italian-studies: Scholarly discussions in any field of Italian studies
CALL FOR PAPERS: PSA CONFERENCE, READING, 3-6 APRIL 2006
Title: Liberty, Security and Identity in contemporary Italian
politics real and imagined threats.
Convenors: Stefano Fella (Trento) and James Newell (Salford)
Building on the official theme of the 2006 PSA conference (Liberty,
Security and the Challenge for Government) we invite papers that explore
political discussion in contemporary Italy around the themes of liberty,
security and identity. Of particular interest would be (1) the way in
which political competition and debate within and across the political
parties has developed around these themes (bearing in mind that they are
likely to feature prominently in the forthcoming general election campaign)
(2) and the way in which such themes are addressed and conceptualised by
the various actors present on the Italian political stage. Thus, certain
developments in politics, the economy and society are presented as threats
to liberty, security or identity in Italy.
This proposal potentially encompasses a range of themes and issues in
Italian politics, as the (not necessarily exhaustive) examples below
illustrate:
i) So called threats to liberty examples of this could be: (in the eyes of
the left) an over-bearing state clamping down on civil liberties (using the
threat of terrorism for example to justify this); constitutional reforms
which threaten the nature of democracy in Italy; or even (in the eyes of
Berlusconi and elements of the right) the threat to liberty posed by
'communists' in the opposition.
ii) So called threats to identity examples of this could be: non-EU
immigration (particularly Islamic immigration) and notions of
multi-culturalism; the threats posed by globalisation or Americanisation,
by closer EU integration or EU enlargement (e.g. Turkish accession to the EU)
iii) So called threats to security - examples of this could be: crime and
terrorism (with immigrants often portrayed as being carriers of such a
threat into Italy); or in terms of economic security - the threat posed by
globalisation again, by cheap imports from Asia etc, or from the euro and a
European integration model which allegedly favours big business.
Discussion of these issues often overlaps. We would welcome proposals for
papers that either connect a number of these themes or address these themes
individually.
Paper abstracts (circa 250 words) should be e-mailed by 20 October 2005 to:
Stefano Fella ([log in to unmask]) and Jim Newell
([log in to unmask])
For more information visit the conference website at: www.psa.ac.uk/2006
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @
James L. Newell
School of English, Sociology, Politics & Contemporary History
University of Salford
Salford M5 4WT
England
Tel.: +44 (0)161 295 5660, Fax: +44 (0)161 295
5077
HOME:
via Dario Neri 53, 53010 Costalpino, Siena (Italy)
Tel./Fax: +39 0577393353, Cell.: +39 3333530529
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @
**********************************************************************
To join the list, send the message: join italian-studies YOUR NAME
to: [log in to unmask]
To send a message to the list, address it to:
[log in to unmask]
To leave the list, send the message: leave italian-studies
to: [log in to unmask]
In order to report problems or to contact the list's owners, write to:
[log in to unmask]
For further information, visit our web site:
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/italian-studies.html
|