Project description
Tracing the historical roots of whistleblowing
In the early 17th century, ordinary citizens in Catalonia, Mexico, and Sicily scrutinised public officials through accountability procedures called Visitas (1604–1606). Despite the wealth of data, this topic remains understudied. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the BELOWBLOWERS project will explore the historical roots of whistleblowing by examining corruption denunciations in the early 17th Spanish Empire. Analysing 361 prosecutions and over 4 000 testimonies, it will reconstruct the profiles of whistleblowers and understand how they used denunciation as a tool for social and legal action. The project will highlight the role of ordinary individuals in promoting anti-corruption efforts, address issues of retaliation and protective measures, and provide insights into the social dynamics of vigilance.
Objective
Whistleblowers before Whistleblowing: Denouncing Corruption from below in the Seventeenth-Century Spanish Empire (BELOWBLOWERS) investigates the historical roots of whistleblowing by focusing on corruption denunciations in the Spanish Empire during the early seventeenth century. It examines how ordinary citizens in Mexico, Sicily, and Catalonia actively scrutinized and challenged public officials during accountability procedures known as Visitas (1604–1606). Drawing on 361 prosecutions and over 4,000 testimonies, the project reconstructs the social and demographic profiles of denouncers, analyzing their age, gender, profession, literacy, motivations, and relationships with accused officials. Combining quantitative database analysis with qualitative case studies, BELOWBLOWERS reveals how vigilance practices empowered individuals and communities to defend the public good, while also addressing the risks of retaliation and early protection mechanisms such as safe conducts. This bottom-up approach challenges traditional elite-focused narratives by situating ordinary men and women as central actors in anti-corruption enforcement and political participation. It explores how denunciation operated not only as a legal tool but also as a form of social practice, embedded in local communities and mobilized in broader political conflicts. By systematically coding testimonies into a relational database and applying statistical methods, the project introduces an innovative digital humanities methodology to corruption studies. Ultimately, BELOWBLOWERS provides new insights into the social fabric of vigilance, the limits of engagement in premodern societies, and the long-term historical roots of contemporary debates on accountability and whistleblower protection.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences computer and information sciences databases
- social sciences sociology social issues corruption
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF
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80539 Planegg
Germany
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