERACT Intercultural Active Citizenship Education
    CIT2-CT-2003-506023 INTERACT Intercultural Active Citizenship Education Specific Targeted Research Project Thematic Priority 7: Citizenship and Governance in Knowledge Based Society Publishable final activity report Start date of project: 1 March 2004 Duration: 42 months Coordinator: Maria Manuela Duarte Guilherme Centro de Estudos Sociais, Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal Team Leaders and Senior Researchers: (Portugal) Manuela Guilherme & José Manuel Pureza (United Kingdom) Audrey Osler & Hugh Starkey (Denmark) Bente Meyer & Claus Haas (Spain) Paloma Castro Research Assistants: Natalia Barranco, Michalis Kakos, Olga Solovova, Ricardo Cabrita, Graça Costa, Katrine Dahl Madsen, Helle Rorbech 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introduction 2. Document Analysis 2.a. – At the European level 2.b. – At the national level 2.c. – Crossnational comparative analysis 3. Empirical Study – Interviews with Policy Makers and Academic Experts 4. Teacher Education 4.a. Postgraduate and Teacher Development Programmes (national coverage) 4.b. Postgraduate and Teacher Development Programmes (cross-national analysis) 5. Empirical Study: Teachers’ Voices 5.a. Study Design 5.b. ‘Teachers as Citizens’ 5.c. ‘Teachers as Cultural Workers’ 5.d. ‘Teachers as Transformative Intellectuals’ 5.e. Quantitative analysis and participant observation (Portugal) 6. Conclusions 6.a. What did we learn from teachers? 6.b. What did we learn from policy procedures? 6.c. What are the recommendations for teacher education? 6.d. Cross-national Comparative Analysis 7. Project Evaluation 8. Final Plan for Dissemination and Use of Research 9. Annexes 2 Publishable executive summary This three-year Project, entitled INTERACT – Intercultural Active Citizenship Education, was carried out in four European countries: (a) Denmark (Danmarks Pädagogiske Universitet); (b) Portugal (Centro de Estudos Sociais, Universidade de Coimbra); (c) Spain (Universidad de Valladolid); and (d) United Kingdom (University of Leeds and University of London).
    [Show full text]
  • Health Systems in Transition: Slovenia (Vol. 18 No. 3 2016)
    Health Systems in Transition Vol. 18 No. 3 2016 Slovenia Health system review Tit Albreht • Radivoje Pribakovic´ Brinovec Dušan Jošar • Mircha Poldrugovac Tatja Kostnapfel • Metka Zaletel Dimitra Panteli • Anna Maresso Anna Maresso and Dimitra Panteli (Editors) and Ewout van Ginneken (Series editor) were responsible for this HiT Editorial Board Series editors Reinhard Busse, Berlin University of Technology, Germany Josep Figueras, European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies Martin McKee, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, United Kingdom Elias Mossialos, London School of Economics and Political Science, United Kingdom Ellen Nolte, European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies Ewout van Ginneken, Berlin University of Technology, Germany Series coordinator Gabriele Pastorino, European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies Editorial team Jonathan Cylus, European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies Cristina Hernández-Quevedo, European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies Marina Karanikolos, European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies Anna Maresso, European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies David McDaid, European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies Sherry Merkur, European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies Dimitra Panteli, Berlin University of Technology, Germany Wilm Quentin, Berlin University of Technology, Germany Bernd Rechel, European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies Erica Richardson, European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies Anna Sagan, European
    [Show full text]
  • Everyday Intolerance- Racist and Xenophic Violence in Italy
    Italy H U M A N Everyday Intolerance R I G H T S Racist and Xenophobic Violence in Italy WATCH Everyday Intolerance Racist and Xenophobic Violence in Italy Copyright © 2011 Human Rights Watch All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America ISBN: 1-56432-746-9 Cover design by Rafael Jimenez Human Rights Watch 350 Fifth Avenue, 34th floor New York, NY 10118-3299 USA Tel: +1 212 290 4700, Fax: +1 212 736 1300 [email protected] Poststraße 4-5 10178 Berlin, Germany Tel: +49 30 2593 06-10, Fax: +49 30 2593 0629 [email protected] Avenue des Gaulois, 7 1040 Brussels, Belgium Tel: + 32 (2) 732 2009, Fax: + 32 (2) 732 0471 [email protected] 64-66 Rue de Lausanne 1202 Geneva, Switzerland Tel: +41 22 738 0481, Fax: +41 22 738 1791 [email protected] 2-12 Pentonville Road, 2nd Floor London N1 9HF, UK Tel: +44 20 7713 1995, Fax: +44 20 7713 1800 [email protected] 27 Rue de Lisbonne 75008 Paris, France Tel: +33 (1)43 59 55 35, Fax: +33 (1) 43 59 55 22 [email protected] 1630 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 500 Washington, DC 20009 USA Tel: +1 202 612 4321, Fax: +1 202 612 4333 [email protected] Web Site Address: http://www.hrw.org March 2011 ISBN: 1-56432-746-9 Everyday Intolerance Racist and Xenophobic Violence in Italy I. Summary ...................................................................................................................... 1 Key Recommendations to the Italian Government ............................................................ 3 Methodology ................................................................................................................... 4 II. Background ................................................................................................................. 5 The Scale of the Problem ................................................................................................. 9 The Impact of the Media ...............................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Cry Havoc Règles Fr 05/01/14 17:46 Page1 Guiscarduiscard
    maquette historique UK v2_cry havoc règles fr 05/01/14 17:46 Page1 Guiscarduiscard HISTORY & SCENARIOS maquette historique UK v2_cry havoc règles fr 05/01/14 17:46 Page2 © Buxeria & Historic’One éditions - 2014 - v1.1 maquette historique UK v2_cry havoc règles fr 05/01/14 17:46 Page1 History Normans in Southern Italy and Sicily in the 11th Century 1 - The historical context 1.1 - Southern Italy and Sicily at the beginning of the 11th Century Byzantium had conquered Southern Italy and Sicily in the first half of the 6th century. But by the end of that century, Lombards coming from Northern Italy had conquered most of the peninsula, with Byzantium retaining only Calabria and Sicily. From the middle of the 9th century, the Aghlabid Dynasty of Ifrîquya (the original name of Eastern Maghreb) raided Sicily to take possession of the island. A new Byzantine offensive at the end of the century took back most of the lost territories in Apulia and Calabria and established Bari as the new provincial capital. Lombard territories further north were broken down between three cities led by princes: Capua, Salerno, and Benevento. Further east, Italian duchies of Naples, Amalfi, and Gaeta tried to keep their autonomy through successive alliances with the various regional powers to try and maintain their commercial interests. Ethnic struggles in Sicily between Arabs and Berbers on the one side, and various dynasties on the other side, led to power fragmentation: The island is divided between four rival military factions at the beginning of the 11th century. Beyond its natural boundaries, Southern Italy had to cope with two external powers which were looking to expel Byzantium from what they considered was part of their area of influence: the Papacy and the Holy Roman Empire.
    [Show full text]
  • Civil Renewal and Active Citizenship: a Guide to the Debate
    Civil renewal and active citizenship a guide to the debate Véronique Jochum, Belinda Pratten and Karl Wilding Civil renewal and active citizenship a guide to the debate Véronique Jochum, Belinda Pratten and Karl Wilding NCVO’s vision, mission and values NCVO membership NCVO’s vision Our goal is to support members by creating an environment in which voluntary organisations can flourish and develop. We provide a wide range NCVO’s vision is of a fair and open society, which encourages and of information and support services, as well as representing the sector when is supported by voluntary action. dealing with government and policy makers. NCVO’s mission Find out more about the benefits of NCVO membership at www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/join or call 020 7520 2414. NCVO aims to: • give a shared voice to voluntary organisations • cultivate an environment that fosters their development • help voluntary organisations to achieve the highest standards of practice and effectiveness • provide leadership to the voluntary sector in tackling new issues and unmet needs. NCVO’s working values NCVO will: • reflect the priorities and needs of member organisations both in its services and policies • provide services which are characterised by high quality, integrity and respect for recipients • encourage voluntary organisations to learn both from each other and from wider best practice • provide information in an open way with due regard to confidentiality • reflect the diversity of the voluntary sector in its work • provide continuing professional and personal development
    [Show full text]
  • PROMOTING INCLUSION THROUGH SOCIAL PROTECTION Report on the World Social Situation 2018 Advanced Copy Advanced Copy ST/ESA/366
    Advanced Copy PROMOTING INCLUSION THROUGH SOCIAL PROTECTION Report on the World Social Situation 2018 Advanced Copy Advanced Copy ST/ESA/366 Department of Economic and Social Affairs Promoting Inclusion through Social Protection Report on the World Social Situation 2018 United Nations New York, 2018 Advanced Copy Department of Economic and Social Affairs The Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat is a vital interface between global policies in the economic, social and environmental spheres and national action. The Department works in three main interlinked areas: (i) it compiles, generates and analyses a wide range of economic, social and environ- mental data and information on which States Members of the United Nations draw to review common problems and to take stock of policy options; (ii) it facilitates the negotiations of Member States in many intergovernmental bodies on joint courses of action to address ongoing or emerging global challenges; and (iii) it advises interested Governments on the ways and means of translating policy frameworks developed in United Nations conferences and summits into programmes at the country level and, through technical assistance, helps build national capacities. Note The designations employed and the presentation of the material in the present publica- tion do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secre- tariat of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country or territory or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitations of its frontiers. The term “country” as used in the text of this report also refers, as appropriate, to territories or areas.
    [Show full text]
  • Durham E-Theses
    Durham E-Theses TERRONI AND POLENTONI: WHERE DOES THE TRUTH LIE? AN ANTHROPOLOGY OF SOCIAL NETWORKS AND ETHNICITY IN PALERMO (SICILY), ITALY. PARDALIS, STERGIOS How to cite: PARDALIS, STERGIOS (2009) TERRONI AND POLENTONI: WHERE DOES THE TRUTH LIE? AN ANTHROPOLOGY OF SOCIAL NETWORKS AND ETHNICITY IN PALERMO (SICILY), ITALY. , Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/289/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk 2 TERRONI AND POLENTONI: WHERE DOES THE TRUTH LIE? AN ANTHROPOLOGY OF SOCIAL NETWORKS AND ETHNICITY IN PALERMO (SICILY), ITALY. A THESIS SUBMITTED IN DECEMBER 2009 TO THE DEPARTMENT OF ANTHROPOLOGY IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HEALTH OF DURHAM UNIVERSITY FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY BY Stergios Pardalis Stergios Pardalis: ‘Terroni and Polentoni: Where Does the Truth Lie? An Anthropology of Social Networks and Ethnicity in Palermo (Sicily), Italy.
    [Show full text]
  • The Diminishing Power and Democracy of Hong Kong: an Analysis of Hong Kong's Umbrella Movement and the Anti-Extradition Law Amendment Bill Movement
    Portland State University PDXScholar University Honors Theses University Honors College Summer 2021 The Diminishing Power and Democracy of Hong Kong: An Analysis of Hong Kong's Umbrella Movement and the Anti-Extradition Law Amendment Bill Movement Xiao Lin Kuang Portland State University Follow this and additional works at: https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/honorstheses Part of the Asian Studies Commons, and the Other International and Area Studies Commons Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Kuang, Xiao Lin, "The Diminishing Power and Democracy of Hong Kong: An Analysis of Hong Kong's Umbrella Movement and the Anti-Extradition Law Amendment Bill Movement" (2021). University Honors Theses. Paper 1126. https://doi.org/10.15760/honors.1157 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access. It has been accepted for inclusion in University Honors Theses by an authorized administrator of PDXScholar. Please contact us if we can make this document more accessible: [email protected]. The diminishing power and democracy of Hong Kong: an analysis of Hong Kong’s Umbrella Movement and the Anti-extradition Law Amendment Bill Movement by Xiao Lin Kuang An undergraduate honors thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the Requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Arts In University Honors And International Development Studies And Chinese Thesis Adviser Maureen Hickey Portland State University 2021 The diminishing power and democracy of Hong Kong Kuang 1 Abstract The future of Hong Kong – one of the most valuable economic port cities in the world – has been a key political issue since the Opium Wars (1839—1860).
    [Show full text]
  • ESS9 Appendix A3 Political Parties Ed
    APPENDIX A3 POLITICAL PARTIES, ESS9 - 2018 ed. 3.0 Austria 2 Belgium 4 Bulgaria 7 Croatia 8 Cyprus 10 Czechia 12 Denmark 14 Estonia 15 Finland 17 France 19 Germany 20 Hungary 21 Iceland 23 Ireland 25 Italy 26 Latvia 28 Lithuania 31 Montenegro 34 Netherlands 36 Norway 38 Poland 40 Portugal 44 Serbia 47 Slovakia 52 Slovenia 53 Spain 54 Sweden 57 Switzerland 58 United Kingdom 61 Version Notes, ESS9 Appendix A3 POLITICAL PARTIES ESS9 edition 3.0 (published 10.12.20): Changes from previous edition: Additional countries: Denmark, Iceland. ESS9 edition 2.0 (published 15.06.20): Changes from previous edition: Additional countries: Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania, Montenegro, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden. Austria 1. Political parties Language used in data file: German Year of last election: 2017 Official party names, English 1. Sozialdemokratische Partei Österreichs (SPÖ) - Social Democratic Party of Austria - 26.9 % names/translation, and size in last 2. Österreichische Volkspartei (ÖVP) - Austrian People's Party - 31.5 % election: 3. Freiheitliche Partei Österreichs (FPÖ) - Freedom Party of Austria - 26.0 % 4. Liste Peter Pilz (PILZ) - PILZ - 4.4 % 5. Die Grünen – Die Grüne Alternative (Grüne) - The Greens – The Green Alternative - 3.8 % 6. Kommunistische Partei Österreichs (KPÖ) - Communist Party of Austria - 0.8 % 7. NEOS – Das Neue Österreich und Liberales Forum (NEOS) - NEOS – The New Austria and Liberal Forum - 5.3 % 8. G!LT - Verein zur Förderung der Offenen Demokratie (GILT) - My Vote Counts! - 1.0 % Description of political parties listed 1. The Social Democratic Party (Sozialdemokratische Partei Österreichs, or SPÖ) is a social above democratic/center-left political party that was founded in 1888 as the Social Democratic Worker's Party (Sozialdemokratische Arbeiterpartei, or SDAP), when Victor Adler managed to unite the various opposing factions.
    [Show full text]
  • LA FAMIGLIA the Ideology of Sicilian Family Networks
    LA FAMIGLIA The Ideology of Sicilian Family Networks Eva Carlestål LA FAMIGLIA The Ideology of Sicilian Family Networks Dissertation for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Cultural Anthropology presented at Uppsala University in 2005 ABSTRACT Carlestål, Eva, 2005. La Famiglia – The Ideology of Sicilian Family Networks. DICA, Disser- tations in Cultural Anthropology, 3. 227 pp. Uppsala. ISSN 1651-7601, ISBN 91-506-1791-5. Anthropological data from fieldwork carried out among a fishing population in western Sicily show how related matrifocal nuclear families are tightly knit within larger, male-headed networks. The mother focus at the basic family level is thereby balanced and the system indi- cates that the mother-child unit does not function effectively on its own, as has often been argued for this type of family structure. As a result of dominating moral values which strong- ly emphasise the uniqueness of family and kin, people are brought up to depend heavily upon and to be loyal to their kin networks, to see themselves primarily as parts of these social units and less so as independent clearly bounded individuals, and to distinctly separate family members from non-family members. This dependence is further strengthened by matri- and/or patrivicinity being the dominant form of locality, by the traditional naming system as well as a continual use of kin terms, and by related people socialising and collaborating closely. The social and physical boundaries thus created around the family networks are further streng- thened by local architecture that symbolically communicates the closed family unit; by the woman, who embodies her family as well as their house, having her outdoor movements restric- ted in order to shield both herself and her family; by self-mastery when it comes to skilfully calculating one's actions and words as a means of controlling the impression one makes on others; and by local patriotism that separates one's co-villagers from foreigners.
    [Show full text]
  • Reclaiming Their Shadow: Ethnopolitical Mobilization in Consolidated Democracies
    Reclaiming their Shadow: Ethnopolitical Mobilization in Consolidated Democracies Ph. D. Dissertation by Britt Cartrite Department of Political Science University of Colorado at Boulder May 1, 2003 Dissertation Committee: Professor William Safran, Chair; Professor James Scarritt; Professor Sven Steinmo; Associate Professor David Leblang; Professor Luis Moreno. Abstract: In recent decades Western Europe has seen a dramatic increase in the political activity of ethnic groups demanding special institutional provisions to preserve their distinct identity. This mobilization represents the relative failure of centuries of assimilationist policies among some of the oldest nation-states and an unexpected outcome for scholars of modernization and nation-building. In its wake, the phenomenon generated a significant scholarship attempting to account for this activity, much of which focused on differences in economic growth as the root cause of ethnic activism. However, some scholars find these models to be based on too short a timeframe for a rich understanding of the phenomenon or too narrowly focused on material interests at the expense of considering institutions, culture, and psychology. In response to this broader debate, this study explores fifteen ethnic groups in three countries (France, Spain, and the United Kingdom) over the last two centuries as well as factoring in changes in Western European thought and institutions more broadly, all in an attempt to build a richer understanding of ethnic mobilization. Furthermore, by including all “national
    [Show full text]
  • Urban Society and Communal Independence in Twelfth-Century Southern Italy
    Urban society and communal independence in Twelfth-Century Southern Italy Paul Oldfield Submitted in accordance with the requirements for the degree of PhD. The University of Leeds The School of History September 2006 The candidate confirms that the work submitted is his own and that appropriate credit has been given where reference has been made to the work of others. This copy has been supplied on the understanding that it is copyright material and that no quotation from the thesis may be published without proper acknowledgement. Acknowledgements I would like to express my thanks for the help of so many different people, without which there would simply have been no thesis. The funding of the AHRC (formerly AHRB) and the support of the School of History at the University of Leeds made this research possible in the first place. I am grateful too for the general support, and advice on reading and sources, provided by Dr. A. J. Metcalfe, Dr. P. Skinner, Professor E. Van Houts, and Donald Matthew. Thanks also to Professor J-M. Martin, of the Ecole Francoise de Rome, for his continual eagerness to offer guidance and to discuss the subject. A particularly large thanks to Mr. I. S. Moxon, of the School of History at the University of Leeds, for innumerable afternoons spent pouring over troublesome Latin, for reading drafts, and for just chatting! Last but not least, I am hugely indebted to the support, understanding and endless efforts of my supervisor Professor G. A. Loud. His knowledge and energy for the subject has been infectious, and his generosity in offering me numerous personal translations of key narrative and documentary sources (many of which are used within) allowed this research to take shape and will never be forgotten.
    [Show full text]