Policy networks su issues europee: quale č il posto dei gruppi d'interesse pubblico? Un'analisi comparata su tre politiche europee a livello nazionale

2009 ◽  
pp. 75-110
Author(s):  
Manuela Caiani
Keyword(s):  
Social Movements ◽  
Policy Networks ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Political Actors ◽  
Italian Case ◽  
Collective Actors ◽  
Immigration And Asylum ◽  
Relative Structure ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Eu

- In this article, we analyse the impact of Europeanisation on domestic actors, by looking at how Europeanisation affects the configurations of power and coalitional dynamics at the domestic level. Focusing on the Italian case, with the help of social network analysis and on the basis of 80 semi-structured interviews, we shall look at networks of alliance, disagreement and target among political actors that mobilise on European issues within three specific policy areas (European integration, agricultural policy and immigration and asylum policy), focusing in particular on the role that social movements and NGOs play in these networks (are they central? Are they peripheral? Who play a role as ‘broker'?). In fact, processes of Europeanisation can destabilise the configuration of power in public policies and the relative structure of policy networks, weakening stable and ‘dominant' actors while strengthening others and opening ‘windows of opportunity'. We also explore the formation of specific coalitions between social movements and NGOs and the other actors, as well as the cleavages around which the debate on Europe is structured and which can influence the path of Europeanisation of national collective actors. Observing these networks, our research recognises the importance that the multilevel structure of the EU creates in terms of offering new opportunities and organisational resources to actors, yet also acknowledges the crucial importance of meso-levels of decision-making, the dynamics of interaction between actors in the same context, and their subjective interpretations. Keywords: social networks; social movements; Ngo; Europe; multilevel governance

scholarly journals Searching for the Soul of Europe: The Impact of the Sovereign Debt Crisis on an ‘Ever Closer Union’

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Finnian O’Dwyer-Cunliffe
Keyword(s):  
Sovereign Debt ◽  
Debt Crisis ◽  
Ripple Effect ◽  
Sovereign Debt Crisis ◽  
Political Actors ◽  
Shifting Balance ◽  
The Status ◽  
Fiscal Austerity ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Eu

<p>The destruction of global financial markets and the collapse of the Greek and Irish economies in 2010 caused a ripple effect that spread across the Eurozone and presented the EU with an unprecedented crisis. The level of economic devastation led many to question the integrity of the single currency and the direction of the European project as a whole. This thesis has examined three rounds of debate during the Sovereign Debt Crisis between 2010 and 2014, in order to ascertain the effect of this period on three competing ‘visions’ for the future of Europe. It has found that efforts to reform economic governance in the EU in the wake of the crisis have for the most part led to an entrenchment of the consolidation orthodoxy sponsored by Germany and its allies in northern Europe. However, a political turning point in mid-2012 led to a reprieve for the European Left and the subsequent advancement of the Social European vision advocating greater solidarity in the place of fiscal austerity. While the consolidation coalition’s commitment to economic stability and oversight has for the most part been maintained, the shifting balance of power in European politics, and an increasing frustration with the failures of austerity, have provided momentum for a major revision to the status quo. This thesis has found that while the Eurosceptic rise in the 2014 elections has raised serious questions for the EU, it has highlighted the unwavering commitment towards further integration among the dominant political actors in Europe, and will most likely set the Continent further along the path towards an ever closer union.</p>

scholarly journals Framework Decision 2008/909/JHA on the transfer of prisoners in the EU: Advances and challenges in light of the Italian experience

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-92
Author(s):  
Stefano Montaldo
Keyword(s):  
Case Law ◽  
Executive Power ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Test Bed ◽  
Framework Decision ◽  
Italian Experience ◽  
Italian Case ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Eu

The article addresses the implementation of Framework Decision 2008/909/JHA on the transfer of prisoners in the European Union (EU) and discusses its advances and shortcomings from a twofold perspective: the general features and objectives underpinning the Framework Decision and how these theoretical premises have been put into practice by domestic authorities. First, the article discusses the state of the art of the implementation of this mechanism in Italy and provides relevant data. Second, it addresses the main strategies enacted in Italy by the judiciary, the legislature and the executive power to maximise the impact of the national implementing laws. The analysis demonstrates that these efforts are mainly intended to dispose of unwanted EU citizens and to cope with prison overcrowding, thereby marking a clear departure from the rationale of the Framework Decision. Third, the article focuses on the recurring challenges regarding horizontal cooperation between domestic judicial authorities, with a specific focus on the division of competences between the issuing and the executing authorities in light of the EU and the Italian case law. The article supports the view that the Italian case study can represent a test bed for future quantitative and qualitative improvements in the implementation of this Framework Decision at the EU level.

The individualization of political activism

2020 ◽  
Vol 40 (3/4) ◽  
pp. 282-303 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niccolò Bertuzzi
Keyword(s):  
Social Movements ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Event Analysis ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Cultural Changes ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Italian Case ◽  
Animal Advocacy

PurposeThe study aims to investigate a relevant topic, but still underestimated by sociological studies: animal advocacy, namely, the organized interest in non-human animals' life, rights and well-being. The Italian case is discussed, with a twofold objective: to highlight the evolution of some repertoires of contention and to use this study to analyze the changes of contemporary collective mobilizations and their relation with the modernization process.Design/methodology/approachThe analysis is based on an online survey (704 responses nationwide), 24 semi-structured interviews with relevant members of groups and associations and a protest event analysis. Furthermore, a vast empirical archive and some academic studies concerning Italian animal advocacy in its historical dimension have been consulted.FindingsThe paper underlines the current specificities of Italian animal advocacy, compared to past decades. The great importance assumed by personal action frames and repertoires of contention emerged as characterizing elements. Activism is always more individual and less related to collective organizations: the central role of veganism and of the internet as protest tool is underlined. Both the increasing possibilities offered by better discursive opportunities structure, but also the possible incorporation of more radical frames within consumer market dynamics emerged from the interviews and the survey.Originality/valueThe phenomenon of animal advocacy (and, more generally, the activities of contemporary social movements) is contextualized within some typical characteristics of modernity, looking both at structural “opportunities” (e.g.: the diffusion of post-materialist values) and “constraints” (e.g.: veganwashing operations). Based on previous definitions coming from social movements studies and following a debate hosted by this journal, the role of collective organizations and especially the centrality assumed by individual activism is critically analyzed, evaluating the new possibilities, but also the possible negative sides. Not only cultural changes, but also political and legal contexts matter. In this sense, both a focus on Italy and more general reflections on western modernities are proposed, trying to go beyond animal advocacy and reflecting on social movements and collective mobilizations more widely.

scholarly journals The Impact of Refugee Camps on the Process of Migration Towards Europe: An Assessment

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Sebastian Paul
Keyword(s):  
Asylum Seekers ◽  
Social Systems ◽  
Living Conditions ◽  
Refugee Camps ◽  
Migration Studies ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Mass Migration ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Asylum Seekers And Refugees ◽  
The Eu

In recent years, migration studies focused very much on forced displacement, especially after the influx of migrants to Europe in 2015. Some European countries accept immigrants from non-EU regions. Others blame migrants for taking advantage of Europe’s social systems and follow restrictive policy measures. The EU is as divided as never before in its history, and the process of migration to Europe has become more critical. In this context, the characteristics, fleeing reasons, and refugees’ and asylum seekers’ journeys are relevant. This dissertation looks at these factors in the framework of refugee camps. Even though refugee camps are frequently an essential part of the journey of asylum seekers and refugees on their way to Europe, there is only limited literature in this field. Thus, the research aims to analyze migration and refugee movements as a consequence of the miserable and inhumane conditions in refugee camps and identifies indicators for (mass) migration to Europe. For this purpose, and since everyone speaks about migrants, but not with migrants, I conducted quantitative and qualitative research in 192 fully-structured and 17 semi-structured interviews. The research provides a comprehensive comparison of the living conditions in non-EU and EU refugee camps, analyses their role in the process of migration to Europe, and emphasizes the differences between different camps. Furthermore, the characteristics of asylum seekers and refugees and their motives for coming to Europe were examined. The findings of the study show who these people are and from where they originate. There is evidence for the hypothesis that the majority of people flee because of severe danger (e.g., armed conflicts) and are not ‘economic migrants’ despite the claims of nationalistic governments in the EU. However, there is evidence for the hypothesis that improved living conditions in camps could reduce mass migration movements to Europe. The dissertation enhances the discussion of refugee camps in migration studies, provides new perspectives and insights about the journey of asylum seekers and refugees to Europe, and people’s characteristics leaving their country of origin.

Main Directions of UK and EU Immigration Policy

2011 ◽  
pp. 100-113
Author(s):  
T. Andreeva
Keyword(s):  
International Relations ◽  
Immigration Policy ◽  
Immigration Legislation ◽  
The Will ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The Common ◽  
European Immigration ◽  
Immigration And Asylum ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Eu

The author of the article retraces the development of the British immigration and asylum legislations which occurs under the impact of the Common European immigration legislation development. The subject of the article is the assessment of the British and EU immigration legislation mutual enrichment degree which shows the will and ability of Great Britain to integrate in the EU immigration legislation in order to strengthen its role in the modern international relations.

Christian Churches and the European Union Immigration and Asylum Policy

2013 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 321-357 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sergei A. Mudrov
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Asylum Policy ◽  
Eu Policy ◽  
Christian Churches ◽  
Immigration And Asylum ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Specific Contribution ◽  
The Eu

This article examines how Christian churches have contributed to the European Union immigration and asylum policy. It briefly discusses the main developments of the EU policy in the area of migration and asylum, and then explains why issues of migration are important to the churches (particularly that these issues are closely connected with the Biblical call to take care of a stranger). The article identifies the main Christian organisations, which work in the area of migration and asylum at the EU level, as well as their areas of specific contribution. It is found out that the strategy, used by Christian organisations, is similar to that of other non-governmental organisations, but it also bears the impact of their specific status and ‘family links’ with churches. Overall, it is sometimes difficult to separate the influence of Christian organisations from the influence of their secular counterparts working in the area of migration and asylum. However, the importance of Christian organisations is particularly noticeable in the area of monitoring and assessment, even to an extent that Christian organisations can be regarded as more important than secular ones.

A Lack of Legal Protection and Limited Ways Out: How Asylum Seekers Cope with Liminality on Greek Islands: Lesbos and Chios

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muzaffer Sevda Tunaboylu ◽  
Ilse van Liempt
Keyword(s):  
Critical Analysis ◽  
Asylum Seekers ◽  
Legal Status ◽  
Legal Protection ◽  
Structural Constraints ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
And Coping ◽  
The Impact ◽  
European Migration ◽  
The Eu

Abstract This article focuses on the experiences and coping strategies of those who have sought asylum on the Greek islands of Lesbos and Chios after the EU–Turkey deal of March 2016. Based on semi-structured interviews with asylum seekers and participatory observations on the two islands between July and August 2017, we explore the impact of the EU–Turkey deal on asylum seekers and how they cope with it. Although the implementation of the deal has an effect on their ability to cross irregularly to Europe, our findings show that many asylum seekers still come to the islands, aspiring to move on and, in some cases, succeeding. A combination of factors facilitates or hinders a secondary movement from the islands despite the structural constraints. We saw that, often, those with a genuine asylum claim choose to move on despite the risk of losing their legal status. In this way, our research challenges the discursive categorization of those who wait through containment as ‘deserving refugees’ and those who move on as ‘undeserving migrants’ and provides a critical analysis of current European migration policies.

scholarly journals Searching for the Soul of Europe: The Impact of the Sovereign Debt Crisis on an ‘Ever Closer Union’

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Finnian O’Dwyer-Cunliffe
Keyword(s):  
Sovereign Debt ◽  
Debt Crisis ◽  
Ripple Effect ◽  
Sovereign Debt Crisis ◽  
Political Actors ◽  
Shifting Balance ◽  
The Status ◽  
Fiscal Austerity ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Eu

<p>The destruction of global financial markets and the collapse of the Greek and Irish economies in 2010 caused a ripple effect that spread across the Eurozone and presented the EU with an unprecedented crisis. The level of economic devastation led many to question the integrity of the single currency and the direction of the European project as a whole. This thesis has examined three rounds of debate during the Sovereign Debt Crisis between 2010 and 2014, in order to ascertain the effect of this period on three competing ‘visions’ for the future of Europe. It has found that efforts to reform economic governance in the EU in the wake of the crisis have for the most part led to an entrenchment of the consolidation orthodoxy sponsored by Germany and its allies in northern Europe. However, a political turning point in mid-2012 led to a reprieve for the European Left and the subsequent advancement of the Social European vision advocating greater solidarity in the place of fiscal austerity. While the consolidation coalition’s commitment to economic stability and oversight has for the most part been maintained, the shifting balance of power in European politics, and an increasing frustration with the failures of austerity, have provided momentum for a major revision to the status quo. This thesis has found that while the Eurosceptic rise in the 2014 elections has raised serious questions for the EU, it has highlighted the unwavering commitment towards further integration among the dominant political actors in Europe, and will most likely set the Continent further along the path towards an ever closer union.</p>

scholarly journals A Minority at the Border: EU Enlargement and the Ukrainian Minority in Poland

2007 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 475-502 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Vermeersch
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Social Movements ◽  
Empirical Analysis ◽  
Eu Enlargement ◽  
The Other ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Other Hand ◽  
Political Security ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Eu

This article examines the impact of the eastward enlargement of the European Union (EU) on the position of the Ukrainian minority in Poland. The enlargement process has set two conflicting developments into motion that both may have a serious influence on patterns of minority activism in countries at the peripheral borders of the enlarged EU. On one hand, there is a development toward increased protection of the external borders of the EU. On the other hand, a new trend has become perceptible within the EU toward increased political, security, economic, and cultural cooperation with the new neighboring countries in the east. Applying concepts from research on social movements and using statements by Ukrainian minority activists as the basis for an empirical analysis, this article explores how these two opposite developments have affected Ukrainian minority activism in Poland.

Women's Self-Help and The Reconstruction of Gender: The Postpartum Support and Breast Cancer Movements

1996 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 123-142 ◽  
Author(s):  
Verta Taylor ◽  
Marieke Van Willigen
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Social Movements ◽  
Social Institution ◽  
Self Help ◽  
Collective Actors ◽  
Postpartum Support ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Stratification System ◽  
American Society ◽  
The Impact

Recent research reveals that the mobilization, leadership patterns, and strategies of social movements are organized by gender in previously unrecognized ways. Scholars have had less to say about the consequences of social movements for the reconstruction of gender relations in American society. Using data from two women's self-help movements, we outline a framework for analyzing the impact of social movements on the transformation of gender. Drawing from Judith Lorber's concept of gender as a social institution, our analysis demonstrates that women's self-help movements disrupt gender practices, deconstruct gendered hierarchy, and dismantle gendered structures. Our comparative study illustrates that in order fully to understand the impact of social movements on the gender order, we must look for evidence of changes in the process, stratification system, and structure of gender. We conclude by arguing that the postpartum support group and breast cancer movements highlight the significance of social movements as collective actors involved in the reconstruction of gender.

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