Negli ultimi mesi istituzioni e mass media hanno preso di mira artisti, attivisti, intellettuali e studenti solidali con la Palestina, ebrei compresi. Le proteste sono state spesso represse come antisemite innescando, specialmente in Germania, una "guerra all'antisemitismo" che criminalizza le critiche a Israele. Pur riconoscendo episodi di antisemitismo legati all'estrema destra, tale "guerra" è stata sfruttata per promuovere una narrativa razzista a difesa dell'Occidente. In questo pamphlet Della Porta analizza il panico morale e le sue basi sociali e istituzionali, a un anno dal 7 ottobre e dall'invasione della Striscia di Gaza.

Concentrando l'attenzione sulla pandemia da Covid-19, il volume offre un'analisi approfondita su temi quali partecipazione, istituzionale e dal basso, democrazia partecipativa e deliberativa, comunicazione della scienza e del rischio. L'esame del caso italiano è basato su dati empirici di tipo qualitativo interpretati alla luce delle più aggiornate teorie sociologiche e politologiche. Ne deriva un'analisi che sviluppa contenuti di rilievo per dibattiti più ampi in merito ai movimenti sociali, alla cittadinanza attiva, alla partecipazione e alla comunicazione contemporanee. Il libro individua i processi e le visioni che hanno caratterizzato l'attività della società civile durante l'emergenza sanitaria, considerati all'interno di un contesto di crisi fortemente influenzato dall'attività di altri attori, specificamente la politica, i media e gli esperti.

Cosa si intende per corruzione sistemica? Quali meccanismi ne favoriscono l'adattamento alle trasformazioni del contesto in cui si sviluppa? Chi sono i suoi protagonisti? Il volume risponde a queste domande applicando un originale approccio teorico all'analisi di una mole imponente di dati empirici: atti giudiziari, materiale giornalistico, documenti di enti pubblici e privati, in un arco temporale che va dalle vicende storiche di Mani pulite fino alle inchieste più recenti. Dalla ricerca emerge come i robusti equilibri della corruzione sistemica non siano stati scalfiti dai mutamenti politici e dalle inchieste giudiziarie. Si osserva piuttosto una sorta di «slittamento verso il privato» del baricentro che stabilizza i patti di corruzione, con un ribilanciamento di funzioni, processi decisionali, risorse messe in campo dagli attori coinvolti. I segnali d'allarme dal presente si proiettano alla futura gestione degli oltre duecento miliardi del Recovery Fund, in una cornice di scelta pubblica che rischia di rinsaldare nuovi circuiti di corruzione sistemica.

Recent years have seen an enormous increase in protests across the world in which citizens have challenged what they see as a deterioration of democratic institutions and the very civil, political and social rights that form the basis of democratic life. Beginning with Iceland in 2008, and then forcefully in Egypt, Tunisia, Spain, Greece and Portugal, or more recently in Peru, Brazil, Russia, Bulgaria, Turkey and Ukraine, people have taken to the streets against what they perceive as a rampant and dangerous corruption of democracy, with a distinct focus on inequality and suffering.

This timely new book addresses the anti-austerity social movements of which these protests form part, mobilizing in the context of a crisis of neoliberalism. Donatella della Porta shows that, in order to understand their main facets in terms of social basis, strategy, and identity and organizational structures, we should look at the specific characteristics of the socioeconomic, cultural and political context in which they developed.

The result is an important and insightful contribution to understanding a key issue of our times, which will be of interest to students and scholars of political and economic sociology, political science and social movement studies, as well as political activists.

Recent years have seen an enormous increase in protests across the world in which citizens have challenged what they see as a deterioration of democratic institutions and the very civil, political and social rights that form the basis of democratic life. Beginning with Iceland in 2008, and then forcefully in Egypt, Tunisia, Spain, Greece and Portugal, or more recently in Peru, Brazil, Russia, Bulgaria, Turkey and Ukraine, people have taken to the streets against what they perceive as a rampant and dangerous corruption of democracy, with a distinct focus on inequality and suffering.

This timely new book addresses the anti-austerity social movements of which these protests form part, mobilizing in the context of a crisis of neoliberalism. Donatella della Porta shows that, in order to understand their main facets in terms of social basis, strategy, and identity and organizational structures, we should look at the specific characteristics of the socioeconomic, cultural and political context in which they developed.

The result is an important and insightful contribution to understanding a key issue of our times, which will be of interest to students and scholars of political and economic sociology, political science and social movement studies, as well as political activists.

Attori fondamentali delle democrazie rappresentative, i partiti politici hanno vissuto trasformazioni importanti negli ultimi anni, per quanto riguarda sia la struttura organizzativa sia il funzionamento; trasformazioni che hanno finito per metterne in discussione il ruolo stesso. In questa utile introduzione basata su una ampia varietà di dati tratti da analisi empiriche recenti, l'autrice sottopone i partiti a una sorta di check-up in riferimento a una costellazione di problemi: burocratizzazione, rappresentatività, mediatizzazione, costruzione delle identità collettive.

Financial crisis, economic globalization and the strengthening of neoliberal policies present stark challenges to traditional conceptions of representative democracy. Yet, at the same time, new opportunities are emerging that propose alternative visions for the future of democracy.

In this highly articulate book, Donatella della Porta analyses diverse conceptions and practices of participatory and deliberative democracy, building upon recent reflections in normative theory as well as original empirical research. As well as drawing on key historical examples, the book pays close attention to the current revitalization of social movements: the Arab Spring uprisings in processes of democratic transition; the potential of new technologies to develop so-called e-democracy in the Indignados and Occupy Wall Street protests; and proposals for cosmopolitan democracy found in recent campaigns for democratization of the European Union and United Nations. Alongside such social movements, the book also assesses institutional reactions, from the policing of protest to efforts at reform.

This contribution to a critical contemporary debate, by a leading political sociologist and scholar of social movements, will be of great value to students and scholars of political sociology, political science and social movement studies, as well as anyone interested in the shape and development of democracy.

Financial crisis, economic globalization and the strengthening of neoliberal policies present stark challenges to traditional conceptions of representative democracy. Yet, at the same time, new opportunities are emerging that propose alternative visions for the future of democracy.

In this highly articulate book, Donatella della Porta analyses diverse conceptions and practices of participatory and deliberative democracy, building upon recent reflections in normative theory as well as original empirical research. As well as drawing on key historical examples, the book pays close attention to the current revitalization of social movements: the Arab Spring uprisings in processes of democratic transition; the potential of new technologies to develop so-called e-democracy in the Indignados and Occupy Wall Street protests; and proposals for cosmopolitan democracy found in recent campaigns for democratization of the European Union and United Nations. Alongside such social movements, the book also assesses institutional reactions, from the policing of protest to efforts at reform.

This contribution to a critical contemporary debate, by a leading political sociologist and scholar of social movements, will be of great value to students and scholars of political sociology, political science and social movement studies, as well as anyone interested in the shape and development of democracy.

Comprehensive, authoritative, interdisciplinary, and up-to-date, The Wiley-Blackwell Encyclopedia of Social and Political Movements contains over 400 entries across three volumes, exploring social and political movements and related collective phenomena throughout the world.

• COMPREHENSIVE: Comprising over 400 entries across three volumes, this invaluable reference resource explores major social and political movements and related collective phenomena across the globe
• INTERNATIONAL: Brings together a prestigious editorial team drawn from ten countries and from across four disciplines
• WIDE-RANGING: Covers a broad range of historical and modern topics to create an understanding of many of the most significant social and political developments and changes throughout much of human history, from the French revolution, to the global women’s movement, to Martin Luther King and the American civil rights movement, through to more recent issues including environmentalism and the Arab Spring
• AUTHORITATIVE: Organized, authored and edited by leading scholars, all of whom come to the project with exemplary track records and international standing
• MULTI-FORMAT: Available online or as a three-volume print set, structured in a user-friendly A-Z format

Research on the extreme right is rare, and the extreme right has rarely been analysed as a social movement. In this volume, the extreme right is compared in Italy, Germany, and the United States using concepts and methods developed in social movement studies. In particular, the book describes the discourse, action, and organizational structures of the extreme right, and explains these on the basis of the discursive and political opportunities available to the social movement as a whole. Three main empirical methods are used in the research. The frame analysis looks at the cognitive mechanisms that are relevant in influencing organizational and individual behaviour. The network analysis looks at the (inter-) organizational structural characteristics of right-wing organizations. Finally, protest event analysis allows for an empirical summary of the actions undertaken by right-wing extremists over the last decade. The substantive chapters address the organizational structure of the extreme right, their action repertoires, the framing of protest events, the definition of 'us', the struggle against modernity, old and new forms of racism, opposition to globalization, and populism.