Michel Foucault's Influence on Italian Historiography (1970s-1990s): Shaping Perspectives and Methodologies

This study explores the influence of Michel Foucault on Italian historiography through a comprehensive analysis of historical evidence. How much Foucault's groundbreaking ideas, particularly his concepts of power, knowledge, and discourse, have influenced Italian historians in the last decades of the XX century? By examining a wide range of Italian historical works and creating and analysing a database including the main publications in leading Italian academic journals between the 1970s and 1990s, this research tries to illuminate the extent to which Foucault's theories have permeated the field of Italian historiography. The analysis explores how historical methodologies were transformed in light of Foucault's ideas. Furthermore, it questions the extent to which Italian historians have integrated Foucauldian insights into their investigations on topics such as politics, culture, society and identity. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the impact of Foucault's thought on the practice of history in Italy and underscores the relevance of his concepts in shaping historical scholarship of those decades.