Italy, the Mediterranean and Beyond:
The Pillars of Hercules Amidst the Crosscurrents of Time
September 30th - October 1st, 2006
University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut
At a time when Italy, along with other Western nations, is increasingly challenged by the forces of globalization, it must reconsider its former epistemologies of space, ontologies of identity and the structures that have derived from them. In this context, the Mediterranean paradigm is (re)-emerging as a crucial framework through which Italy can re-examine its cultural traditions while charting its future paths.
Italian diasporic experiences - especially to the Americas - also assume a particular relevance. By crossing the Pillars of Hercules, they have often challenged traditional boundaries of nationality and ethnicity, ultimately triggering complex processes of negotiation of identity.
“The idea of a mysterious absence of things, is with difficulty separable from the concept of a national soul or of a Mediterranean race, which remains intact through the vicissitudes of history.”
Robert Dombroski |
