On October 1, 2017, the Spanish police assault on Catalans voting in a peaceful referendum shot Catalonia’s struggle for independence onto the world’s front pages. Today, those two million-plus ...voters have neither forgiven nor forgotten: the struggle continues. Catalonia's national consciousness has deep roots. A People's History of Catalonia tells this small country’s history, from below, in all its richness and complexity. Catalonia’s struggles for freedom have, for centuries, been violently resisted; and its language and rights, suppressed. Since the nineteenth century, the fight for national sovereignty has often intertwined with working-class mobilisation for social justice. Barcelona became known as the Rose of Fire. In 1936 Catalonia saw one of history’s most profound workers’ revolutions. From the peasant revolts of the 15th century and the siege of Barcelona in 1714, through the explosive workers’ movement led by anarchists, the defeat in the Spanish Civil War, to the anti-Franco resistance in the grim years that followed, the author tells a compelling story whose ending has yet to be written.
This is a revisionary study of Muslims living under Christian rule during the Spanish 'reconquest'. It looks beyond the obvious religious distinctions and delves into the subtleties of identity in ...the thirteenth-century Crown of Aragon, uncovering a social dynamic in which sectarian differences comprise only one of the many factors in the causal complex of political, economic and cultural reactions. Beginning with the final stage of independent Muslim rule in the Ebro valley region, the book traces the transformation of Islamic society into mudéjar society under Christian domination. This was a case of social evolution in which Muslims, far from being passive victims of foreign colonisation, took an active part in shaping their institutions and experiences as subjects of the Infidel. Using a diverse range of methodological approaches, this book challenges widely held assumptions concerning Christian-Muslim relations in the Middle Ages, and minority-majority relations in general.
In this reference, Buffery and Marcer cover all of the areas historically inhabited by the Catalan people. These are, in order of size and population: Catalonia, which accounts for over half of the ...population of the Catalan-speaking areas, Valencia, with over a third the Balearic Islands with just under 8 percent, and the Catalunya Nord, the Principality of Andorra, and the Catalan-speaking areas within Aragon, Murcia, and Alghero.The Historical Dictionary of the Catalans deals not only with the people who live in Catalonia, but with the language and culture of the Catalan countries as well. This is done through a chronology, an introductory essay, a bibliography, and over 600 cross-referenced dictionary entries on significant persons, places, events, institutions, and aspects of culture, society, economy, and politics.
In the thriving urban economies of late thirteenth-century
Catalonia, Jewish and Christian women labored to support their
families and their communities. The Fruit of Her Hands
examines how gender, ...socioeconomic status, and religious identity
shaped how these women lived and worked.
Sarah Ifft Decker draws on thousands of notarial contracts as
well as legal codes, urban ordinances, and Hebrew responsa
literature to explore the lived experiences of Jewish and Christian
women in the cities of Barcelona, Girona, and Vic between 1250 and
1350. Relying on an expanded definition of women's work that
includes the management of household resources as well as wage
labor and artisanal production, this study highlights the crucial
contributions women made both to their families and to urban
economies. Christian women, Ifft Decker finds, were deeply embedded
in urban economic life in ways that challenge traditional
dichotomies between women in northern and Mediterranean Europe. And
while Jewish women typically played a less active role than their
Christian counterparts, Ifft Decker shows how, in moments of
communal change and crisis, they could and did assume prominent
roles in urban economies.
Through its attention to the distinct experiences of Jewish and
Christian women, The Fruit of Her Hands advances our
understanding of Jewish acculturation in the Iberian Peninsula and
the shared experiences of women of different faiths. It will be
welcomed by specialists in gender studies and religious studies as
well as students and scholars of medieval Iberia.
Are the Catalans content with the outcome of the Spanish transition to democracy? Is there a future for Catalan nationalism within the EU? How does globalization impact upon the survival and ...development of nations without states such as Catalonia? Will increasing numbers of immigrants transform regional identities? Has devolution fostered secessionism in Catalonia? These are some of the key questions discussed in this book. Catalan Nationalism considers whether a nation without a state, such as Catalonia, is able to survive within larger political institutions such as Spain and the European Union. The author examines the different 'images' of Catalonia presented by the main Catalan political parties. The book also provides a study of the role of intellectuals in the construction of nationalism and national identity in nations without states in the global era. The key questions addressed in this book are highly relevant for the study of devolution and its consequences, transitions to democracy and globalization and national identity. Based on a successful combination of theory and innovative empirical research, the scope and depth of the book's analysis will make it essential reading for students and academics in the fields of history and politics.
Introduction 1. Nationalism and Intellectuals in Nationas Without States: The Catalan Case 2. Portrait of a Dictatorship: Francoism 3. The Re-Emergence of Catalan Nationalism During Francoism 4. Catalonia Within the New Democratic Spain 5. Images of Catalonia I: ERC, PSUC-ICV and PSC 6. Images of Catalonia II: CDC and UDC. Conclusion.
Montserrat Guibernau is a Reader in Politics at the Open University. She has previously taught at the universities of Cambridge, Warwick and Barcelona. Her publications include Nations Without States (1999), nationalisms (1996), Governing European Diversity (2001), Understanding Nationalism (2001) with John Hutchinson, and The Ethnicity Reader (1997) with John Rex.
'The detailed account of the party positions is very useful for researchers interested in Catalan and Spanish politics.' - Pieter van Houten, University of Cambridge, in Political Studies Review
Microplastics (MPs) are accessible for organisms with active filter feeding strategies, as are many marine molluscs, which live attached or semi-buried in sediments. In the present study, MPs (from ...0.02 to 5 mm) concentration, morphology, and composition were determined in consumed mollusc species of the Catalan coast (NW Mediterranean Sea). Microplastic concentrations, morphologic characteristics and composition were studied according to species, catchment zones and depuration condition. Finally, human intake of MPs through molluscs' consumption was determined. >2300 individuals were analysed, being 1460 MPs extracted and their size, and polymeric composition registered. Big oysters and mussels showed the highest MPs concentration by individual, with levels of 22.8 ± 14.4 and 18.6 ± 23.0 MPs/individual, respectively. Mean annual MPs (≥20 μm) consumption for adult population was estimated in 8103 MPs/year, with a 95th percentile of 19,418 MPs/year. It suggests that the consumption of molluscs is an important route of MPs exposure for the Catalan population.
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•2310 molluscs were analysed and 1460 microplastics were characterized.•Mussels and oysters (18 and 23 MPs/individual) showed the highest levels.•Polyester and synthetic cellulose fibres (<1 mm) were the most abundant MPs.•Fragments of MPs were mainly made of polyethylene.•Human intake through molluscs consumption was 8103 (P95: 19,418) MPs per year.
Scotland and Catalonia, both ancient nations with strong nationalisms within larger states, are exemplars of the management of ethnic conflict in multinational democracies and of global trends toward ...regional government. Focusing on these two countries, Scott L. Greer explores why nationalist mobilization arose when it did and why it stopped at autonomy rather than statehood. He challenges the notion that national identity or institutional design explains their relative success as stable multinational democracies and argues that the key is their strong regional societies and their regional organizations' preferences for autonomy and environmental stability
Chemical industries and oil refineries are known emission sources of environmental contaminants, such as metals/metalloids, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), volatile organic compounds (VOCs) ...and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), among others. Based on the toxicological potential of these pollutants, harmful health effects can be expected for the population living near these facilities. One of the largest chemical/petrochemical complexes in Europe is located in Tarragona County (Catalonia, Spain). In the last two decades, a number of investigations aimed at assessing the environmental impact of air pollutants potentially emitted by this industrial complex have been carried out. The present paper is a review of the available scientific information on the levels of air pollutants related with the activities of this chemical/petrochemical complex. Although there are currently some data on the environmental burdens of metals/metalloids, PAHs, VOCs and PCDD/Fs, there is an evident lack of specific biological monitoring studies on human health. Taking into account the amount of chemicals released to air and their toxicity, it is essential to perform an in-depth analysis of the current health status of the population living in Tarragona County.
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•The largest chemical/petrochemical complex of Southern Europe is placed n Tarragona County, Spain.•A number of toxic air pollutants are emitted by the facilities located in the complex.•The available information on various pollutants in environmental matrices is here reviewed.•Epidemiological/ecological studies are required to prevent human health adverse effects.
Flame retardants (FRs) are widely used in consumer products including furniture foam and electronic equipment such as computers, monitors and TVs. Over time, FRs can easily migrate into the ...surrounding environments. Since brominated FRs (BFRs) has been determined of high concern due to their environmental persistence, bioaccumulation and potential toxicity, novel FRs have emerged. The present study was aimed at identifying and quantifying the indoor levels of 41 legacy and novel FRs, which include 20 OPFRs and 21 HFRs (8 PBDEs, 3 HBCDDs, 5 NBFRs and 5 DECs) in Tarragona Province (Catalonia, Spain). The results have confirmed the presence of both legacy and novel FRs in air and dust of homes, schools and offices. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first European study measuring OPFRs at office environments and also confirming the presence of the following OPFRs: TEP, TCIPP, T2IPPP, TPPO, DCP, TMCP and B4IPPPP in indoor air, even some of them at high levels. OPFRs in general and TCIPP in particular showed high concentrations in air (94,599 pg/m3 and 72,281 pg/m3, respectively) and dust (32,084 ng/g and 13,496 ng/g, respectively) samples collected in indoor environments. HBCDDs were found at high levels in dust (32,185 ng/g), whereas the presence of PBDEs and DECs were low in both matrices (<160 pg/m3 in air and <832 ng/g in dust). NBFRs showed higher levels than the two legacy FRs groups, which is supported by the current restrictions of these FRs (640 pg/m3 in air and 1291 ng/g in dust). Samples of schools had significantly lower levels of NBFRs, but significantly higher concentrations of HFRs in air than in home samples, while dust levels of HFRs were significantly lower than those in samples of offices. Regarding human health risks, the current assessment suggests that those derived from exposure to FRs were lower -although close- to assumable risks, evidencing the potential of FRs for non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks, mainly due to the exposure to TCIPP, which was the main contributor together with ΣHBCDDs and also EHDPP.
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•Indoor levels of novel FRs were higher than legacy FRs in Tarragona province.•Levels of OPFRs were higher than HFRs in indoor air and dust.•TCIPP was the most found FR in both indoor air and dust samples.•Risk assessment from obtained levels were close to potential risk of FR exposure.
This book is the result of a research on migrant integration, language and social mobility in Catalonia. Drawing on the fate of three communities: Argentineans, Colombians and Moroccans, it examines ...the opportunities and constraints for social mobility. El libro es el resultado de una investigación sobre integración de inmigrantes, lengua y movilidad social en Cataluña. Basandonos en el destino de tres comunidades: Argentinos, Colombianos y Marroquies, examina las oportunidades y limitaciones para la movilidad social.
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