Alessandro Orsini (Naples, 1975)
EDUCATION
M.A. University of Rome “La Sapienza”
PhD, University of “Roma Tre”
Visiting Scholar MIT-Department of Political Science (Fall 2012)
Visiting Scholar MIT-Center for International Studies (Fall 2011)
CURRENT POSITION
Research Affiliate, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Center for International Studies
Tenured Assistant Professor of Political Sociology at the University of Rome “Tor Vergata”
Adjunct Professor of Political Sociology at LUISS University of Rome
Member of the group RAN. The Radicalization Awareness Network (RAN) is set up by the European Commission as an EU-wide umbrella network of practitioners and local actors involved in countering violent radicalization.
Member of the Editorial Board of “Studies in Conflict and Terrorism”.
Author of the book Anatomy of the Red Brigades. The Religious Mind-Set of Modern Terrorists (Cornell University Press) a 2011 “Foreign Affairs” Best Book of the Year winner of the 2010 Acqui Award of History (Premio Acqui Storia 2010).
His newest book, Gramsci and Turati. Two Models for the Left, has been called “the most beautiful theoretical reflection of the left made in recent years” (Roberto Saviano, la Repubblica).
His newest article, “Poverty, Ideology and Terrorism: the STAM Bond,” focuses on the role of ideology in the decision of people who are not from societies’ worst-off socioeconomic groups to join a left-wing terrorist organization. Taking up the sociological perspective of Max Weber, Clifford Geertz and Raymond Boudon, the article introduces the concept of the “terrorist of the first hour” and considers ideology as a type of social bond. The concept of ideology is broken down into four dimensions: Social, Temporal, Affective and Moral (STAM bond). The paper also presents, for the first time, data on the ages, sex, educational level and occupation of the Italian people arrested or convicted for crimes of terrorism from 1970 to 2011. Data on Italian terrorists were provided by the General Department of Prisoners of the Ministry of Justice (“Studies in Conflict and Terrorism”, October 2012).
His books:
(2012) Gramsci and Turati. Two Models for the Left (two editions)
(2011) Anatomy of the Red Brigades. The Religious Mindset of Modern Terrorists
(2010) The Rich Revolutionary. Cognitive Strategies to Feel that One is Superior to Others
(2009) The Anatomy of the Red Brigades. Ideological Roots of Revolutionary Terrorism (two editions)
(2008) The Origins of Capitalism. History and Interpretations
(2005) In Defence of Historical Sociology
(2004) Leftist Heretic. Bruno Rizzi, Democratic Elitist
(2003) The Origins of Nationalism. History and Interpretations
(2002) Rethinking the Nation
Sito internet: www.alessandroorsini.com
email: aorsini@luiss.it
Blog: CartaBianca
Skype: orsini.luiss
Professore aggregato di Sociologia politica e di Sociologia dell’educazione nelle Università di Roma “Tor Vergata” e LUISS “Guido Carli”.
Research Affiliate presso il Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Visiting Scholar: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Center for International Studies (Fall 2011)
Visiting Scholar: University of Massachusetts Boston (Spring 2007)
Membro dell’Editorial Board della rivista scientifica “Studies in Conflict and Terrorism”
Laurea in Sociologia, Università di Roma “La Sapienza”: 110, lode e dignità di stampa
Dottorato in Teoria e Storia della Formazione delle Classi Politiche, Università di “Roma Tre”, Facoltà di Scienze politiche.
Vincitore del Premio Acqui Storia 2010 con Anatomia delle Brigate rosse, tradotto per i tipi della Cornell University di New York, selezionato tra i tre libri più importanti del 2011 dalla rivista “Foreign Affairs” nel campo degli studi scientifici e militari. Anatomy of the Red Brigades è stato definito “un libro di alto prestigio intellettuale” dalla rivista di Harvard “Journal of Cold War Studies” 
Il suo ultimo libro, Gramsci e Turati. Le due sinistre, è stato definito da Roberto Saviano “la più bella riflessione teorica sulla sinistra fatta negli ultimi anni”.
È stato invitato a esporre le sue ricerche sul terrorismo ad Harvard, MIT, Johns Hopkins, Brookings Institution, Trinity College, UMass Boston, Boston College. Nel suo ultimo saggio, “Poverty, Ideology and Terrorism: the STAM Bond”, ha pubblicato i dati relativi a sesso, età, livello di istruzione e professione delle persone arrestate e condannate per terrorismo in Italia tra il 1970 e il 2011, contestando la spiegazione di senso comune secondo cui la povertà, lo sfruttamento e la mancanza di istruzione sarebbero cause dirette di terrorismo. Ha, inoltre, proposto di considerare l’ideologia come un processo relazionale, criticando l’approccio che vede nell’ideologia soltanto un insieme di conoscenze astratte che non incidono direttamente sul comportamento umano (“Studies in Conflict and Terrorism”, October 2012).
I suoi libri:
(2002) Ripensare la nazione
(2003) Alle origini del nazionalismo
(2004) L’eretico della sinistra. Bruno Rizzi elitista democratico
(2005) In difesa della sociologia storica
(2007) Le origini del capitalismo. Storia e interpretazioni
(2009) Anatomia delle Brigate rosse. Le radici ideologiche del terrorismo rivoluzionario
(2010) Il rivoluzionario benestante. Strategie cognitive per sentirsi migliori degli altri
(2010) Anatomia delle Brigate rosse, II edizione
(2011) Anatomy of the Red Brigades. The Religious Mindset of Modern Terrorists
(2012) Gramsci e Turati. Le due sinistre
Alessandro Orsini (1975) is tenured Assistant Professor of Political Sociology at the University of Rome “Tor Vergata”. He also teaches Political Sociology at the Free University of Rome LUISS “Guido Carli” and is currently Research Affiliate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is member of the Editorial Board of “Studies in Conflict and Terrorism”. His intellectual background is multi-disciplinary and he has extensive interests in history as well as in Sociology.
His Anatomy of the Red Brigades (Cornell University Press, 2011) awarded the 2010 Acqui Award of History (Premio Acqui Storia 2010). “Foreign Affairs” has identified Anatomy of the Red Brigades as one of the three best books of 2011 on Military, Scientific, and Technological Subjects.
His newest article, “Poverty, Ideology and Terrorism: the STAM Bond,” focuses on the role of ideology in the decision of people who are not from societies’ worst-off socioeconomic groups to join a left-wing terrorist organization. Taking up the sociological perspective of Max Weber, Clifford Geertz and Raymond Boudon, the article introduces the concept of the “terrorist of the first hour” and considers ideology as a type of social bond. The concept of ideology is broken down into four dimensions: Social, Temporal, Affective and Moral (STAM bond). The paper also presents, for the first time, data on the ages, sex, educational level and occupation of the Italian people arrested or convicted for crimes of terrorism from 1970 to 2011. Data on Italian terrorists were provided by the General Department of Prisoners of the Ministry of Justice (“Studies in Conflict and Terrorism”, October 2012).
His books:
(2011) Anatomy of the Red Brigades. The Religious Mindset of Modern Terrorists, Cornell University Press, Ithaca (New York).
(2010) The Rich Revolutionary. Cognitive Strategies to Feel that One is Superior to Others (in press)
(2009) The Anatomy of the Red Brigades. Ideological Roots of Revolutionary Terrorism;
(2008) The Origins of Capitalism. History and Interpretations;
(2005) In Defence of Historical Sociology;
(2004) Leftist Heretic. Bruno Rizzi, Democratic Elitist;
(2003) The Origins of Nationalism. History and Interpretations;
(2002) Rethinking the Nation.
