The Scientific Coordinator Sergio Salvatore facilitated the discussion regarding the inputs and feedbacks given by the Final International Conference and the whole Consortium shared the visions about possible follow-up of the research, which seems to be not closed with the end of the project, but just open towards new perspectives.
A last local dissemination seminar (France) was organised at the Aix en Provence (MAISON DE L’EUROPE DE PROVENCE).
Alfonso Santarpia (Aix-Marseille Université) was main coordinator of this seminar with active participation of Provence (MAISON DE L’EUROPE DE PROVENCE, 66 Avenue Jean Monnet. 13090 Aix-en-Provence. France) with the help and the coordination of president f Maison de l’Europe de Provence, Alain-Pierre Merger.
In a first moment of meeting, Alain Pierre Merger presented the association and the goals of this European association. Then he presented Alfonso Santarpia (associate professor at Aix-Marseille University), research member concerning the RE.CRI.RE project.
Alfonso SANTARPIA presented the general idea and results of the project RE.CRI.RE.
In the details, he presented, as first moment of his speech “The View of Context (VOC)”. It is a survey instrument designed to detect the content of generalized affect-laden meanings embedded within large-scale cultural milieus. Generalized affect-laden meanings work as basic embodied system of assumptions channelling the way of feeling, thinking, making decision.
In a second moment, he presented the notion of -Symbolic universes between present and future of Europe. First results of the map of European societies’ cultural milieu. He presented the framework, method and main findings of an analysis of cultural milieus in 4 European countries (Estonia, Greece, Italy, and UK). The analysis is based on a questionnaire VOC. He explained 5 symbolic universes, that correspond to basic, embodied, affect-laden, generalized worldviews: a) an ordered universe; b) a matter of interpersonal bond; c) a caring society; d) consisting of a niche of belongingness; e) a hostile place (others’ world). These symbolic universes were also interpreted as semiotic capital: they reflect the capacity of a place to foster social and civic development.
Discussion with the audience.
lot of questions, a real curiosity and deep interest for the conference and the notion of symbolic universe (understood easily on the logic pessimism/optimism):
A Regional Seminar (France, Neatherland, Belgium, Liechtenstein) was organised at the Strasbourg, 23/03/2018 at Place du quartier blanc, Hôtel du Département- Conseil Général du Bas-Rhin, 67000 Strasbourg (France).
Alfonso Santarpia (Aix-Marseille Université) was main coordinator of this seminar with active participation of ALDA (Association Européenne pour la Démocratie Locale Antonella Valmorbida, Agatha de la Tour, Giulia Albertoni), University of Amsterdam (Prof. Paul De Beer) and MOUVEMENT EUROPEEN-PARIS (Anne Dieterlen, Member of Mouvement Européen-Paris).
The title of this regional seminar was “How can European decision-makers take into account culture in their interventions?”. The goal of this seminar was to present the main results of RE.CRI.RE project with a specific focus on the political actions to make for a social change.
DETAILS OF THE SEMINAR:
Alfonso SANTARPIA was the moderator of the seminar.
As invited policy speaker we had M. Rémi Bertrand, (Vice-President du Conseil Départemental du Bas-Rhin). He presented his idea on the European feelings and the directions for the future (policy centred on the real social link in real context).
The seminar was organized in 3 times:
At the end Giulia Albertoni presented the future of project RE.CRI.RE (dates to save and the idea of the an European Observatory).
Useful links:
Seminar Program (french version)
The final regional conference for Re.Cri.Re’s Mediterranean partners (South-East EU countries) was held in Malta on the 22nd March 2018 at the Grand Hotel Excelsior, Valletta, in conjunction with Malta’s Ministry of Home Affairs and National Security and the Ministry for European Affairs and Equality. Ministers and their teams attended the conference, during which the final findings from the Re.Cri.Re study were presented to delegates. Hon. Minister Dr Michael Farrugia and Hon. Minister Dr Helena Dalli also addressed the conference’s delegates, which included a broad range of stakeholders and practitioners who are active in the domain of diversity and security in Malta. These included the UNHCR, migrant organisations and NGOs, the Police Corps, workers’ union representatives, mayors and others. The conference set the stage for two stakeholder meetings that followed the presentation of findings. The first panel was organised by the Ministry for Home Affairs and National Security and the second panel by the Ministry for European Affairs and Equality. These panels brought policymakers and stakeholders together to discuss practical issues and the implications of the project’s findings.
The conference highlighted the need for culturally relevant policymaking that responds to the concerns and demands of citizens.
Below there are some website links reporting the activity:
Did the economic and financial crisis and the affiliated refugee crisis moreover revealed a pertinent moral crisis in Europe? Under the direction of Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Julian Nida-Rümelin, Chair of Philosophy and Political Theory and ret. Minister of State of Arts, the German RE.CRI.RE project team of the LMU Munich held the first working seminars in Germany on Wednesday 19th of July 2017 at the Munich Competence Centre for Ethics (MKE). In collaboration with Giuseppe Veltri, member of the RE.CRI.RE research consortium and leader oft he second working seminar panel, more than 60 participants attended the first RE.CRI.RE event in Germany.
First Working Seminar Panel
Within the topic “Facing the Crisis of the European Union – A Diagnosis†Julian Nida-Rümelin opened the first working seminar panel with a keynote speech on the recent crises of the European project. Defining “crisis†and “political identity†at first, he then bridged the analysis revealing the crisis of an “European identityâ€. To overcome these major challenges throughout the European crises, he finally exposed four main aspects, which were adjacent widely approved within the audience: (1) differentiation (five steps of European integration), (2) two-way-principle, (3) devolution and integration, (4) European Democracy as a form of life.
Presenting the RE.CRI.RE project for the first time in Germany, Fiorella Battaglia, coordinator of the LMU team, then started with an analysis of challenges and expected impacts of the initial call of the European Commission on “European societies after the Crisisâ€.
The answer to this topic, the EU funded project “RE.CRI.RE – Between the Representation of the Crisis and the Crisis of Representation. How crisis changed the symbolic background of European societies and identities. Implication for policies and policy making“ was finally presented by Nicole Wloka, research fellow at LMU Munich.
The main objective of the project is to analyse cultures of European societies and the impacts of the socio-economic crisis in order to frame better policies at local, national and European level. According to the European Commission and one of the major aims of the project, all of the three speakers emphasized the importance of civil society, policy-makers, academic experts and stakeholder being strongly involved in all actions of the project.
The whole first working seminar panel will asap be available as a video in German, please see:
N.N.
Second Working Seminar Panel
Giuseppe Veltri, member of the RE.CRI.RE research consortium and professor in Research Methodology at the University of Trento, held the second working seminar panel. Being one of the leading researcher regarding the framework and empirical database of the EU project, he focused on the RE.CRI.RE multilevel analysis of work package 3. Based on the frame of culture as sensemaking, the Semiotic-Cultural Psychological Theory (SCPT), human variation and symbolic universes, he then sampled the method and main results of the project analysis of the cultural milieu in Europe.
Leading to the final discussion within the plenum, Veltri concluded by presenting a general idea of tentative contributions for policy making. The lack of semiotic capital due to the crises in Europe, as one of the main accounts of RE.CRI.RE, needs to focus on supplementing grasps and tools in matters of policy and culture in Europe after the crises in order to frame better policies at local, national and European level.
In accordance with the upcoming work packages of the EU project the LMU RE.CRI.RE team now takes the first feedback of the fruitful discussion in order to assess, define and validate general and context-specific policy guidelines in terms of relevance, effectiveness, and feasibility together with the stakeholders. Within the frame of the next general assembly of the RE.CRI.RE research consortium in November, the next public working seminar in Germany will take place in in the Parliament of the Federal Republic of Germany, the German Bundestag in Berlin. Full details to follow.
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On 10th May, a working seminar around the topic “The symbolic representations of the socio-economical crisis in Greece according to Greeks’ opinion about views of life†was held in the city of Thessaloniki, in Greece, in the frame of the 16th International Congress of Psychological Research: “Individuals, Institutions, Society: The World of Psychologyâ€. The event was organised by the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and the Hellenic Psychological Society.
During the activity, the RE.CRI.RE local team of the Aristotle University shared their research work with other scientists. In particular, they presented the results of their analysis concerning Greek people’s vision of the socio-economic crisis. Following the presentation of the findings, participants exchanged on the implications of these findings around the implementation of social care policies and programmes concerning the processes of integration and insertion of immigrants in Greek society.
The seminar was a fruitful occasion to gather opinions and ideas of academics and relevant stakeholders on key policy areas affecting citizens’ daily life nowadays, not just for Greeks, yet for all European countries and citizens as well.
RE.CRI.RE is a three-year project funded by the Horizon 2020 programme of the European Commission and run by a consortium of 15 universities and coordinated by ALDA that work together to investigate what kind of social identity change is occurring in Europe in time of crisis. The objective of the project is to analyse cultures of European societies and the impacts of the socio-economic crisis on them, in order to frame better policies at local, national and European level. To this end, civil society, policy-makers and experts of social sciences are strongly involved in all actions of the project.
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The symposium was held at Valletta University Campus, in the framework of the project RE.CRI.RE – between the Representation of the Crisis and the Crisis of Representation – and aimed at communicating the results of international studies concerning intercultural relations.
Thanks to this event, the results of the studies were delivered not only to the local academic community but also to government officials. What is more, Arab members, as well as other immigrants, had the opportunity to share their thoughts and experiences on the topic. The participation of experts on International Studies, Youth Studies and Social Policy enabled the interpretation of the results and the exchange on directions to further policies.
The Re.Cri.Re study investigated social representations concerning the integration of Arabs amongst the Maltese. This was achieved through the identification of different argument structures that support or oppose integration. These argument structures pertained to six thematic clusters: sociopolitical, psychological, economic, religious, stigmatizing and cultural. The activity mainly focused on findings from research concerning intercultural relations in Malta, led by Dr Gordon Sammut (Psychology Lab).
The participants highlighted the need for more psychological studies directed at intercultural argumentative strategies, due to its invaluable transnational potential. The findings of these studies were discussed by a multidisciplinary panel of speakers and the myriad implications of the results for Maltese society were debated. Participants also exchanged on integration, Arabs in Malta, Islam and immigration in general.
Finally, the event was covered by television and the radio and a personal meeting between Dr Gordon Sammut and the President of the Republic of Malta was arranged, in order to discuss the findings of the project.
Useful links:
Psychology lab, University of Malta
Photo gallery of the event
See the playbill of the event below.
Useful links:
Playbill (italian version)
