Why choose Naples?
Naples has a uniqueness as an Italian city, in that there are specific cultural practices kept alive here and nowhere else
Her original plan was to present a study of the cultural construction of Naples and the nation, dating through from unification to present day
She would be focusing on 3 key moments of crisis:
The post-Unification period
Allied Occupation and post-war, and the divided nation-state
And the contemporary crisis, post Gomorra
However, she quickly realised the limitations to this structure: the scope was too large, and in addition the post-unification period is already extensively covered. She also wondered whether it was possible to conduct such a study and leave out fascism? And further, was the exclusive focus limiting?
In previous publication her focus has been on Allied- Occupied Naples, and Naples in critical theory— the idea of visiting Naples from a southern perspective rather than a Northern one
The context of her research occurs along the following timeline:
1980 earthquake and aftermath
Then the shift into the contemporary period and with it the huge growth of the Gamorra. There came an influx of money from the national government which facilitated gamorra activities and allowed their diversification. This also marks a generational shift in cultural production with the film industry
The 1990s and the city's regeneration,: a positive Neapolitan renaissance. The streets are cleaned up and the government is upheld as a beacon of good governance in the midst of Italy post Tangentopoli (a time of the fall of moral compass; political corruption and loss of faith in authority)
After the Earthquake: Naples in the Cultural Imaginary
On the 15th of February, Dr Ruth Glynn gave an informal talk about her current research project on contemporary Naples. Aside from providing a delicious array of snacks, Dr Glynn also gave us an invaluable insight into the content and structure of her recent research on contemporary Naples.