Workers’ consent to populist/fascist/extreme-right movements
Call for papers
First Conference of the European Labour History Network (ELHN),
Turin (Italy), 14-16 December 2015
A good amount of historical literature is available on popular opinion and popular consent to totalitarian regimes. Much less studies have been done on workers’ consent to rightist movements before the seizure of power (like Fascism in Italy before 1922 or Nazism in Germany before 1933, populist movements in Latin America before grasping power) and to movements and parties that reached a good deal of consent under democratic regimes without being able to grasp power (like Front National in France, neo-fascist MSI in Italy 1945-1993, Northern League in Italy, Golden Dawn - Chrysí Avgí in Greece, Tea Party in the USA).
The panel discussion will focus on two points. First, how rightist movements, parties and regimes try to gain consent from working classes. Second, the levels of consent obtained from workers, namely consent from wage earners.
The question of consent in historical perspective implies a lot of methodological issues, concerning the sources and their use and interpretations.
Aim of the panel is to bring together scholars who are studying consent to single movements or regimes, or colleagues that are just interested in the matter. The panel will be an open discussion, starting from an introduction and contributions on the proposed topics.
Languages: English and French.
To take part in the panel discussion, please send a short abstract of your contribution (200 words at most) to the coordinators, before July, 30, 2015:
Xavier Vigna, University of Bourgogne, xavier.vigna@u-bourgogne.fr
Stefano Musso, University of Turin, stefano.musso@unito.it
Gilda Zazzara, University of Venice Ca’ Foscari, gildazazzara@unive.it