Politics and Symbols: The Italian Communist Party and the Fall of Communism

by David I. Kertzer

In the wake of the fall of the Berlin wall, and with the Communist regimes of Eastern Europe collapsing, Italian Communist Party (PCI) head Achille Occhetto shocked his party in 1989 by insisting that the PCI jettison its old name and become something new. This dramatic book tells of the ensuing struggle within the PCI, which at the time was Italy's second-largest party and the most powerful Communist party in the West. David I. Kertzer's vivid depiction of the conflict brings to life the tactics that party factions employed and the anguish of party members for whom Communism was the core of their identity. Kertzer also tells a larger story from an anthropologist's the story of the importance of symbols, myths, and rituals in modern politics.

Those who seek dramatic political change, Kertzer contends, must remake history. He recounts how those who succeeded in transforming the PCI into the new Democratic Party of the Left effectively used ritual and manipulated political symbols. Bringing the views of Antonio Gramsci, Pierre Bourdieu, Michel Foucault, and other political thinkers into his discussion, Kertzer explores theoretical issues involving the relation between symbolism and political power, concluding that modern politics is fundamentally a struggle over symbols and the redefinition of history.

223 pages, Paperback

First published July 24, 1996

About the author

David Israel Kertzer is an American anthropologist, historian, and academic, specializing in the political, demographic, and religious history of Italy. He is the Paul Dupee, Jr. University Professor of Social Science, Professor of Anthropology, and Professor of Italian Studies at Brown University.

Reviews

[Iben · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantastic book with a seductive premise: that the transformation of the Italian Communist Party (PCI) to the Democratic Party of the Left (PDS) required a subtle and delicate reworking of Communist history, symbols and rituals. Brown Provost David Kertzer's book is an engaging read. He approaches the topic from an anthropologist's perspective and challenges the "rational choice" model of political theory by claiming that symbols and ritual played a larger part in the transformation.

While parts of the book are redundant, Kertzer argues his points well. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in Italian history, Communist history, political theory, and global politics.

[Tamara · Rating 5 out of 5]

interessante!! adesso però devo scriverci la tesina mannaggia