2011-2012 - The Italian Academy - Columbia University

tion strengthens, as the conflict theory suggests—with increasing
income inequality (again, no matter how it is measured).
A copy of the full paper—the first four paragraphs of which
were written on purpose for the highly interdisciplinary audience
of the Italian Academy—is available on the Academy website. It
goes without saying that much work has still to be done in both the
theoretical modeling—in order to assess properly the relationship
between market economy and inequality—and the empirical evaluation
of democracy, a concept not easily linkable to any measure.
During the whole term I actively interacted with colleagues at
Columbia: Professor Alessandra Casella (Department of Economics),
who participated in my seminar; Professor Nadia Urbinati
(Department of Political Science), officially on leave but present in
New York in February and March; Professor Massimo Morelli (Department
of Political Science); Professor Jan Svejnar (SIPA, Director
of the Center on Global Economic Governance); and Dr. Michele
Alacevich (Program Director at the Heyman Center), who was also
present at my seminar. Rutgers Professor Emeritus of Sociology
Eleanor Brilliant—who attended my seminar as well—commented
on my whole paper thoroughly and passionately. Giuliana Campanelli
(Professor of Economics at William Peterson University) and
George Andreopoulos (Professor of Political Science at the CUNY
Graduate School and Director of the Center for International Human
Rights) continued to help as friends and interlocutors.
I also participated in seminars, conferences and meetings at
the Department of Economics, SIPA, the Heyman Center, and other
Columbia institutions, chiefly at the Italian Academy.
I also joined fellow scholars from Clare Hall College (Cambridge),
which I belong to, for a reception in the house of Columbia
President Lee Bollinger, refreshing my contact with American colleagues
met over time in the U.K. such as Professor Evan Zimrot, Dr.
Maxine Hicks, Professor Vivian R. Gruder and others.
Lastly, I had the privilege of meeting Ambassador Daniele
Bodini in a private lunch at his place, and I was able to thank him
particularly for the Bodini Foundation’s support of my fellowship.
Anna Soci returns to her position as Professor in the Department of
Economics at the Università di Bologna.
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