“Comparare Spagna e Italia: alcune riflessioni sulle implicazioni metodologiche della comparazione tra due paesi storicamente connessi”

Is it any use to compare two nations such as Spain and Italy? Why not extend it to other nations? Or, conversely, why not dwell on one of the two cases by analyzing it in depth? These three simple questions require a careful reflection on the logic of comparison in the social sciences. In the construction of a research design, the comparatist must in fact solve some methodological tangles by establishing: 1) the «unit (or units) of analysis» on which the research should be oriented; 2) The space-temporal context in which the research ranks; 3) the conceptual definition of properties (or variables). These three operations have some methodological implications which require an effort of conceptualization and classification necessary for a proper comparative research. In addition, researchers must make a clear strategic choice with respect to their empirical path. After determining the research field, it is necessary to cope with the problem of choosing the most appropriate units to be selected as a sample. The choice to compare two countries similar in many respects and historically connected such as Spain and Italy assumes the use of the so-called strategy of “most similar systems design”. It is useful to solve the problem of the “diffusion” and to reduce the unwanted historical associations. Starting from these reflections, the aim of this paper is to analyze the methodological implications of the comparison between the two countries under study.