IndexIntroductionPolitical history of ItalyThe media in ItalyItalian footballConclusionIntroductionSilvio Berlusconi has been described as "the embodiment of the modern Italian dream". (Cosentino et al. pg. 226) His disdain and disdain for traditional politics, display of Western consumerist values, and obsession with football allow him to be depicted as a representation of the evolving cultures of Modern Italy. His rise from media mogul to powerful politician in the modern Italian landscape is initially disconcerting. An analysis, however, shows how his use of the political, cultural, and social fractures of Italy's past allowed him to manipulate and converge these tensions to positively assert his personal political brand and Italy's cultural landscape as a nation. This essay outlines three key aspects considered instrumental not only to Italian culture but also to Berlusconi's success as a politician. The Italian political system, television and football or 'soccer'. Many have criticized his political views and actions which show a conflict of interest “his most ambitious attempt to date has been to combine media control and political power… a media mogul who not only hides behind politics, but he himself is in politics” (P. Ginsborg, 2005, pg.10) and his personal image has long been the subject of controversy and scandal. However, I believe that his contribution to Italian culture and the resources he provided for the nation's unity and nationalism are undeniable. His feat in Italy's political and social arenas has allowed him to come to symbolize aspects of Italian culture that have great importance in its history and unification as a nation. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Political History of Italy Italy's disruptive and troubled political history is an aspect of Italian culture represented by Silvio Berlusconi. The political and cultural tensions that emerged as a result of this history and his tactical use of it in his political campaigns show a transition of the changing ideals and values ​​of Italian society. Italy has suffered from an immensely unstable government, experiencing political instability ever since. its beginnings as a nation. As explained by Lauro Martines in Power and Imagination: City States in Renaissance Italy “It is difficult to summarize the chaos, but the narrative history of Italy in the 11th and 12th centuries is a story of political shipwreck and confused authority.” (1979) Although ruled by the Romans and papal authority, the empire was more focused on occupying foreign lands and expanding its own power as the popes themselves attempted to conquer more of Europe. As a result, during the Renaissance era, the government of Italy was neglected. It was therefore initially run as small independent states and cities. These were managed and controlled by the noble families of the region who administered power. These were called "lordships" and included the Gonzagas in Mantua and the Estes in Ferrara. Although these families contributed significantly to Italian culture, making great strides in architecture and art, political rights and power were colossally reserved for the elite. This system of government continued to exist for a considerable period of time with foreign powers also having interests in some regions over the years, such as the Spanish domination of southern Italy and the independent Duchies and Australia controlling the North. When in the 19th century a demand for nationalism manifested itself throughthe Risorgimento movement, economic and social disparity became prevalent. Northerners' disdain and disdain for Southerners fueled hatred and showed Italy's obvious detachment as a united nation. “The South came to be portrayed as a paradise inhabited by devils where civilizations had to be imposed.” After the Unification of Italy, the majority of the population (78%) was still illiterate and the lack of a unified language meant that the ruling elite continued with only 2% of the population entitled to vote. This oppression of power and choice has led to skepticism and contempt of the political system, revealing fractures of unrest for government. Silvio Berlusconi's rise to power is therefore fascinating. Coming from humble beginnings and managing to achieve immense success and wealth, he was able to portray himself as an Italian common man. By distancing himself from the elite class, he used Italy's historic resentment of the establishment as an advantage. “His ignorance of the places and mental patterns of traditional politics, the contempt of institutional culture for a man who ventures into an unknown world, who knows and uses the secrets of market culture and who has no respect for the symbols of democracy representative, all contributing to Berlusconi's success." (Ginsborg, 2005) This can be seen through the 1994 general elections in which Berlusconi won the presidency after entering the campaign only 2 months before the elections following the "Mani Pulite" scandal in which the majority of Italian politicians were reported for corruption . Media in ItalyMedia in Italy, specifically television has made a significant contribution to Italian culture. Television has been an instrumental tool in helping to reduce the strain of immense social disparity caused by years of an elite political governance system. Television worked to effectively educate and entertain the Italian public, thereby strengthening unification and culture. Silvio Berlusconi represents this cultural phenomenon and is responsible for the well-being of Mediaset, the largest commercial broadcaster in the country which has radically changed the television landscape in Italy. Television in Italy was born in the 1950s, run by a government-run initiative RAI. Among the most popular shows was “Non e mai otto tardi” which taught the Italian language in a fun classroom environment. The content was heavily controlled and censored, created with the purpose of informing, educating and entertaining. However, it represented the ideologies of the government of the time led by the Christian Democrats. As the only licensed network, it had a monopoly and therefore enormous influence. In 1976, a historic decision by the Constitutional Court eradicated censorship and opened networks to privatization. Although they were not yet allowed to compete on a national scale, the emergence of several new small-scale networks changed the landscape of television and the RAI network lost its reign. Silvio Berlusconi started with the local cable network "Telemilano" until the "mammì law" of 1990 finally legalized the mixed system. Bersculoni entered forcefully, founding Mediaset which managed 3 different networks; Canale 5 in 1978 and soon after Italia 1 and Rete 4. In its strongest reign, Berlusconi-owned Mediaset captured 45% of total viewers in the 1990s and early 2000s. It grew this empire television to surpass the state network both in terms of advertising revenue and viewers. Berlusconi in his channels, brought a new wave of media to the Italian public, introducing Western values ​​and ideologies never exhibited on such a dramatic scale before. “The commercial television model that Berlusconi introduced in Italyin the 1980s by offering escape and promoting individualistic and consumerist values… commercial television contributed significantly to the profound cultural changes undergone by Italian society”. It promoted ideas of consumerism and aspects of Western culture not previously focused in Italian culture such as money, fashion, individualism and sport. This could then be attributed to social movements that have arisen in Italy such as the rise of the nuclear family phenomenon and a decline in the birth rate from people focusing instead on careers and personal goals. In a broader cultural sense, television has been able to break the boundaries of social hierarchy and work towards cultural unification in language and national identity. The cultural significance of this was enormous and had aftershocks in social and political aspects when Berlusconi later used it as a key aspect to influence public opinion on his political policies and election campaign success in the future. By controlling what Italians watched every day, he managed to successfully shape public perception according to his own initiative. As a result, he embodied the hopes and dreams of what an Italian would aspire to be. “His brand thus came to connote success and wealth that could be transferred from his companies to his person and ultimately to his constituents.” Italian 'Football' Football or 'Soccer' is finally a fundamental aspect of Italian culture represented by Silvio Berlusconi. The growing importance of football as a defining feature of Italian daily life can be strongly linked to Berlusconi and his personal dominance in bringing sport to the forefront of Italian culture. Football itself represents unification and nationalism in Italy, just as television is able to break through all the social barriers created by wealth and location. It is the most popular sport in the country and arouses great passion among Italians of all ages. Silvio Berlusconi used this popularity and passion as a strategic aspect of his political campaign when he competed for public acceptance and recognition. He formed his network of political "clubs" around the concept of football clubs, using sporting terminology in an attempt to make politics more accessible and interactive to the public. Examples include his frequent use of 'Scendere in campo' (to enter the field) in reference to Berlusconi's entry into politics and that he called political battles a 'Partita' (match) “(so I felt that the match was becoming dangerous, that everything was played in the penalty area and that midfield was sadly empty... and we said to ourselves that we couldn't leave that vast space free...). His often regular use of references to the national team also shows a deliberate attempt to politically manipulate what is probably the clearest symbol of Italy's national unity and identity. This intelligent use of football vocabulary has allowed Berlusconi and his political allies to avoid any use of what is considered traditional political terminology and references, which has the potential to trigger social and historical fractures of the now discredited political class. By using football instead, they exploited the positive and respectable connotations surrounding Italy's most popular sport. A clear example of Berlusconi's commitment to football and his belief in its cultural and political impact is the ownership of AC Milan, acquired in 1986. Under his presidency, AC Milan managed to win the championship four times and is widely considered the most successful club. Italian team. The.