Comments on: Review of Simona Piattoni’s Il Clientelismo http://chrishanretty.co.uk/blog/index.php/2010/02/04/review-of-simona-piattonis-il-clientelismo/ Notes on Italian politics and public broadcasting Wed, 14 Dec 2011 14:44:27 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: May http://chrishanretty.co.uk/blog/index.php/2010/02/04/review-of-simona-piattonis-il-clientelismo/comment-page-1/#comment-175011 May Sat, 20 Feb 2010 15:19:23 +0000 http://chrishanretty.co.uk/blog/?p=563#comment-175011 I think that Italian politics is a topic too depressing and disgusting to discuss. I think that Italian politics is a topic too depressing and disgusting to discuss.

]]> By: Chris http://chrishanretty.co.uk/blog/index.php/2010/02/04/review-of-simona-piattonis-il-clientelismo/comment-page-1/#comment-174569 Chris Thu, 04 Feb 2010 16:42:13 +0000 http://chrishanretty.co.uk/blog/?p=563#comment-174569 Yes, it is a bit unfair. But suppose the following: You're investigating some phenomenon which people say causes bad things. You say, some types of this phenomenon are relatively good. You still have to say whether relatively good examples of having this phenomenon are better than this phenomenon being absent. If you don't, then your argument is, "some types of phenomenon are bad, but others are really bad". That, to me, is not that interesting an argument. Yes, it is a bit unfair. But suppose the following:

You’re investigating some phenomenon which people say causes bad things.
You say, some types of this phenomenon are relatively good.

You still have to say whether relatively good examples of having this phenomenon are better than this phenomenon being absent.

If you don’t, then your argument is, “some types of phenomenon are bad, but others are really bad”. That, to me, is not that interesting an argument.

]]> By: Rufo http://chrishanretty.co.uk/blog/index.php/2010/02/04/review-of-simona-piattonis-il-clientelismo/comment-page-1/#comment-174568 Rufo Thu, 04 Feb 2010 16:23:34 +0000 http://chrishanretty.co.uk/blog/?p=563#comment-174568 It is bit unfair to criticize a scholar for trying to answer her own questions (what types of clientelism are there) instead of other people's ones (Banfield, Putnam, etc.). However, it is true that there is an old-school Italian way of doing research that is content with classifying things, instead of investigating causes and consequences. It is bit unfair to criticize a scholar for trying to answer her own questions (what types of clientelism are there) instead of other people’s ones (Banfield, Putnam, etc.). However, it is true that there is an old-school Italian way of doing research that is content with classifying things, instead of investigating causes and consequences.

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