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"The fog of words: Assessing the problematic relationship between strategic narratives, (master) frames and ideology"

10/31/2020

I'm really happy that my latest paper on strategic narratives has just been published on "Media, War & Conflicts". Here (gated) you'll find the manuscript. The paper (co-authored with A. Catanzaro) is titled: "The fog of words: Assessing the problematic relationship between strategic narratives, (master) frames and ideology". Here below the abstract:
A growing body of the International Relations (IR) literature has started to pay attention to the concept of ‘strategic narratives’, stressing the role played by storylines in affecting public attitudes. However, the analytical differences between concepts like strategic narratives, master narratives, frames, framing and master frames have been rarely investigated through a comprehensive approach. Very different definitions and perspectives have been adopted in the IR scholarly debate and beyond, while few studies have identified how ideologies underlie frames and narratives. This article aims at filling this gap and makes two claims. First, the process of plot formation, their strategic dimension and the levels at which narratives operate are the special features that distinguish strategic narratives from all other concepts. Second, only by unpacking – from an interdisciplinary perspective – the complex relation between ideology and narratives can we understand the proper conceptual boundaries in the narrative literature. In sum, there are four levels of discourse to be considered: frame, strategic narrative, master narrative and ideology.

I love this game: the interplay between experience and background in role‐playing simulations: insights from MUN participants in Italy and the Netherlands

7/30/2020

My latest paper ("I love this game: the interplay between experience and background in role‐playing simulations: insights from MUN participants in Italy and the Netherlands") was published yesterday (online first) on European Political Science. Here the link. The paper (with L.Cicchi, E.Calossi and M.Onderco) is part of a Symposium on Teaching and Learning.

From enthusiasm to retreat: Italy and military missions abroad after the Cold War

5/28/2020

My latest publication (co-authored with Francesco N. Moro) has been published by Italian Political Science. You can download the paper here. The manuscript is titled "From enthusiasm to retreat: Italy and military missions abroad after the Cold War".
Here below the abstract:
Italy represents an important case of defense policy change after the Cold War. While during the bipo-lar era the country rarely intervened abroad and was deeply constrained in its defense policy by do-mestic as well as international factors, in the post-Cold War era, Italy has constantly intervened in major conflicts in the Balkans, the Middle East and Afghanistan. Yet, in the past decade, and especial-ly after the 2011 Libyan intervention, Italian activism has consistently diminished. The purpose of this article is to describe this trend and to review theories that have been put forward to explain Italian activism (and retrenchment). While several insights can emerge from multiple studies dedicated to the topic, we argue that some elements such as legacies and institutional constraints have been some-what overlooked and actually open promising avenues for research.

Populist parties and foreign policy: The case of Italy’s Five Star Movement

5/26/2020

Here you'll find the link to my latest publication, which deals with the issue of populism and foreign policy. The title of the paper (co-authored with Valerio Vignoli) is: Populist parties and foreign policy: The case of Italy’s Five Star Movement. Here the abstract:
The role of political parties in foreign policy is gaining increasing attention. Nonetheless, despite an extraordinary interest in ‘populism’, the foreign policy of populist parties has rarely been investigated. This article provides an innovative theoretical framework, applying it on a rare example of a ‘pure’ populist party: Italy’s Five Star Movement. How has Five Star Movement positioned on Italian contribution to military operations abroad? What does such positioning say about its ideological leaning? In order to address such questions, the article analyses Five Star Movement’s MPs’ votes and speeches on foreign policy during its first term in Parliament (2013–2018). We find that, notwithstanding some ambiguities, the Movement’s stance has been mostly pacifist and humanitarian, resembling more a ‘left-libertarian populist party’ than a ‘sovereigntist far-right one’. Through these findings, the article contributes to the debate on populist parties and foreign policy in Europe, clarifying also the elusive ideological leaning of the Five Star Movement.

Migration, terrorism, and the Italian military engagement in Niger and Libya

4/16/2020

My latest publication in online: ‘I’ll take two.’ Migration, terrorism, and the Italian military engagement in Niger and Libya” (co-authored with M.Ceccorulli), Journal of Modern Italian Studies, 25(2). The paper (here the link, gated) contributes to the ongoing debate on the evolution of the Italian foreign, security and defence policy in the broader Mediterranean, offering insights for comparative analyses with other states engaged in those contexts. In January 2018, the Italian parliament approved a new military operation in Niger and an extension to the existing deployment in Libya. Italian leaders explicitly cast this as a ‘pivot’ to Africa. What factors underlie this strategic shift? Despite the importance of this question, to date, little analysis of the decision-making process underpinning the recent change has been forthcoming. The article seeks to address this gap through an analysis of the parliamentary debates on the missions. Specifically, it examines the ‘relative importance’ of the two threats/challenges motivating the interventions: irregular immigration and transnational terrorism. Spoiler: the first one is much more important.