Intermediary structures and democracy

The concluding international symposium Intermediary Structures & Democracy: a Historical Approach took place on 28 and 29 November 2003 in Leuven (The Province House of Flemish Brabant) and Brussels (The Flemish Parliament).

ODIS brought together a wide array of international researchers for this symposium, which consisted of three sessions. In his key note address, Professor Marc Hooghe (K.U.Leuven) gave a historian’s perspective on the status of the continuing debate within the social sciences over the assumed functions of intermediary structures in a democratic framework. It was a useful starting point to which succeeding sessions continually returned.

In the first session views were exchanged about the way in which new research tools could be developed to facilitate in-depth research on civil society. The ODIS database was introduced and various (comparable) foreign models were also considered.

Kees Mandemakers (IISG) provided an overview of the most important historical databases that have been developed in The Netherlands and paid particular attention to the project Historical Sample of the Netherlands (HSN). Hans Jörg Lieder (Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin) highlighted developments in Germany where the most important authority-databases are gradually evolving and are being linked to broad contextual tools. The necessary tools are being developed by the LEAF project (Linking and Exploring Authority Files), which he heads and in which ODIS participates as an observing partner, the only Belgian research group to do so. Finally, Dick Sargent of the British National Register of Archives commented on the contextual databases being developed in the archival world and the relevant standards being developed internationally.

The second session focused more closely on the role of intermediary structures in democratic society. Marcus Kreuzer (Villanova University, Pennsylvania) gave a very penetrating talk on the place of political parties in civil society and their relation to democracy. Dirk Berg-Schlosser (Phillips University, Marburg) outlined the results of his trend-setting international, comparative research into the evolution of (democratic) regimes during the inter-war period and in particular discussed the role played in this by intermediary structures. Jonathan Morris (University College London) in his lecture on the evolving political alliances of Italian retailer associations showed that intermediary structures do not by definition advance democracy but rather develop remarkable powers of adaptation in order to be able to realize their (political) goals. Bob Reinalda (K.U.Nijmegen) analysed the role of intermediary structures on an international level and argued that they operated an undemocratic, even bureaucratic system of consultation.

The discussion in the afternoon session focused on the way in which democratic ideas and attitudes have gradually infiltrated into the associational life of intermediary structures, for example in the pattern of their activities, use of language and rituals. Patricia R. Turner (University of Wisconsin) developed a theoretical and conceptual framework for this. She argued that the concept of social capital, as developed by James Coleman, Pierre Bourdieu and Roger Putnam, offers few leads to historians. Her own (groundbreaking) research concerning the associational life of French working-class groups clearly indicates that organisational ecology and social network analysis can offer a more fruitful approach.

Hannelore Vandebroek (K.U.Leuven), a last-minute replacement for Mieke Aerts who was unable to come, presented an interesting lecture on gender and associational life, focusing on the specific case of the difficult incorporation of the Women´s Trade Union (Syndicale Dienst voor Vrouwen) into the General Christian Federation (Algemeen Christelijk Vakverbond [ACV]). Finally, Claudia Hiepel (University of Essen) outlined the results of her research into the associational life of the German Catholic workers´movement.

In his concluding talk, Patrick Pasture (K.U.Leuven) focused on the fault lines in society and pointed the way towards new perspectives for research. He argued that the historical study of the relation between intermediary structures and democracy would have to take account of various fault lines such as class, gender, nationality, ethnicity, ideology and world view. Nor can such research overlook the growing role of the State and the massification of society in the nineteenth and twentieth century.

The proceedings of this symposium will be published. The enthusiasm of the participants and establishment of a number of research contacts convinced the ODIS team that the event had resulted in a valuable network whose activities should be continued and extended during the coming years.