ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book focuses on the phenomenon of organized terrorism and political violence which has until now dominated analyses of the period, to other, equally important, aspects. It discusses the intricate psychological, social and political make-up of the decade and the breaking down of barriers between the personal and the political, the private and the public, and high and low culture. The book demonstrates the student movement, in socioeconomic factors, such as a loss of status and fear of unemployment. It shows how the successful social integration and political emancipation of Southern immigrants in Bologna hinged upon their acceptance of, and assimilation to, the dominant left-wing subculture, not least through the acquisition of the jargon associated with it. The book highlights the pervasiveness of these changes across the peninsula, among women of different socio-economic and educational backgrounds, including housewives.
