An organic intellectual field: The Tunisian case

By introducing an organic analysis, my research project seeks to enhance the transformative perspective applied to the
public intellectual field. To this purpose, it shows how the academic literature remains confined to a traditional intellectual
perspective and overlooks the role of society in its relation with the intellectual field. By applying Gramsci's concept of
organic intellectual to the whole intellectual field, this project seeks to introduce a more relational perspective based on
three pillars: the different forms intellectuals can assume in society; the social groups and intellectuals' mutual
perceptions; the impact of their link on the socio-political scenario. In order to clarify its theoretical relevance and
empirical application, the project applies the organic framework to the analysis of the Tunisian intellectual field during the
Arab Spring. Specifically, it aims to explore the role of both traditional and organic intellectuals during the Arab Spring,
their relationship with the social groups, and the perceived impact of this relationship on the outcome of the uprising. The
organic perspective, therefore, seeks, on the one hand, to define a new concept of intellectual field and, on the other, to
understand how the link between intellectuals and society can be relevant in the socio-political scenario. The ultimate
goal of the research is to pursue a program of Public Sociology, aimed at transforming theory into practical intervention in
society.