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Starting from the famous scenes of Antony of Padua’s sermon to the fishes and Francis of Assisi’s preaching to the birds, this article shows how the Friar minors’ preaching formed a discursive space that gave voice and representation to new segments of thirteenth-century urban society. From Francis’ experimental initiatives to Anthony of Padua’s and Berthold of Regensburg’s well-planned preaching campaigns, the friars were able to speak to a society undergoing profound transformation and marked by tensions and fears. The crowds gathering to hear the preachers were moved by the perception that what was being stated in an accessible language was actually relevant to their lives. Somehow, as part of this communicative process, the preacher addressed a large crowd and yet each person in the audience – at least at some points – had the impression that he or she was the preacher’s actual addressee, as in a personal conversation. That is to say, they had the feeling that they were real interlocutors, not a shapeless mob.

L'articolo esamina alcuni problemi connessi all'utilizzo del social media per organizzare la mobilitazione politica.

Articolo di presentazione del secondo numero della rivista dedicato a "Massa/folla"

[Resumo] As características morfolóxicas das plantas varían como adaptación ao ambiente no que viven as poboacións. Esta variación intraespecífica, ou plasticidade fenotípica, pode explicarse polos factores climáticos e xeográficos. No seguinte traballo, estúdanse as diferenzas morfolóxicas que hai en tres especies simpátricas e un híbrido do xénero Erica nun gradiente latitudinal e altitudinal. Estudáronse prantas en seis poboacións, cinco do norte de España e unha dos Países Baixos. Para este traballo teranse en conta a latitude e a altitude, inda que tamén se avaliaran as diferencias entre as poboacións debido a diversos factores ambientais. No estudo morfolóxico medíronse once parámetros, cinco respecto as follas e seis respecto as flores, en setenta e sete individuos. Os valores analizáronse mediante ANOVA ou test de Kruskal-Wallis cando os datos non se axustaban ao modelo de normalidade. Os resultados mostraron que respecto a caracteres vexetativos atopáronse diferenzas en tódalas especies para o largo da folla (maior a maior altitude, en E. tetralix tamén se inclúe a latitude, que é menor a maior tamaño) excepto en E. mackayana; na especie E. stuartti para as relacións largo-ancho (menor a maior altitude) e nas especies E. mackayana, e E. stuartti para a relación largo folla-pecíolo (menor a maior altitude). Respecto a caracteres reprodutivos atopáronse diferenzas en E. mackayana para a apertura corola e relación largo-apertura corola (menor a maior altitude) e en E. stuartii para a relación largo-ancho da corola (menor a maior altitude). Sen embargo, para a maior parte dos caracteres non se observaron diferenzas entre especies que podan relacionarse con gradientes climáticos, altitudinais ou latitudinais. En xeral, os resultados que se observan no estudo non parecen concluíntes para relacionar as diferenzas observadas coa altitude e latitude que presentan as poboacións. Polo tanto, o fenotipo das especies estudiadas non parecen estar ligadas as súas diferenz, [Resumen] Las características morfológicas de las plantas varían como adaptación al ambiente en el que viven las poblaciones. Esta variación intraespecífica, o plasticidad fenotípica, puede explicarse por los factores climáticos o geográficos. En el siguiente trabajo se estudian las diferencias morfológicas que hay en tres especies simpátricas y un híbrido del género Erica en un gradiente latitudinal y altitudinal. Se estudiaron plantas de seis poblaciones, cinco del norte de España y una de los Países bajos. Para este trabajo se tendrán en cuenta la latitud y altitud, aunque también se evaluarán las diferencias entre las poblaciones debido a diversos factores ambientales. En el estudio morfológico se midieron once parámetros, cinco respecto a hojas y seis respecto a flores, en setenta y siete individuos. Los valores se analizaron mediante ANOVA o test de Kruskal.Wallis, cuando los datos no se ajustaban al modelo de normalidad. Los resultados han mostrado que respecto a caracteres vegetativos se encontraron diferencias en todas las especies para el largo de hoja (mayor a mayor altitud, en E.tetralix, también se incluye la latitud que es menor a mayor tamaño) excepto para E. mackayana; en la especie E. stuartii para las relaciones largo-ancho (menor a mayor altitud) y en las especies E. mackayana, y E. stuartti para la relación largo hoja-pecíolo (menor a mayor altitud). Y respecto a caracteres reproductivos se encontraron diferencias en E. mackayana para la apertura de la corola y en la relación largo-apertura de la corola (menor a mayor altitud) y en E. stuartii para la relación largo-ancho de la corola (menor a mayor altitud). Sin embargo, para la mayor parte de los caracteres no se observaron diferencias entre especies que puedan relacionarse con gradientes climáticos, altitudinales o latitudinales. En general, los resultados que se observan en el estudio no parecen concluyentes para relacionar las diferencias observadas con la altitud y latitud que presentan las, [Abstract] The morphological plants traits change as an adaptation to the environment where the populations live. That intraspecific variation, or phenotypic plasticity, can be explained due to climatic or geographic factors. In the following work are studied the morphological differences between sympatric and a hybrid of the Erica genus in a latitudinal and longitudinal gradient. Plants from six populations, five from the North Spain and one from the Netherlands, were studied. For that work latitude and altitude are going to be considered, but also the differences between the populations due to different environmental factors. In the morphological study were measured eleven parameters, five related with leaves and six with flowers, in 77 individuals. The values were analised with ANOVA or Kruskal-Wallis test when the data did not stick to the normality model. The results showed that about vegetative traits differences were found in all species for the leaves length (larger in higher altitude, in E. tetralix latitude, that is smaller in larger size, is also included), except in E. mackayana; in E. stuartii specie for length – width relation (smaller in higher altitude) and in E. mackayana and E. stuartii species for leaves length-petiole (smaller in higher altitude). About reproductive traits differences were found in E. mackayana for corolla opening and length-corolla opening relation (smaller in higher altitude) and in E. stuartii for length–corolla width (smaller in higher altitude). However, for most of the traits no differences were observed between species that could be related with climatic, latitudinal, or altitudinal gradients. In general, the results observed in the study do not seem conclusive to relate the differences observed with the altitude and latitude that the populations present. So, the species phenotype studied do not seem to be related with their geographical differences.

L'editoriale introduce un numero dedicato alla riflessione su massa e folle nel Novecento.

This article examines the sequences of the ‘reinvention’ of the crowd carried out during the Nineteenth century (and especially in the last three decades of the century) by social sciences, popular fiction, reflections on social pathologies and historical rereadings of the French Revolution. According to the author, the «crowd» represented, in the fin de siècle imaginary, much more than simply a new name of multitude, mob, or populace. The reflections on the crowd (and on crowd psychology) in fact contributed to the construction of a largely new image. In the «crowd» were first “condensedµ all the nightmares of late Nineteenth century, but, at the same time, thanks to this new representation, the roots of (social and political) conflict and the tools to tame it were placed in a new «biopolitical» dimension.

This article offers a new reading of Gustave Le Bon’s thought, in particular regarding his conceptions of “crowd”, “race” and “people”. This paper tries to show the inconsistencies in the vision of the “crowd” proposed by Le Bon’s in his books Lois psychologiques de l’évolution des peuples (1894) and Psychologie des foules (1895). In fact, until 1894 Le Bon excluded that it was possible to arrest the process of degeneration of Latin races, and moreover he used the words “crowd”, “people” and “race” as substantially equivalent. On the contrary, in Psychologie des foules, he not only distinguished between “crowd”, “people” and “race”, but he also believed that it was possible to govern the masses by psychological manipulation. In order to carry out this radical revision, and to present himself as a Machiavelli of the “age des foules”, Le Bon must however modify some important points of his former conception of the psychology of people.

L'editoriale introduce un fascicolo dedicato a "Massa" e "Folla" nel lessico politico europeo dal pensiero greco all'Ottocento.

Profilo di Scipio Sighele

The article focuses on Il mondo salvato dai ragazzini considered from a socioanthropological point of view. It tries to define the dynamics of revolutionary feast that inspire the work of Morante. We point out the charismatic nature of the boys and their disposition simoultaneusly sacred and profane. The discourse about the boys oversteps the young rebellion of 1968 and becomes an analysis on history (and on the limits of some types of historical operation) at which Morante opposes the poetr., Lo studio prende in esame Il mondo salvato dai ragazzini secondo una prospettiva socioantropologica, preoccupandosi di porre in luce le dinamiche della festa rivoluzionaria, sottese all’opera morantiana. In particolare, si sottolinea il carattere carismatico, ambiguamente sacro e profano, dei ragazzini morantiani, in un fenomeno che oltrepassa la ribellione giovanilistica sessantottina per farsi discorso sulla storia (e sui limiti di alcune operazioni storiografiche), a cui Morante contrappone evidentemente la “poesia”.

The article focuses on Il mondo salvato dai ragazzini considered from a socioanthropological point of view. It tries to define the dynamics of revolutionary feast that inspire the work of Morante. We point out the charismatic nature of the boys and their disposition simoultaneusly sacred and profane. The discourse about the boys oversteps the young rebellion of 1968 and becomes an analysis on history (and on the limits of some types of historical operation) at which Morante opposes the poetr., Lo studio prende in esame Il mondo salvato dai ragazzini secondo una prospettiva socioantropologica, preoccupandosi di porre in luce le dinamiche della festa rivoluzionaria, sottese all’opera morantiana. In particolare, si sottolinea il carattere carismatico, ambiguamente sacro e profano, dei ragazzini morantiani, in un fenomeno che oltrepassa la ribellione giovanilistica sessantottina per farsi discorso sulla storia (e sui limiti di alcune operazioni storiografiche), a cui Morante contrappone evidentemente la “poesia”.

Recensione del volume "Classe" di Andrea Cavalletti

Tra la fine dell’Ottocento e gli inizi del Novecento, un gruppo consistente di medici, criminologi, scienziati sociali e romanzieri si impegnò in un’ossessiva esplorazione del «sottosuolo» delle grandi metropoli europee. Quell’indagine doveva ritrovare soprattutto nella «folla» la minaccia costante, l’incubo terrificante, il nemico irriducibile della civiltà europea. Si trattava, per molti versi, dell’eterna «paura delle masse». Ma, probabilmente, si trattava anche di un processo più complesso, che andava a modificare la tradizionale visione del disordine sociale. Mentre ‘condensava’ nei volti della folla le proprie paure, la belle époque produceva infatti un’immagine del nemico in larga parte inedita. Un’immagine che, proprio all’alba della grande trasformazione biopolitica, collocava il piano del conflitto nelle profondità psichiche di ciascun individuo.