Historians have considered medieval oligarchic groups as part of a hierarchical social structure in urban societies. Frequently the interpretation of oligarchy as an isolated faction makes it difficult to understand its capacity in processes of incorporation and integration. M. Asenjo's study of different cities in Northern Castile - Segovia, Soria, Valladolid and Toledo - attempts to identify bonding processes and the relationships among individuals or groups. In the city of Cuenca, J. A. Jara stresses the importance of mechanisms for the attribution of social spaces of projection (related to individuals, lineages or collectivities), because it is through the analysis of the social expectations and of the degree of satisfaction reached in that process that other patterns of relationship come to light. Y. Guerrero studies the connections between financial groups and the oligarchic policy of the elite in the case of Burgos. In Granada, A. Galan analyzes the Islamic elites´ behaviour, considering on one side their economic and political interests, related to the goodwill of the Christian conquerors, and, on the other side, their functions as representatives of the second-class citizens who were the moriscos. F. Sabaté studies the social consequences of the merchant oligarchy investments in the urban surroundings that contributed to establishing a flow of capital between the city and the region in Catalonia. E. Ramírez analyzes aspects of great relevance such as the relationship that oligarchies had with other systems linked to the noble and court spheres in the cities of Navarra. And finally A. Millan da Costa attempts to reconstruct the economic, social and mental relationships between several groups acting in the political scene of a few cities of Northern Portugal with a long history of submission to lords or the King.
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