Table of contentsIntroductionPolitical history of ItalyMedia in ItalyItalian "Calcio" (football)ConclusionIntroductionSilvio Berlusconi has been described as "the embodiment of the modern Italian dream". (Cosentino et al. p. 226) His contempt and hatred for traditional politics, his display of Western consumer values, and his obsession with football allow him to be described as a representation of the evolving cultures of modern Italy . His rise from media mogul to powerful politician in the modern Italian landscape is at first disconcerting. An analysis, however, shows how his use of the political, cultural and social fractures of Italy's past allowed him to manipulate and converge these tensions to positively succeed in his personal political brand and the Italian cultural landscape as a nation. This essay describes three key aspects considered decisive not only for Italian culture, but also for Berlusconi's political success. The Italian political system, television and football or “calcio”. Many have criticized his political views and actions as evidence of conflicts of interest: "his most ambitious attempt to date has been to combine media control and political power... a media mogul who not only hides behind the politics, but who is himself in politics” (P. Ginsborg, 2005, p. 10) and his personal image has long been the subject of controversy and scandal. I argue, however, that his contribution to Italian culture and the resources he provided for the unity and nationalism of the nation are undeniable. His exploits in Italian political and social arenas have allowed him to symbolize aspects of Italian culture that are of great importance to its history and unification as a nation. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why violent video games should not be banned"? Get the original essay Political History of Italy Italy's disruptive and tormented political history is an aspect of Italian culture represented by Silvio Berlusconi . The political and cultural tensions that arose as a result of this story and his tactical use in his political campaigns show a transition of the changing ideals and values ​​of Italian society. Italy has suffered from an extremely unstable government, experiencing political instability since its beginnings as a nation. As Lauro Martines explains in Power and Imagination: City States in Renaissance Italy: “It is difficult to summarize the chaos, but the narrative history of Italy in the 11th and 12th centuries is a story of political shipwreck and authority. confused. » (1979) Although ruled by Romans and papal authority, the empire was more focused on occupying foreign lands and expanding its power while the popes themselves attempted to conquer a most of Europe. As a result, during the Renaissance era, the governance of Italy was neglected. It was therefore initially managed as small independent states and cities. These were managed and controlled by the noble families of the region who administered power. These were known as "signoria" and included the Gonzaga family in Mantua and the Este family in Ferrara. Although these families contributed significantly to Italian culture, progressing by leaps and bounds in architecture and art, political rights and power were colossally reserved for the elite. This system of government continued to transpire for a remarkable period of time, with foreign powers also having interestsin some areas between the years, such as Spanish rule over Southern Italy and independent duchies and Australia controlling the North. When a demand for nationalism through the “Risorgimento” movement emerged in the 19th century, economic and social disparities became predominant. The Northerners' disdain and contempt for the Southerners fueled hatred and showed Italy's clear detachment as a unified nation. “The South ended up being portrayed as a paradise inhabited by demons where civilizations had to be imposed. » After the unification of Italy, the majority of the population (78%) was still illiterate and the lack of a unified language resulted in the elite remaining in power with only 2% of the population having the right to vote. This oppression of power and choice has led to skepticism and a hatred of the political system, revealing unrest fractures for the government. Silvio Berlusconi's rise to power is therefore fascinating. Coming from humble beginnings and achieving immense success and wealth, he was able to present himself as an ordinary man from Italy. Retreating from the elite class, he used Italy's historic resentment of the establishment as his advantage. "His ignorance of the places and mental patterns of traditional politics, the contempt for institutional culture for a man who ventures into an unknown world, who knows and uses the secrets of market culture and who has no respect for the symbols of representative democracy, all this contributes to Berlusconi’s success.” (Ginsborg, 2005) This can be seen through the 1994 general elections, where Berlusconi won the presidency after entering the campaign only 2 months before the elections following the "Mani Pulite" scandal, where the majority of Italian politicians been denounced for corruption. Media in Italy Media in Italy, particularly television, has made a significant contribution to Italian culture. Television has been instrumental in reducing tensions related to the immense social disparities caused by years of elitist political rule. Television worked to effectively educate and entertain the Italian public, thereby strengthening unification and culture. Silvio Berlusconi represents this cultural phenomenon responsible for Mediaset, the country's largest commercial channel which has radically changed the television landscape in Italy. In Italy, television was born in the 1950s thanks to a government initiative, RAI. Popular shows included “Non e mai troppo tardi” or “It’s Never Too Late” which taught the Italian language in an entertaining classroom setting. The content was heavily controlled and censored, created with the aim of informing, educating and entertaining. However, he represented the ideologies of the government of the time led by Christian Democrats. As the only authorized network, it had a monopoly and therefore immense influence. In 1976, a historic decision by the Constitutional Court eradicated censorship and opened the networks to privatization. Although they were still not allowed to compete nationally, the emergence of several new small-scale networks changed the television landscape and the RAI network lost its reign. Silvio Berlusconi started with a local cable network “Telemilano” until the “Mammi Law” of 1990 finally legalized the mixed system. Bersculoni arrived in force, creating Mediaset which managed 3 different networks; Canale 5 in 1978 and soon after Italia 1 and Rete 4. During its strongest reign, Berlusconi-owned Mediaset captured 45% of the total audience in the 1990s and early 2000s. It expanded this television empire to surpass the network ofthe state both in terms of advertising revenue and viewers. Berlusconi, through his channels, sparked a new media wave among the Italian public, introducing Western values ​​and ideologies that were not exposed there on such a dramatic scale as ever before. “The model of commercial television introduced by Berlusconi to Italy in the 1980s, offering escapism and promoting individualist and consumerist values…commercial television has largely contributed to the profound cultural changes that Italian society has experienced.” He promoted the ideas of consumerism and aspects of Western culture that were not previously addressed in Italian culture, such as money, fashion, individualism and sport. This could then be attributed to social movements that emerged in Italy, such as the increase in the nuclear family phenomenon and the decline in the birth rate, due to people instead focusing on their careers and personal goals. In a broader cultural sense, television was able to break down the boundaries of social hierarchy and work toward a cultural unification of language and national identity. The cultural significance of this project was enormous and had social and political repercussions when Berlusconi later used it as a key aspect to influence public opinion on his political policies and the success of his campaign in the future. By controlling what Italians watched each day, he managed to shape public perception to his liking. As a result, he embodied the hopes and dreams of what an Italian would want to aspire to. “His brand thus came to evoke the success and wealth that could be transferred from his businesses to his person and eventually to his constituents. » Italian “Calcio” (football)Football or “Calcio” is finally a primordial aspect of Italian culture represented by Silvio. Berlusconi. The growing importance of football as a defining part of Italian daily life can be strongly linked to Berlusconi and his personal dominance in bringing the sport to the forefront of Italian culture. Calcio itself represents unification and nationalism in Italy, like television capable of breaking down all social barriers created by wealth and locality. It is the most popular sport in the country and arouses great passion among Italians of all ages. Silvio Berlusconi used this popularity and passion as a strategic aspect of his political campaign as he competed for public acceptance and relevance. He formed his network of political "clubs" around the concept of football clubs, using sporting terminology to try to make politics more accessible and interactive to the public. Examples include his frequent use of "Scendere in campo" (enter the field) in reference to Berlusconi's entry into politics and calling political battles "Partita" (match) "(so I felt that the match was becoming dangerous, that everything was being played out in the penalty areas and this midfield was unfortunately empty... and we said to ourselves that we could not leave this vast space free...). His often regular use of references to the national team also shows a deliberate attempt to politically manipulate what is arguably Italy's clearest symbol of national unity and identity. This intelligent use of calcio vocabulary has allowed Berlusconi and his political allies to avoid any use of what is considered traditional political terminology and references, likely to trigger social and historical fractures within a now political class. discredited. Using the.