Unsocial capital. Patronage and Cronyism in postmodern power

Particularism, of interests and sentiments but, above all, of social relations and identities, don't enjoy a good reputation. They are associated with social, economic and political selfishness. A party interests that become the whole. A restricted loyalty. Understood in this way, his “alter ego” by definition can only be the universalism, that is, a set of principles and resources more truly "social" and associated with cooperative spirit, extended solidarity and generalized trust. Particularism, however, and the wealth of relational resources that exemplifies, is not antisocial by definition. There are forms of particularism that can live with universalism and that are able to be capital for development and modernization. Analyzing these forms, is possible to gear up against the risk of degeneration of particularism to cronyism, familism and current assets courtiers of political and economic power. These risks are rather timeless in Italy if we consider that, despite centuries of disputes and different interpretations of the history of Rome, the greatest historians of all ages have always agreed on the central role of patronage in the Roman and Italian history and in the particular feature of the imperial court in promoting patronage network. Considering the current courtesans degeneration of power, the proposed paper will examine the border that makes a-social the existing relationships and that makes social ties no longer able to capitalize on the union in terms of social and political integration.