The Passeggiata And Popular Culture in an Italian Town: Folklore And the Performance of Modernity

An immigrant daughter, Giovanna Del Negro returned to her mother's home town in central Italy for one year. The resulting book captures the diverse reactions that Sassani have to industrialization, changing gender roles, immigration, small-town political and sexual scandals, and the global media. Unlike accounts that focus exclusively on large-scale social forces, "The Passeggiata and Popular Culture in an Italian Town" examines the experiences of ordinary people and the unique ways modernity reveals itself in a particular place. Del Negro focuses on the passeggiata - the ritual evening stroll - as the centrepiece of social life. Sassani from all segments of society (older women, teenage girls, motorbike boys, and established professionals) use the passeggiata to depict themselves as modern.Del Negro's evocative descriptions of dressing, walking, courting, and socializing in Sasso's piazza reveal how the Sassani pride themselves on their urbane sophistication, half jokingly referring to their town as 'our little Paris'. Examining everything from Sassano interpretations of tabloid television and soap operas to community games and postcards, Del Negro casts her net wide and gathers powerful insights into the local culture. Richly sophisticated, this innovative study speaks to anyone interested in folklore, cultural studies, anthropology, or Mediterranean culture.