Within The Virtual Center for the Study of Global Asymmetries, this section gathers undergraduate and graduate thesis projects developed across a broad range of subjects related to contemporary history, global history, cultural studies, media, popular culture, social transformations, and political processes.
Although the Center is primarily oriented toward the study of global asymmetries, inequalities, and power relations, the theses presented here are not limited to those themes alone. They reflect the diversity of students’ research interests and methodological approaches, ranging across different historical periods, geographical areas, and cultural phenomena.
The aim of this section is to showcase ongoing and completed academic work, encourage intellectual exchange, and highlight the variety of perspectives through which contemporary societies and cultures can be studied.
North Africa in the Global Scenario: From the Cold War to the So-Called “Arab Springs” (Il Nord Africa nello scenario globale: dalla Guerra Fredda alle cosiddette “Primavere arabe”)
by Riccardo Rotini
This thesis examines the history of North Africa from the Cold War to the so-called “Arab Springs,” focusing on Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria as key spaces within contemporary global dynamics. Using a global history approach, the study explores how decolonization, Cold War geopolitics, and neoliberal globalization shaped the postcolonial trajectories of the region. Particular attention is devoted to the relationship between hegemonic powers and subordinate countries, highlighting both forms of economic and political dependency and experiences of resistance, such as Third-Worldism and the Non-Aligned Movement. The thesis also analyzes the impact of neoliberal reforms introduced from the 1980s onward and interprets the “Arab Springs” not simply as democratic uprisings, but as broader reactions to the social inequalities and structural tensions produced by globalization.
Che Guevara in Italy (Che Guevara in Italia)
by Luca Marcelli
This thesis examines the political, cultural, and symbolic reception of Che Guevara in Italy from the Cuban Revolution to the contemporary period. Combining biographical reconstruction with cultural and media analysis, the study explores Guevara’s revolutionary thought, his theory of guerrilla warfare, and his role in the construction of Cuban socialism, before focusing on the ways his image circulated within Italian political culture. Particular attention is devoted to the Italian New Left, political journals, newspapers such as L’Unità and La Stampa, and the transformation of Che Guevara from revolutionary leader into a contested global myth. The thesis ultimately reflects on the changing political appropriations of Guevara’s figure, showing how his image evolved from a symbol of anti-imperialist struggle into a broader and often contradictory cultural icon.
The Big Time. Albanian Emigration in Italy from the Arbëreshë Diaspora to the Kosovo War (Il tempo grande. L’emigrazione albanese in Italia dalla diaspora arbëreshe alla guerra del Kossovo)
by Giulia Biondi
This thesis analyzes Albanian migration to Italy within a long-term historical framework, connecting the medieval Arbëreshë diaspora with the mass migrations that followed the collapse of the communist regime in Albania during the 1990s. Moving between political history, migration studies, and oral history, the work reconstructs the social and economic crisis of post-Hoxha Albania, the democratization process after 1990, and the major migratory waves linked to the embassy crisis, the collapse of the pyramid schemes, and the Kosovo War. Particular attention is devoted to the role of the Italian media in shaping negative representations of Albanian migrants and to the broader geopolitical relationship between Italy and Albania across the Adriatic space. The final section focuses on the encounter between recent Albanian migrants and the historic Arbëreshë communities of Southern Italy, especially through a case study on San Paolo Albanese based on oral-history interviews. The thesis highlights how migration generated tensions, negotiations of identity, and competing perceptions of cultural belonging, showing the complexity of Albanian migration beyond emergency narratives and media stereotypes.
Nuclear Energy in Italy, from the 1970s to the Referendum (L’energia nucleare in Italia, dagli anni ’70 al referendum)
by Nicola Pambianchi
This thesis examines the history of nuclear energy in Italy from the 1970s to the 1987 referendum, situating the Italian case within the broader geopolitical and energy crises of the Cold War era. The study reconstructs the development of the Italian nuclear program alongside the rise of environmental consciousness, anti-nuclear movements, and pacifist activism, showing how nuclear energy became a central terrain of political and cultural conflict. Particular attention is devoted to the oil crisis of 1973, the role of Enrico Mattei and Felice Ippolito, the construction of Italian nuclear plants, and the controversies surrounding public communication, environmental risks, and radioactive waste management. The thesis also analyzes the impact of international nuclear accidents such as Three Mile Island and Chernobyl on Italian public opinion, emphasizing how fears related to radiation, health, and environmental catastrophe transformed the debate on energy policy. The final section interprets the 1987 referendum not simply as a technical decision on energy production, but as the culmination of a broader social conflict involving politics, environmentalism, scientific authority, and public distrust toward institutions during the late Cold War period.
The Movement of 1977 and the Metropolitan Indians: Politics, Counterculture, and Youth Conflict in Contemporary Italy (Il movimento del 1977 e gli indiani metropolitani: politica, controcultura e conflitto giovanile nell’Italia contemporanea)
by Matteo Palumbi
This thesis examines the Italian movement of 1977 within the broader political and social crisis of the 1970s, highlighting its connections with the legacy of 1968, student protests, workers’ struggles, and the violence of the “Years of Lead.” The study explores the growing distrust toward institutional politics and the emergence of new forms of youth dissent rooted in marginalization, cultural experimentation, and anti-authoritarianism. Particular attention is devoted to the Indiani metropolitani (Metropolitan Indians), interpreted as an original countercultural phenomenon that combined irony, theatricality, and symbolic protest. Through archival sources, newspapers, interviews, and the works of Andreas Iacarella, the thesis analyzes how these groups transformed political activism into performative action through costumes, parody, occupied spaces, and alternative media. The final section focuses on the cultural impact of the movement through music, journalism, radio, and feminist activism, arguing that the experience of 1977 represented a major turning point in contemporary Italian political and cultural history.
The Evolution of Environmental Sensitivity in Disney Cinematography (L’evoluzione della sensibilità ambientale nella cinematografia disneyana)
by Alice Di Giuseppe
This thesis explores the evolution of environmental themes in Disney films from the 1920s to the present, analyzing how the representation of nature gradually shifted from a simple narrative background to a more explicit ecological discourse. Through films such as Bambi, The Jungle Book, The Little Mermaid, Pocahontas, The Lion King, and Moana, the study examines the relationship between anthropomorphism, environmental awareness, consumerism, and critiques of anthropocentrism. Particular attention is devoted to the connections between Disney cinematography and the broader history of environmentalism, including debates on hunting, animal welfare, pollution, nuclear energy, consumer society, and marine degradation. The thesis argues that, despite its commercial nature and narrative simplifications, Disney production increasingly contributed to the diffusion of ecological sensitivity within global popular culture, especially through representations of harmony between humans, animals, and nature.
Comparison between the Italian and Yugoslav Press during the 1999 NATO Bombing (Confronto della stampa italiana e della stampa jugoslava durante il bombardamento NATO del 1999)
by Francesco Di Giacomi
This thesis analyzes the different narratives developed by the Italian and Yugoslav press during the 1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia, focusing on the Kosovo conflict, the legitimacy of military intervention, and the symbolic importance of Kosovo within Serbian national identity. The first section reconstructs the historical and cultural roots of the Serbian perception of Kosovo as a “sacred land,” linked to medieval Serbia, Orthodox Christianity, and the memory of the Battle of Kosovo Polje. The second part examines the dissolution of Yugoslavia, the rise of Milošević, the Kosovo crisis, the role of the UÇK, and the growing international involvement that culminated in NATO intervention. The final chapter compares Italian newspapers such as Corriere della Sera and La Stampa with Yugoslav newspapers including Blic and Politika, showing how Italian media largely justified the bombing as a humanitarian necessity, while Yugoslav media framed it as an illegitimate aggression against a sovereign state. The thesis ultimately reflects on the political, legal, and human consequences of the conflict and on the role of propaganda in shaping public opinion during the war.
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