Social Capital and Civil Society in Medieval and Renaissance Italy

We are seeking papers for multiple panels that address debates on civil society and social capital in the Italian context between the Middle Ages and late Renaissance (1200-1700). We welcome papers that address debates specifically initiated by Robert Putnam in Making Democracy Work: Civic Traditions in Modern Italy, but also seek pan-Italian papers that address more broadly the nature, development, and impact of voluntary associations on social and political culture in the north and south. Send title and abstract (250 words max.) to Nicholas Terpstra, nicholas.terpstra@utoronto.ca and to Mark Jurdjevic, mjurdjev@uottawa.ca by May 1st, 2005.