SOCIALCATH

Socialism and leftist Catholicism in France and Italy (1956-1972)

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 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'The SOCIALCATH research project deals with the intercultural connection between Socialism and Catholicism in two cases in which this meeting was very evident: the French 'Parti Socialiste Unifié' (PSU) and the Italian 'Partito Socialista Italiano di Unità Proletaria' (PSIUP). PSU and PSIUP put together Socialists and Catholics who did not accept the main strategy of their respective political families. PSU and PSIUP wanted represent a radically democratic form of modernity, giving great attention to social ferments and to defend all discriminated or under-represented categories: workers, women and young people. PSU and PSIUP were libertarian and they refused the hierarchical structures of a mass party, adopting a fluid organisation totally open to different cultural models. The political relationship between PSU and PSIUP, their ideological exchanges and the contacts between their members have never been explored within a scientific context. The SOCIALCATH project aims to fill this scientific gap, bringing to light many unedited documents. The interdisciplinary approach, the multi-methodological analysis and the comparative nature of the SOCIALCATH project are all new instruments to be used in these arguments. The SOCIALCATH project aims to reach three main objectives: 1. to describe the meeting between opposite cultural areas such as Socialism and Catholicism, in order to support the policies for intercultural dialogue promoted by the EU and other international organisations such as UNESCO. 2. to highlight alternative aspects of Socialist and Catholic cultures, in order to discover the anti-dogmatic spirit of the 60s and its today's inheritance in the collective European conscience. 3. to explore the relationship between the PSU and PSIUP's political class and the new social issues of the 60s (feminism, 'the young' issue, etc.), in order to compare those events with the present attitude of the European leading class towards society and collective issues.'

Introduzione (Teaser)

The connection between socialism and Catholicism in Europe helps to shed light on European social ideology.

Descrizione progetto (Article)

On the surface, socialism and Catholicism do not seem like two cultural areas that are linked. Yet in the fabric of European social consciousness the two have been woven together in ideological terms.

This was particularly evident between the French Parti Socialiste Unife (PSU) and the Italian Partito Socialista Italiano di Unita Proletaria (PSIUP) in the post-war period. However, their political connection had never been scientifically explored. That is, not until the EU-funded 'Socialism and leftist Catholicism in France and Italy (1956-1972)' (SOCIALCATH) project did exactly that. The project therefore found the meeting point between these two cultural areas in order to support policies promoted by the EU and organisations such as UNESCO.

Commonality between PSU and PSIUP mainly rested on the rejection of their respective mainstream ideological base. Each sought a radical democratic form of modernity in which underrepresented segments of the population were defended and hierarchical structures were opposed. SOCIALCATH highlighted alternative aspects of both cultures which arose with new social issues in the 1960s. The relationship between PSU and PSIUP was explored to arrive at the attitude existing in Europe today.

SOCIALCATH took an interdisciplinary approach through analysis and comparison. Within that, it achieved its main objectives, including linking the Italian and French new left. As a result scientific publications as well as press articles on the subject of the project have been published. Additionally, project efforts have given rise to conferences, seminars and workshops. This is useful for a better understanding of the current attitude of the European leading class towards society and collective issues.