The papers I'll present at the next ISA Conference

Here below the abstracts of the two papers I'll present at the next ISA Annual Conference (New Orleans 18-21 February 2015).
You'll find the papers in the web archive of the conference.

1)"Italy’s military interventions and new security threats. The cases of Libya, Somalia and Haiti"
(co-authored with Michela Ceccorulli, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna and University of Bologna)
Recently, Italy has employed the military instrument abroad to deal with new, multidimensional and transnational challenges, ranging from irregular migration and piracy to the violation of basic human rights. What has pushed the country to intervene through armed forces? How does the national debate interpret and justify the military intervention to face ‘non-military’ threats? Through three main arguments (strategic culture, domestic interests and international norms), emerging from the interplay between internal and external dynamics, the paper analyses the national debate in the run-up to the decision to intervene militarily in Libya (2011), Somalia (2009) and Haiti (2010). If the literature on security studies has proven open and increasingly focused on new conceptions and approaches of security the one on foreign policy has lagged behind in trying to explain the new role and the contribution of military forces in the new security landscape.  This work aims at filling this gap, considering a country that is particularly exposed to new challenges ahead. 

2) "An alternative view. Counter-narratives and the Italian debate on the F35"
Recent studies have persuasively illustrated how the strategic narratives crafted by policy-makers shape public attitudes regarding military operations. Strategic narratives are conceived as crucial tools in order to convince the public in case of international conflicts. Consistent and compelling narratives enhance the perceived legitimacy of military operations. However, exogenous elements such as the presence of alternative counter-narratives play a considerable role in hindering a wider acceptance of the message. The goal of the paper is to investigate the main contents and the effectiveness of counter-narratives developed by political parties, “pacifist groups” and associations in order to contrast the “plot” designed by Italian governments to gain the support of public opinion towards one of the most debated security issues in recent years, the case of the F35. What have been the key-elements of the counter-narratives? What has been the “narrative dominance”? Drawing on discourse analysis and interviews, the paper aims to answer these questions, examining how and to what extent the counter-narratives have successfully contested the official strategic narratives.

See you in New Orleans...