Department of Political and Social Sciences

Hamburg hosts one of the oldest Iranian migrant communities dating back to the late 19th century. In a diachronic perspective, this paper examines how Iranian merchants manage transnational capital resources to strive for success through changing political and economic conditions.

English:
Seen from afar, for both political and economic reasons, Iran appears to be a country at the margins of global exchanges. Yet, Iranian society is far from being isolated. Numerous emigrants entertain ongoing relationships with their families back in Iran and thus contribute to the country’s contact with the international. These close interactions drive important social changes. The core subject of this book, transnational families, play an important role in the diffusion of paradigms coming from the West.
Engaging with central issues explored in academic scholarship on the anthropology of transnational migration, the author analyzes the circulation of ideas, practices and goods between the members of five families whose networks span Iran, Europe and North America. Thanks to the rich accounts provided by a detailed ethnographic study, this book offers a complex picture of Iranian society, whose ongoing international exchanges contribute to the continuous recreation of intrinsically modern lifestyles. 

French:
Vu de loin, l'Iran apparaît comme un pays qui, pour des raisons politiques et économiques, se trouve à l'écart des échanges mondiaux. Cependant la société iranienne est loin d'être isolée de l'Occident. Contribuent à ces contacts les nombreux émigrés qui entretiennent des relations suivies avec leur famille restée au pays. Ces denses interactions sont à l'origine d'importantes mutations sociales. Les familles transnationales qui font l'objet de ce livre jouent un rôle important dans la diffusion de modèles venus d'Occident.
L'auteure fait tout d'abord le point sur l'anthropologie du transnationalisme – un concept en vogue – puis, dans une étude ethnographique minutieuse, elle analyse la circulation des idées, des pratiques et des biens entre les membres de cinq familles dont les réseaux relient l'Iran, l'Europe et l'Amérique du Nord. Ce livre, par les données qui y sont présentées, offre une image complexe de la société iranienne, des échanges avec l'extérieur qui s'y trament contribuant à la construction toujours renouvelée de modes de vie marqués par la modernité.

Research in transnational migration long neglected the study of power relations among migrants. In this paper, I explore within-group heterogeneity, viewing it as the outcome of the processes of social boundary making. How does social boundary making among migrants relate to their chances to generate capital in different local and transnational social fields? Focusing on  dynamics between people identifying as Iranians and living in Hamburg, I critically discuss previous work that attempts to explain their lack of social cohesion. An ethnographic account of alliances and divisions that emerge around an Iranian cultural festival illustrates that social boundaries can constitute barriers to capital accumulation, but they can also be actively shaped in order to generate capital and overcome such limits. Through the analysis of this case study I argue that social boundary making among migrants reflects their engagement with local and global regimes of social inequality.

Through the notion of simultaneity I explore the emotional and affective dimension of the displacement-emplacement continuum within transnational migration and hint to the need to consider perceptions of time and space in people's lived experience.

The aim of this article is to shed light on an understudied aspect of Giordano Bruno's intellectual biography, namely, his career as a mathematical practitioner. Early interpreters, especially, have criticized Bruno's mathematics for being “outdated” or too “concrete”. However, thanks to developments in the study of early modern mathematics and the rediscovery of Bruno's first mathematical writings (four dialogues on Fabrizio's Mordente proportional compass), we are in a position to better understand Bruno's mathematics. In particular, this article aims to reopen the question of whether Bruno anticipated the concept of infinitesimal quantity. It does so by providing an analysis of the dialogues on Mordente's compass and of the historical circumstances under which those dialogues were written.

Last week, the Spanish region of Catalonia witnessed various terror-related incidents, including a vehicle ramming at Las Ramblas, Barcelona, and an attack in Cambrils. In addition, it was revealed that an explosion previously occurred—affecting a house in Alcanar—was linked to the terrorist attacks, too. The attacks—promptly claimed by IS through A'maq News Agency—resulted in a death toll of 16 victims and more
than 100 injured. Of course, it's too early to draw conclusions, and only continuing investigations will shed light on the background behind these events. Still, it's possible to make a few preliminary remarks, building on current information and outlining some hypotheses. This piece is not intended as an exhaustive analysis, but—rather—as a starting point for further study, which will also benefit from new investigation findings.

[Update regarding the death toll: 16 victims]

Negli ultimi anni, il fenomeno del jihadismo si è progressivamente imposto come una delle maggiori sfide alla sicurezza internazionale. Tuttavia, per comprendere il suo percorso e le più recenti evoluzioni – tra cui l’emergere del sedicente Stato Islamico – è necessario soffermarsi sugli sviluppi degli scorsi decenni. L’elaborazione dottrinale che ne è scaturita si è dipanata lungo il sentiero di Sayyid Qutb e dei suoi epigoni, per poi giungere alla visione globale di al-Qa’ida e, infine, all’ideologia settaria dell’autoproclamato califfato. La militanza islamista non ha lambito solamente il mondo musulmano, referente primario di pensatori come Qutb, propagandosi anche nei Paesi occidentali. Lo scopo della presente trattazione è fornire uno sguardo generale sull’evoluzione del jihadismo negli ultimi decenni, per poi concentrarsi sulle sue concrete ripercussioni operative nel quadrante europeo.

Keyword: jihadismo, al-Qa’ida