Durham E-Theses The political uses of identity an enthnography of the northern league Fernandes, Vasco Sérgio Costa How to cite: Fernandes, Vasco Sérgio Costa (2009) The political uses of identity an enthnography of the northern league, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/2080/ 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 University of Durham The Political Uses of Identity: An Ethnography of the Northern The copyright of this thesis rests with the author or the university to which it was League submitted. No quotation from it, or information derived from it may be published without the prior written consent of the author or university, and any information derived from it should be acknowledged. By Vasco Sergio Costa Fernandes Department of Anthropology April 2009 Thesis submitted in accordance with the requirement for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Supervisors: Dr Paul Sant Cassia Dr Peter Collins 2 1 MAY 2009 Abstract This is a thesis about the Northern League {Lega Nord), a regionalist and nationalist party that rose to prominence during the last three decades in the north of Italy Throughout this period the Northern League developed from a peripheral and protest movement, into an important government force. In the last political elections (April 2008) the Northern League gained more than 20% of the votes in the North, guaranteeing in this a way an important role in the new conservative coalition guided by Silvio Berlusconi. In particular, I set out to explore the ways in which the Lega press for the construction of a northern national identity and offer this as a case study through which we might frirther our understanding of the social and political uses of identity in the context of modem Europe. The success of the Northern League has been largely explained, up until now, in terms of its capacity to represent, politically, the material conflicts between the industrialized but politically peripheral North and the central state. For this reason, the League's attempts to reconstruct a local ethnic identity and later on the creation and imagination of a northern nation (Padania) has been mainly analysed as a rational and pragmatic invention, used as part of the struggle for political power. Such an approach, however, can overlook the extent to which non-material circumstances (habits, beliefs, social practices, and moral ideas) influence individuals' political choices. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork among Northern League activists in the region of Veneto, and more precisely in the provinces of Belluno and Treviso, these aspects were analysed in the following way. After establishing the historical and methodological context, I go on to consider the disaffection of the Northern League with the Italian state, its history and its institutions. I then investigate the Northern League's model of identity construction through the study of public ceremonies, political speeches, and ritual practices. I continue to draw on ethnographic fieldwork in order to make visible the relationship between the imagination of the Northern Identity and local social practices. I then go on to examine, at the micro level, a number of local economic practices and their connections with the League's ideology. The last chapter focuses on the role of gender, linking the self-representation of local men with the League's concept of authority. I conclude that in order to understand the economy of identity, its production, exchange and circulation, identity has to be seen in the light of social actors' practices and direct experiences of everyday life. For this reason, I argue that leghismo ought to be understood not just as a subject of political representation, but also as a strategy through which local actors try to make sense of, and adapt to ~ or more importantly transform ~ their own social world. Acknowledgements For a long time I doubted this final moment would be possible. During this period of doubt and uncertainty every time I opened a new book, I always read the acknowledgments with curiosity. Thesis and books are final products. In their formal perfection they appeared to have been written in a moment of inspiration, which makes the writer to emerge almost as a mighty figure. The acknowledgments, however, allows going a little beyond this mask of perfection and erudition, and understand that although academic work is mainly an individual endeavour, the outcome of his work is dependent on cooperation with others. The debts that I accumulated during the PhD can hardly be fully acknowledged. Especially because they go beyond the professional sphere, and enter deeply on the personal one. I want to thank my father, mother, sister, grandmother and godparents for helping me realizing this personal dream. They provided me with support and strength even in the darkest moment, when I did not believe in myself and thought about quitting. I owe a great debt to Maria Assunta. Although she did not always understand the root of my difficulties, and especially my absence, her love, sensibility and trust were essential to me. I hope this difficult period reinforced our love, and that fi:om now on I can become a clearer and more objective presence in her life. I also want to thank to the family Opportuno for their fiiendship, support and intellectual help. Their criticism allowed me to have a deeper understanding of the Italian society, and raised stimulant questions, that now that I am on the verge of becoming Italian, I wish to fiirther explore. With much gratitude I want to thank to my supervisors for their intellectual advice, support and trust. I was not an easy student... I want to thank Paul Sant Cassia for his trust, reading suggestions, valid criticism, and patience with my poor English. I own a special personal debt to Peter Collins, who in the last six months so patiently read and commented all my last drafts. He not only provided valuable comments regarding the academic content, but also helped me with my language problems. Without his presence, support, and patience this thesis would have been an impossible task. Various other people in the department contributed to the thesis. For their enthusiastic comments on earlier draft of this work during the post graduate writing up seminars, I want to thank, David, Simon, Roula, Maria, Mariza and Mathilda. I also want to thank Emily, Gerry and Helen for making "the office" a more pleasant and human place. With gratitude I want to thank the Rotary foundation whose financial support was essential during this process. In particular I want to thank the Rotary club of Lisbon for their interest in my research project, the Rotary club of Newcastle, in the person of John Mayes for his help when I arrived to Durham, and finally to the Rotary club of Belluno for their warm welcome. Being a Rotary ambassador was an important life experience and I hope this work fully justifies their investment. My grateful thanks go the friends that so strongly support me. First of all, I want to thank Odilia for her kind and positive spirit. Even through the phone her smile and confidence always helped me to the see the "glass half fiiU". To my male friends, Erik, Adam and Simon, I will always remember your companionship and sense of humour. Together with some pints of beer, you helped me to see the difficuhies that I was going through as "part of the process". To Dr. Buck for understanding my deepest feelings without openly deconstructing them and of course for her precious help in proofreading my drafts. I wish to thank Joao, Joao, Francisco, Paula and Rui for their kind hospitality and friendship. Organizing Portuguese dinners was an amazing experience, which I will always remember. For listening to me in a difficult moment of my life I want to thank Rachel. I whished they could have seen a happier and especially more present Vasco. I own much to the people that helped me during my fieldwork, and made not only this research possible, but my presence in Belluno a valuable personal experience. I want to thank in particular to four people. Meeting them was the best part of the fieldwork. Valter for hosting me in his beautiful caseta that I will always remember, for showing me the province, and especially for helping me to understand what is to be a Bellunese; Tiziano for his great friendship, openness and excitement about my work, and of course for the possibility of going to Ryla, where I met my wife... To Angelo and his family for their warm welcome and attempts to integrate this foresto in the local community. To Orso Grigio for sharing is life and time with me. His patience with my attempts to understand the League was crucial to ftirther my understanding of the leghismo. I hope my account will not betray his confidence. I also want to thank Andrea and Firmino for their enthusiasm about my research and especially for their trust.