Provisional PhD Thesis Title: Handling a collective interest. The G7 and the Euro-Atlantic club's Interaction with the rest of the World in the long 1980s
Expected Completion Date: 2024
Abstract: In the complex tapestry of international relations during the «long 1980s», the G7's role stands out as both multifaceted and decisive to underscore the existence of a collective Western interest. This doctoral study seeks to unravel this intricate period by focusing on two major confrontations: the reconciliatory efforts among the world's leading economies and the West's many-sided dealings with the Second and Third Worlds. At the heart of this research is the idea that immediate exigencies often took precedence over strategic foresight, hinting at a dynamic where domestic concerns wielded significant influence over global policy direction. European governments, in particular, exhibited considerable sway, often tempering or reshaping initiatives set forth by the US. Rather than pigeonholing the G7 as a monolithic decision-making body or a mere facade for public relations, this study asserts that the summitry functioned as an essential diplomatic tool, shaped by, and in turn shaping, the collective interests of Western nations. Key to understanding this era is recognizing that the West, rather than always steering global events, often found itself reacting, sometimes in disarray, to a rapidly shifting geopolitical landscape. By dissecting these nuances, this work offers a more balanced view of transatlantic relations in the last two decades of the Cold War, illustrating a Western pursuit for a stable global order amidst a whirlwind of challenges.
Francesca’s academic background is in International History and Political studies. Her current research at the Graduate Institute explores Chilean Youth culture during the dictatorship with a female gaze. Her academic journey, either through the Graduate Institute in Geneva (IHEID) or at El Colegio de México (COLMEX), revolves around Latin America, Gender Studies, Oral History and Colonial Switzerland. Her master thesis « El testimonio de mi madre » explores, through Oral history and the testimonial genre, her mother’s memory of the Chilean dictatorship and her exile to Switzerland.