Active Citizenship, Political Participation and European Identity. Discourses and Practices in Italy and Great Britain

Journal title SOCIOLOGIA E POLITICHE SOCIALI
Author/s Cristiano Bee, Paola Villano
Publishing Year 2017 Issue 2017/1
Language Italian Pages 24 P. 135-158 File size 270 KB
DOI 10.3280/SP2017-001007
DOI is like a bar code for intellectual property: to have more infomation click here

Below, you can see the article first page

If you want to buy this article in PDF format, you can do it, following the instructions to buy download credits

Article preview

FrancoAngeli is member of Publishers International Linking Association, Inc (PILA), a not-for-profit association which run the CrossRef service enabling links to and from online scholarly content.

The article is focused on different conceptualisations of the notion of citizenship in Italy and in the UK as well as it looks at the practice and significance of active citizenship for activists involved in different Social NGOs. In discussing the Italian case, we contrast different styles of development of active citizenship (top down and bottom up) by taking into account processes promoted by public institutions as well as emerging from the civil society. In addressing the British case, we overview the policy reforms regarding citizenship put forward first of all under the New Right government of Thatcher and subsequently by looking at the reframing provided by New Labours after the election of Tony Blair in 1997. The second part of the article focuses on the presentation of the results of a number of interviews conducted with NGOs’ activists aiming at providing a reflection upon the interlink between political participation and europeanisation.

Keywords: Active Citizenship; Political Participation; European Identity; Europeanisation; Discourse Analysis.

  1. Allegretti, U. 2006. Basi giuridiche della democrazia partecipativa in Italia: alcuni orientamenti. In Democrazia e Diritto, 3, pp. 151-163.
  2. — 2009. Democrazia partecipativa e processi di democratizzazione, paper presentato alla conferenza La democrazia partecipativa in Italia e in Europa: esperienze e prospettive, Firenze, 3 Aprile.
  3. Andretta, M. and Caiani, M. 2005. Social Movements in Italy: which kind of Europeanisation? Journal of Southern Europe and the Balkans, 7 (3), pp. 283-298.
  4. Andrews, R., Cowell, R. and Downe, J. 2008). Support for active citizenship and public service performance: an empirical analysis of English local authorities. Policy & Politics 36 (2): pp. 225-243.
  5. Arena, G. ed. 2001. La funzione di comunicazione nelle pubbliche amministrazioni. Rimini: Maggioli.
  6. — 2006. Cittadini attivi. Roma e Bari, Laterza.
  7. Barrett, M. and Zani B. eds. 2015. Political and Civic Engagement. Multisciplinary Perspectives. Hove, Routledge.
  8. Bee, C. 2010. Understanding the EU’s institutional communication: Principles and structure of a contested policy. In C. Bee and E. Bozzini eds. 2010. Mapping the European Public Sphere: Institutions, Media and Civil Society, pp. 83-98. Aldershot: Ashgate.
  9. Bellamy, R. 2000. Rethinking Liberalism. London: Pinter.
  10. Bellamy, R., Castiglione, D. and Santoro, E. 2004. Lineages of European Citizenship. Rights, Belonging and Participation in Eleven Nation-States. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
  11. Bobbio, L. 2002. Le arene deliberative. Rivista Italiana di Politiche Pubbliche 3, pp. 5-29.
  12. — 2007. Tipi di deliberazione. Rivista italiana di scienza politica 37 (3), pp. 359-383.
  13. Bonanni, M. e Penco, M. 2006. Preferenze o argomentazioni congelate? Esperienze di democrazia discorsiva. Milano: FrancoAngeli.
  14. Brehony, K.J. 1992. Active Citizens’: the case of school governors. International Studies in Sociology of Education, 2 (2), pp. 199-217.
  15. Burnett, J. 2007. Britain’s ‘civilising project’: community cohesion and core values. Policy and Politics 35 (2), pp. 353-357.
  16. Buzzi, C., Cavalli, A. e De Lillo, A. a cura di 2007. Rapporto giovani. Sesta indagine dell’Istituto IARD sulla condizione giovanile in Italia. Bologna, Il Mulino.
  17. Caligiuri, M. 1997. Lineamenti di Comunicazione Pubblica. Messina: Rubbettino Editore.
  18. Castles, S. and Davidson, A. 2000). Citizenship and migration. Globalisation and the politics of belonging. London: MCMillan Press.
  19. CEC. 2006. A Roadmap for equality between women and men 2006-2010. COM/2006/0092 final.
  20. Ceri, P. 1996. Partecipazione sociale. Enciclopedia delle Scienze Sociali, vol. VI. Roma, Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana, pp. 508-516.
  21. Charmaz, K. 2007. Constructing Grounded Theory: A Practical Guide Through Qualitative Analysis. London: Sage Publications, Second Edition.
  22. Davies, J. 2012. Active Citizenship: Navigating the Conservative Heartlands of the New Labour Project. Policy & Politics 40 (1), pp. 3-19.
  23. Delanty, G. 2000. Citizenship in a global age. Buckingham: Open University Press.
  24. — 2007. European Citizenship: A Critical Assessment. Citizenship Studies, 11 (1), pp. 63-72.
  25. Della Porta, D. a cura di 2004. Comitati di cittadini e democrazia urbana. Soveria Mannelli (CZ): Rubbettino.
  26. Della Porta, D. e Diani, M. 2004. Movimenti senza protesta? L’ambientalismo in Italia. Bologna: Il Mulino.
  27. Donati, P. e Tronca, L. 2008. Il capitale sociale degli italiani. Le radici familiari, comunitarie e associative del civismo. Milano: FrancoAngeli.
  28. Dryzek, J.S. 2006. Policy Analysis as Critique. In M. Moran, M. Rein, M. and R.E. Goodin eds. 2006. The Oxford Handbook of Public Policy, pp. 190-203. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  29. Eder, K. and Giesen, G. eds. 2001. European Citizenship between National Legacies and Postnational Projects. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  30. Ekman, I. and Amna, E. 2009. Political participation and civic engagement: Toward a new typology. Youth & Society. Working Paper, 2.
  31. Emler, N. P. 2011. What does it take to be a political actor in a multicultural society? In M. Barrett, C. Flood and J. Eade eds. 2011. Nationalism, ethnicity, citizenship: Multidisciplinary perspectives, pp.135-161. Newcastle: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
  32. Esposito, G. 2000. Elementi di Comunicazione Pubblica. Napoli: Edizioni Giuridiche Simone.
  33. Faccioli, F. 2000. Comunicazione pubblica e cultura del servizio. Roma: Carocci.
  34. Faulks, K. 2000. Citizenship. London: Routledge.
  35. — 1998. Citizenship in Modern Britain. Edinburg: Edinburgh University Press.
  36. Fawkes, J. and Moloney, K. 2008. Does the European Union (EU) need a propaganda watchdog like the US Institute of Propaganda Analysis to strengthen its democratic civil society and free markets? Public Relations Review 34, pp. 204-217.
  37. Fedi, A. e Mannarini, T. a cura di 2008. Oltre il Nimby. La dimensione psico-sociale della protesta contro le opere sgradite. Milano: FrancoAngeli
  38. Ferrera, M. 2004. Verso una cittadinanza sociale aperta. I nuovi confini del welfare nell’Unione Europea. Rivista italiana di scienza politica 1: 95-126.
  39. Forbrig, J. ed. 2005. Revisiting Youth Political Participation. Strasbourg: Council of Europe.
  40. Gadotti, G. 2001. Pubblicità sociale. Lineamenti, esperienze e nuovi sviluppi. Milano: FrancoAngeli.
  41. Gelli, F. ed. 2005. La democrazia locale tra rappresentanza e partecipazione. Milano, FrancoAngeli.
  42. — 2007. Le nuove forme della partecipazione. Roma: Carocci.
  43. Giddens, A. 2006. Positive Welfare. In C. Pierson and F.G. Castles eds. 2006. The Welfare State Reader, pp. 378-388. Cambridge: Polity Press.
  44. — 1998. The Third Way. The Renewal of Social Democracy. Cambridge : Polity Press.
  45. — 2000. The Third Way and Its Critics. Cambridge: Polity Press.
  46. — ed. 2001. The Global Third Way Debate. Cambridge: Polity Press.
  47. Grandi, R. 2007. La comunicazione pubblica. Teorie, casi, profili normativi. Roma: Carocci.
  48. Griva, A. and Piazza, A. 1996. Guida alla Comunicazione pubblica. Teorie, strumenti esperienze. Torino: Centro Scientifico Editore.
  49. Grunig, A. and Grunig, J. E. 1992. Models of public relations and communication. In J.E. Grunig ed. 1992. Excellence in Public Relations and Communication Management, pp. 285-326. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
  50. Habermas, J. 1994. Citizenship and national identity. In B. Van Steenbergen ed. 1994. The condition of citizenship, pp. 20-35. London: Sage.
  51. Hajer, M. 2002. Discourse analysis and the study of policy making. European Political Science 2(1), pp. 61-65.
  52. Heater, D. (1999). What is citizenship? Cambridge: Polity Press.
  53. Home Office. 2008. The Path to citizenship: next steps in reforming the immigration system. --Available online at: http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20100422120657/http:/www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/aboutus/consultations/pathtocitizenship/pathtocitizenship?view=Binary [Last accessed: 30/12/2016].
  54. Hooghe, L. and Marks, G. 2001. Multilevel Governance and European Integration. Boulder, Colorado: Rowman & Littlefield.
  55. Howart, D. and Torfing, J. 2005. Discourse Theory in European Politics. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
  56. Isin, E.F., Nyers P. and B.S. Turner. 2009. Citizenship between Past and Future. London: Routledge.
  57. Kearns, A. 1995. Active citizenship and local governance: political and geographical dimensions. Political Geography, 14(2), pp. 155-175.
  58. Lanzara, G.F. 2005. La deliberazione come indagine pubblica. In L. Pellizzoni a cura di 2005. La deliberazione pubblica, pp. 51-74. Roma: Meltem editore.
  59. Lister, R. 1997. Citizenship: Feminist Perspectives. Basingstoke: MacMillan.
  60. Mancini, P. 2006. Manuale di comunicazione pubblica. Bari: Laterza.
  61. Mannarini, T. 2004. Comunità e partecipazione. Prospettive psicosociali. Milano: FrancoAngeli.
  62. Marinetto, M. 2003. Who Wants to be an Active Citizen? The Politics and Practice of Community Involvement. Sociology 37(1), pp. 103–120.
  63. Marshall, T.H. 1950. Citizenship and social class: and other essays. Cambridge: University Press.
  64. McGhee, D. 2009. The paths to citizenship: a critical examination of immigration policy in Britain since 2001. Patterns of Prejudice, 43:1, pp. 41-64.
  65. — 2008. The End of Multiculturalism? Terrorism, Integration and Human Rights. Berkshire: Open University Press.
  66. — 2006. Getting ‘Host’ Communities On Board: Finding the Balance Between ‘Managed Migration’ and ‘Managed Settlement’ in Community Cohesion Strategies. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies 32(1), pp. 111-127.
  67. — 2003. Moving to ‘our’ common ground – a critical examination of community cohesion discourse in twenty-first century Britain. The Sociological Review 51( 3), pp. 376–404.
  68. Mastropaolo, A. 2001. Democrazia, neodemocrazia, postdemocrazia: tre paradigmi a confronto. Diritto Pubblico Comparato ed Europeo IV, pp. 1611-1635.
  69. Miller, D. 2008. Immigrants, Nations and Citizenship’. Journal of Political Philosophy 16, pp. 371-90.
  70. — 2008b. Republican Citizenship, Nationality and Europe. In Laborde C. and J. Maynor eds. 2008. Republicanism and Political Theory. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.
  71. Morlino, L. 2003. Democrazie e democratizzazioni. Bologna, il Mulino.
  72. Moro, G. 2010. L’attivismo civico e le pratiche di cittadinanza. Paper delivered at SISP Conference, Venice, September 2010.
  73. — 2005. Azione civica. Conoscere e gestire le organizzazioni di cittadinanza attiva. Carocci: Roma.
  74. — Manuale di cittadinanza attiva. Carocci: Roma.
  75. Mouffe, C. 1992. Democratic Citizenship and the Political Community. In C. Mouffe ed. 1992. Dimensions of Radical Democracy: Pluralism, Citizenship, Community, pp. 225-239. London: Verso.
  76. Pellizzoni, L. 2005b. Cosa significa partecipare, Rassegna Italiana di Sociologia, 3, pp. 479-514.
  77. — a cura di 2005. La deliberazione pubblica. Roma: Meltem editore.
  78. Piselli, F. 1995. Reti. L’analisi di network nelle scienze sociali. Roma: Donzelli.
  79. — 2001. Capitale sociale: un concetto situazionale e dinamico. In A. Bagasco, F. Piselli, A. Pizzorno, C. Trigiglia a cura di 2001. Il capitale sociale. Istruzioni per l’uso, pp. 47-75. Bologna: Il Mulino.
  80. Putnam, R., Nanetti, R. and Leonardi R. 1993. Making democracy work: civic traditions in modern Italy. Princeton, N.J.. Chichester: Princeton University Press
  81. Radaelli, C.M. 2003. The Europeanization of Public Policy. In K. Featherstone and C.M. Radaelli a cura di 2003. The Politics of Europeanization, pp. 27-56. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  82. Ratcliffe, P. 2012. Community cohesion’: Reflections on a flawed paradigm. Critical Social Policy 32 (2), pp. 262-281.
  83. Shaw, J. 2009. Political Rights and Multilevel Citizenship in Europe. In S. Carrera and E. Guild eds. 2009. Illiberal Liberal States: Immigration, Citizenship and Integration in the EU, pp. 29-49. Aldershot: Ashgate.
  84. Sherrod, L., Torney-Purta, J. and Flanagan, C. eds. 2010. Handbook of Research on Civic Engagement in Youth. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley.
  85. Van Dijk, T.A. 2008. Ideology: A multidisciplinary approach. London: Sage.
  86. Van Ruler, B. and Verčič. D. eds. 2004. Public relations and communication management in Europe: A nation-by-nation introduction to public relations theory and practice. Berlin and New York: Mouton de Gruyter.
  87. Villano, P., Bertocchi, A. 2011. I “discorsi” sulla partecipazione e sulla cittadinanza nelle politiche italiane: i giovani e i migranti. In B. Zani, E. Cicognani e C. Albanesi a cura di 2011. La partecipazione civica e politica dei giovani. Discorsi, esperienze, significati, pp. 33-62. Bologna, Clueb.
  88. — 2014. On Active Citizenship: Discourses and Language about Youth and Migrants in Italy. Journal of Civil Society, 10 (1), pp. 82-99.
  89. Zukin, C., Keeter, S., Andolina, M., Jenkins, K. e Delli, Carpini M.X. 2006. A New Engagement? Political Participation, Civic Life, and the Changing American Citizen. New York: Oxford University Press.

Cristiano Bee, Paola Villano, Cittadinanza attiva, partecipazione politica e identità europea. Discorsi e pratiche in italia e regno unito in "SOCIOLOGIA E POLITICHE SOCIALI" 1/2017, pp 135-158, DOI: 10.3280/SP2017-001007