Basque Society: Structures, Institutions, and Contemporary Life

by Cameron Watson (Translator), Gloria Totoricaguena

This book presents an overview of the social, political, and cultural reality of the Basque Country. The twelve authors describe the social structure, analyze the instituional structure that maintains Basque identity, and examine the principal processes of change in contemporary Basque society. Section I addresses sociostructural aspects and the Basque socioeconomic and institutional framework, demographic trends, and language use. Section II analyzes social mechanisms and institutions that include the family and associative groups, together with the influence of the media, education, religion, and language on notions of collective identity. It also provides an overview of Basque political life and civil society. Section III explores recent social transformations—in particular, changing notions of identity—from the perspectives of political affiliation, language, youth, labor, gender, and the Basque diaspora, as well as that of new immigrants.

331 pages, Hardcover

Published June 15, 2005