JEOC · When a Mafia Dies: the Criminogenic Effects of the Fight against Organised Crime
Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
- Duration
- 2021-10-18 → 2024-12-19
- EU contribution
- €279,228
- Participants
- 2
- Scheme
- MSCA-IF
Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.
Results in brief
When a Mafia Dies: the Criminogenic Effects of the Fight against Organised Crime
The problem being addressed is the decline of a mafia and the subsequent criminogenic effects stemming from the resultant power vacuum. The research also delves into the overlooked forms of criminality in Japan, contributing to a broader understanding of organised crime.The research is crucial for society as it unravels the dynamics of mafia decline and the emergence of new criminal entities. By identifying the determinants of mafia decline and socio-structural factors promoting new forms of criminality, the project aims to offer insights that can inform anti-organised crime policies. Understanding these dynamics is vital for societal well-being, as it enables the development of strategies to mitigate the impact of organized crime on governance and public safety. The overall objectives of the project include analysing the decline of mafias in advanced liberal economies, identifying factors leading to the rise of new criminal entities, understanding the structure of post-mafia governance, theorising interdisciplinary approaches to comprehend the long-term effects of combating OCGs, and proposing anti-organised crime policies that empower civil society. These objectives collectively contribute to a comprehensive exploration of the complex dynamics surrounding organized crime, thereby offering valuable insights for societal benefit.
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
This project addresses the question of what happens when mafias are weakened, focussing on Japan and Italy. According to Diego Gambetta’s protection framework, which was expanded by Federico Varese, mafias replace the state in the everyday life of the local communities in which they operate. Indeed, both the Italian mafias and the Japanese yakuza have exerted control over local communities, providing extra-legal protection and limiting the scope of ordinary criminality. Over the past fifty years, the struggle between mafias and the state has threatened democratic institutions and impacted the relationship between the state and society, prompting the state to introduce increasingly severe anti-organised crime (OC) legislation, which contributed to the weakening of these groups. While considerable efforts have been invested in this conflict, little research has addressed what happens when these policies are successful. The overall objective of the study is to identify the criminogenic effects resulting from the power vacuum left by a declining mafia, by: 1) analysing what determines the decline of a mafia in advanced liberal economies; 2) determining the socio-structural factors that favour the rise of new forms of criminality; 3) identifying the structure and modus operandi of the actors who take up the governing role in the markets previously monopolised by a mafia; 4) theorising an interdisciplinary approach to understand the long-term effects of the fight against OC; 5) suggesting anti-OC policies that empower civil society. JEOC will employ traditional archival, ethnographical, and visual research based on established research networks in Japan and Italy. The outputs will include a monograph on post-mafia governance and insurgent OCGs, a journal article on research methods, an open-access English database with a photo exhibition, and a photo book.
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
- THE CHANCELLOR, MASTERS AND SCHOLARS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD · OxfordCoordinatorUnited Kingdom
- TOKAI NATIONAL HIGHER EDUCATION ANDRESEARCH SYSTEM, NATIONAL UNIVERSITY CORPORATION · NagoyaJapan
Links
Data: CORDIS, © European Union