Gender and Culture Wars in Italy A Genealogy of Media Representations

This book examines contemporary culture wars around gender in Italy. Applying methods from European cultural studies, the authors reconstruct the ways in which gender issues have become part of the contemporary culture wars in Italy. Recently the convergence between neoliberalism and populism has emphasised the centrality of gender in the political arena at the global level, as well as its crucial place in the rise of far-right and alt-right formations. By examining the cases of three key debates from the last five years, this book traces the moments, actors, and argumentative strategies that triggered these culture wars around gender issues. 

1. Introduction.- 2. Gender, Media and Culture Wars.- 3. Politicisation of Gender.- 4. Affective Polarisation Over Gender.- 5. Neoliberalism and the Subversion of Feminism.- 6. Conclusions.

Emiliana De Blasio is Associate Professor of Sociology of Communication, Open government and Gender politics at LUISS University, Italy.

Donatella Selva is Assistant Professor of Sociology of Communication and Digital Media at the University of Florence, Italy.