This document summarizes a research study on civil society organizations and social movements regarding the proposed Messina Bridge project between Sicily and Calabria in Italy. The researchers analyzed the dynamics of social struggles and conflicts using a Habermasian perspective. They found that a civil society movement opposed the bridge project due to environmental and economic concerns. While this movement mobilized resources and expertise, the Italian regulatory system does not provide an institutionalized process for dialogue between local communities and policymakers regarding infrastructure projects.

1. European Sociological Association
RN27 – Regional Network on Southern European Societies
Civil Society Organizations in the Mediterranean Area:
Societal Role, Challenges, Dinamics
SASSARI (Italy), 1-2 October 2012

2. European Sociological Association
RN27 – Regional Network on Southern European Societies
Under the Bridge of Messina.
Civil Society: Conflicts, Governance, and Participation.
Enrico SACCO (PhD)
University of Naples 'Federico II' - Faculty of Sociology
e-mail:enrico.sacco@unina.it
Ivano SCOTTI (PhD)
University of Naples 'Federico II' - Faculty of Sociology
e-mail: ivano.scotti@gmail.com

3. European Sociological Association
RN27 – Regional Network on Southern European Societies
Under the Bridge...
We present the results of a research carried out
between 2011-2012 about the social struggles
regarding the project of the Messina bridge (between
Sicily and the Calabria region).
In this case study we pointed out the Italian model of
deliberation regarding infrastructure policies and the
role civil society can play in this matter.

4. European Sociological Association
RN27 – Regional Network on Southern European Societies
...we did a research.
A Habermasian perspective was used to analyze the
dynamics of the social struggles and the conflicts that
developed from it.
We chose a qualitative methodology – the study case –
with three main techniques: deep-interviews to
privileged witnesses (members of movements),
official document analysis (local and national
newspapers, politicians official statements, etc.),
participant observation (public demonstrations,
movement's meeting, etc.).

5. European Sociological Association
RN27 – Regional Network on Southern European Societies
1. Civil Society & Social Movements:
A revisited Habermasian perspective.

6. European Sociological Association
RN27 – Regional Network on Southern European Societies
Social Movements: between
'Rationalization' and 'Colonization' of the Lifeworld
- Social movements are a self-
organizations of civil society, a reaction
against 'colonization' (Habermas 1984).
- Movements try to achieve both
redistribution and recognition (Edwards
2009; Fraser 2003).
- Movements produce their own counter-
public spheres (Negt & Kluge 1993;
Fraser 1990).
- In the 'ideal speech situation' they can
reach a rationalized transformation of
the regulatory asset.

7. European Sociological Association
RN27 – Regional Network on Southern European Societies
Social Movements: between
'Rationalization' and 'Colonization' of the Lifeworld
Colonization
PRIVATE SPHERES
ECONOMIC INSTUTITIONS (different social groups)
Experiences, Values, Behaviors, etc.
Rationalization
Systemic Relations Social Movements
Colonization
PUBLIC SPHERES
POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS (different counterpublics)
Constitutive elements
Rationalization

8. European Sociological Association
RN27 – Regional Network on Southern European Societies
Social Movements: between
'Rationalization' and 'Colonization' of the Lifeworld
- Which public sphere influences
decision-making process; what factor
blocks others actors?
(the political opportunities structures)
- How counter-public sphere engages
other social interests and become
more socio-political influence?
(resources mobilized)
- What are the recognition and
redistribution problems? How they
play in the social struggles?
(cognitive praxis)

9. European Sociological Association
RN27 – Regional Network on Southern European Societies
2. Civil Society & the Bridge:
Interests, inclusion/exclusion, and opinions.

10. European Sociological Association
RN27 – Regional Network on Southern European Societies
About the Bridge...
- The Messina bridge project represents one of the major
infrastructure works which the last Berlusconi government
considered an important part of a modernization plan for Italy.
- This colossal infrastructure – 3,300 meters long and 60 meters wide
supported by two gigantic piers – should be completed by 2017 at
a cost 8.5 billion Euros.
- The idea of the bridge has a long history: Assuming the year 1971
as temporal reference «there have been 33 governments and 12
legislatures, 234 ministers have dealt with the issue directly or
indirectly, more than 50 Parliamentary Commissions, Organisms
for economic and environmental control, Committees, and other
oddities, created by the endlessly imaginative Italian bureaucracy,
have been consulted expressing their opinions regarding the
issue».

11. European Sociological Association
RN27 – Regional Network on Southern European Societies
Interests Involved Formally...
(the political opportunities structures)
- The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, which has set out rules and
timing and provided at least part of the financial resources.
- The Stretto di Messina Co. – the public concessionary company
established in 1981.
- The General Contractor Eurolink – a consortium of International firms
which in 2005 won the contract for the realization of the bridge.
- The Regional governments, although formally involved, have played a
rather marginal role which has consisted mainly in advancing proposals
within the State-Regions Conference, but their advising is in no way
binding.
- Practically, other local public administrations have had no roles.
- This is why from its very start the realization of the bridge tends to be seen
as a process stemming and governed from above.

12. European Sociological Association
RN27 – Regional Network on Southern European Societies
The Response of The Civil Society...
The Messina bridge project has
sparked off the mobilization of
several grass-roots
organizations, come together in
the 'No Bridge' Network, in
outright opposition to the
construction of the bridge.
Although within the governance
process the No Bridge Network
has no formal recognition, its
presence and action has
considerably complicated the
picture of the interests at stake.

13. European Sociological Association
RN27 – Regional Network on Southern European Societies
Production of Conflict and New Discourses...
The key-points of the conflict have been chronologically:
1. the negative effects of the bridge in terms of environmental impact;
2. the unsustainability of the infrastructure from an engineering-
related standpoint;
3. the uselessness of the bridge in local economy and employment.
The 'No Bridge' movement is able to organize large meetings and
demonstrations in order to sensitize citizens over the issue and its
viewpoint. Currently this movement poses alternative reasons on
all issues related to the bridge that are also founded on local
experiences.

14. European Sociological Association
RN27 – Regional Network on Southern European Societies
Two Different (and Incompatible?) Development Models
“We want proximity structures, small public
works locally useful and not major public
works causing inconvenience. We want
small roads and small bridges which do not
collapse because of floods or bad weather!”
“We want the whole southern area, the whole of
Sicily, to be secured; we just want many
small things which could lead to employment
as well, in addition to a new sense of identity
and to a growing awareness” (RNP Activist).
These positions go far beyond the debate on a
single infrastructure and engage the ethical
issue concerning the idea of development.

15. European Sociological Association
RN27 – Regional Network on Southern European Societies
Mobilized Resources...
- It is also interesting to underline that this movement has made use
of opinions by various experts in several fields. Geologists,
engineers, city planners, economists, and social scientists have
shared their knowledge producing a higher awareness within the
movement and in public opinion.
- This has allowed an equal confrontation with counterpart reasons,
because the alternative expertise has given the movement a set
of data, specialized studies and technical language scientifically
oriented and useful for equal understanding on very technical
issues.
- The movement published several articles and comments on its
official website; the website represents the daily update of a
virtual meeting place. Here the movement publishes all the
activities organized by them and also collects articles about the
economy and society of the Straits of Messina.

16. European Sociological Association
RN27 – Regional Network on Southern European Societies
A Double Channel of Exclusion...
Due to the absence of institutional
alternatives, citizens are forced to choose a
collective subject that can provide them a
voice, technical knowledge, and a political
and intellectual position.
But the risk is that between the individual
citizens and the levels of representation of
local movements, the discussions and
comparisons are poor.
This leads to a double channel of exclusion.
A channel imposed by the top and
authoritarian strategy of the government,
and another one resulting from social and
cultural dynamics leading to the success of
certain protest movements with a strong
elitist factor.

17. European Sociological Association
RN27 – Regional Network on Southern European Societies
...and the Public Position?
The bridge is seen as the only possible way to resolve the chronic
economic crisis, the only action to create employment opportunities,
to rapidly revitalize the economy, and to attract huge investments.
Many members of the political class claim that the bridge will be, at least,
an element for an economic recovery, and it does not matter if it is
temporary and it ends when the last stone is laid.
What is happening in Southern Italy is the well-known unequal exchange
justified in the so-called developing countries of Africa and Latin
America.
These are places where the classical dilemma of the relationship
between the benefits of economic growth and the distribution of
environmental and social costs is simply hidden.

18. European Sociological Association
RN27 – Regional Network on Southern European Societies
3. A Very Short Conclusion:
Public reasons and Italian regulatory framework

19. European Sociological Association
RN27 – Regional Network on Southern European Societies
What Does Our Research Suggest?
A) The capacity of social movements to win depends on
the ability to engage several and widespread interests
(advocacy action and manage against-coalition) and on
the rate of openness of Institutions (political
opportunities).
B) Italian regulatory frame about infrastructural policies
does not present an institutionalized dialogue space with
local communities (Legge Obiettivo). Italy seems to
adopt a model of 'modernization without participation'.

20. European Sociological Association
RN27 – Regional Network on Southern European Societies
Thank you
Enrico SACCO (PhD)
University of Naples 'Federico II' - Faculty of Sociology
e-mail:enrico.sacco@unina.it
Ivano SCOTTI (PhD)
University of Naples 'Federico II' - Faculty of Sociology
e-mail: ivano.scotti@gmail.com