The Spectacles of the Crisis: Local Perception of Economic and Social Change in Valenza

Abstract

In this article, the case of the economic crisis of Valenza (Italy) and its jewellery industry is presented. The crisis has occurred since 2008 as an effect of the plunge of international jewellery market. Drawing from ethnographic materials collected during my fieldwork in the city (2008-2010), I intend to point out that an the most recent economic downturn had strong cultural effects on local population (goldsmiths and others). Following Kant’s concept of category of reason, I will show that the crisis itself had become a category of reason for local population that uses it to make decisions and plan their future.