Abstract
According to many explorative analyses, the more diffused Italian Mafias represent a real global threat. In order to better understand the dynamics of the organized crime as well as its destructive effects on the economic, environmental, and psychosocial spheres, the chapter aims to deepen the devastating impacts upon its victims. The common traits and the specific characteristic of the Sicilian Mafia and the Calabrian ‘Ndrangheta are detected through the group analytic assumptions relating to Mafia Psychism. The contextualized concepts of blood ties, family roots, power, and territory make the Mafias’ organizational culture first of all an anthropological and a psychological identity. Therefore, the identity tools who the affiliates receive allow the generation of a secret and multifunctional brotherhood, exclusively interested in power, and in widespread control of the societies. Finally, thanks to the results obtained from the qualitative analysis of two single cases, this chapter give us many challenges for the future, mainly referring about the need to create models of intervention in support the Mafias’ victims, in order to prevent the risk of psychopathological, relational, and social drifts.
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Notes
- 1.
The Department of Psychology of Palermo University has started to investigate this phenomenon since the 1990s until today. After Cosa Nostra fatal attack on anti-mafia judges Giovanni Falcone, and Paolo Borsellino, and after the increasing of mafia affiliates who started to collaborate with justice, there was a fast growth of people belonging to mafia families who were in need of help and who started to turn to the public health service. The most common psychopathology among the sons and the daughters of who were involved in Mafia affairs, consisted in troubles related to identity (i.e., depression, drug addiction, personality disorders). Moreover in 1990s was also possible to collect data from lawyers and prosecutors. In this first phase, qualitative analysis was favorite. During the second period started between 1999 and 2000, the research studies were performed through the aid of qualitative and quantitative approaches that focus on action-research aspects related mainly on local public administration, politicians and racket victims. In this period was also possible considering the direct testimonial account of collaborators of justice. The last period is placed from 2006 until today and involved not only local public administration, but also citizens, students, voluntary association, professionals and anyone who suffered directly and indirectly the mafia exposure. The research approach chosen is related to observational studies carried out through clinical and social groups of elaboration and analysis of trial documents to deepen the understanding of the most powerful and diffused criminal organization all over the world (i.e., ‘Ndrangheta and Cosa Nostra).
- 2.
One of the common reaction of people who collaborate with justice is justify themselves for criminal offenses committed, by attributing all the responsibilities to the their mafia roots (i.e., it is not my fault, because I came from that root and so I cannot be anything other than that type of tree.
- 3.
During this rite, the finger of the new member of the organization is pricked and the blood drops would be let to fall on a sacred image. The affiliate has to declare, while burning the sacred image in his hand: “may I burn like this image if I ever betray the organization.”
- 4.
The definition of “Cosa Nostra” had first emerged in the testimonies of Leonardo Vitale in the early 1960s, but since his revelations were considered unreliable, only 20 years after thanks to Tommaso Buscetta was possible to confirm that Cosa Nostra was the name of the whole organization, on both sides of the Atlantic. What happened to Leonardo Vitale has proved the ability of the organization to manipulate the communication. In this case the discrediting of the witness was accomplished by the Cosa Nostra through the misleading use of the insanity of the member who has decided to leave the organization.
- 5.
Besides to the cocaine market, many several investigations have demonstrated the involvement of the ‘Ndrangheta in environmental crime (illegal waste dumping) and in human trafficking.
- 6.
The capacity of the ‘Ndrangheta to serve of the weakening of the social ties, allows to the organization to subjugate and to exploit relationships in order to monopolize the economic sources and to obtain social legitimation (Arlacchi, 1983).
- 7.
The co-optation does not consider the use of violence. The territory is defeated by influencing indirectly the economics and the politics.
- 8.
According to structuralism any system is made up of a set of oppositional categories embedded in language. If semeiotics could be considered the science of signs, post-structuralism considered language as an unstable system of referents, making it impossible to ever completely capture the meaning or an action, text, or intention. It was only thanks to post modernism, developing since World War II, if is possible privileges no single authority, method, or paradigm. In this context, hermeneutics talks about the importance of the interpretative process in collective meaning construction. The latter aspects were the central core of phenomenology and of its diffusion, thanks to the works of Edmund Husserl, Martin Heidegger, Jean-Paul Sartre, Maurice Merleau-Ponty, and Alfred Schutz. In the same period, we have attended to the diffusion of the most important waves (critical theory, feminism, post-structuralism) connected to cultural studies.
- 9.
According to several authors “all settings are natural, that is, places where everyday experience takes place.” Qualitative researchers study people doing things together in the places where these things are done. There is no field site or natural place where one goes to do this kind of work. The site is constituted through our interpretive practices. Historically, analysts have distinguished between experimental (laboratory) and field (natural) research settings; hence the argument that qualitative research is naturalistic. Activity theory erases this distinction.
- 10.
Qualitative research differs from quantitative research in five significant ways. The first point of difference is centered on the divergent way to deal with reality inquiry. Specially, the quantitative approach has been used for of isolating causes and effects, operationalizing theoretical relations, and measuring and quantifying phenomena, allowing the generalization of findings. Conversely the aim of qualitative analysis is a complete, detailed description. The second distinction within quantitative and qualitative methodology is connected to acceptance of postmodern sensibilities issue. Quantitative research use positivist method, refusing free of individual bias and subjectivity; on the other side, qualitative approach reject this radical trend to seek alternative methods for evaluating their work, including verisimilitude, emotionality, personal responsibility, an ethic of caring, political praxis, multivoiced texts, dialogues with subjects, and so on. Another aspect connected to the discrepancy within qualitative and quantitative research approach refers the possibility to capture the Individual’s Point of View. Inferential Empirical methods employed by many quantitative researcher does not allow to get closer to the actor’s perspective; conversely, this is it could be considered a foundational aspect of qualitative framework method. The second last issue that produce a gap between this two methodological field in scientific research it could be connected to the different way to contextualize everyday life constraints. Specifically, qualitative researchers try come against the constraints of the everyday social world and its embeddedness in human behavior, promoting an ideographic, case-based framework in order to direct their attention to the specifics of particular cases. Contrarily quantitative researchers seek a nomothetic or etic science based on probabilities derived from the study of large numbers of randomly selected cases. The last one point of heterogeneity between qualitative and quantitative dealing with the securing rich descriptions matter. While qualitative researchers believe that rich descriptions of the social world are valuable, quantitative researchers, with their etic, nomothetic commitments, are less concerned with such detail. According to their idea details interrupt the process of developing generalization, for this reason they are deliberately unconcerned with such descriptions.
- 11.
To clarify the meaning “bricoleur” it would be necessary to argue the etymological foundation of “bricolage.” The latter term comes from a traditional French expression which denotes crafts-people who creatively use materials left over from other projects to construct new artifacts. In reverse of the work of engineers, who follow set procedure and have a list of specific tools to carry out their work, bricoleurs use only the tools and material “at-hand.”
- 12.
Structuralism originated in linguistics of the twentieth century. At the beginning, it was focused on the configuration of language (i.e., the structural foundational rules which govern the sharing of meaning through verbal and textual communication). Particularly, De Saussure (1974) employed structuralist-linguistic methods to explain how languages are composed of various signs, and how the structural foundations of all signs consist of both signifiers (e.g., words) and the signified (i.e., concepts to which the words refer). In the second half of ‘900, structuralist practices moved beyond the borders of linguistics to be applied more broadly within the social sciences. Subsequent development of this theoretical approach start to compare mainly thanks to the contribution of Piaget (1970) and Althusser (2006) . In this period, structuralist practices were applied to human activity in order to uncover the underlying framework that govern phenomena like intelligence, social interaction, and human culture. Specifically, Levi-Strauss’s masterpiece that allows to introduce the metaphor of bricolage was The Savage Mind, a work written in 1966. In this project, author employed the bricolage metaphor to highlight structures that govern human meaning-making. More specifically, however, he used the metaphor in the context of his challenge to the, then-dominant, thinking within anthropology which bifurcated mythical and scientific rationality.
- 13.
Adopting an interpretative bricolage approach enables researcher to understand the dialectical and hermeneutic nature of interdisciplinary inquiry, knowing that the boundaries between image and representation is the resultant of a reflexive collage or montage. Therefore, research is an interactive process shaped by one’s personal history, biography, gender, social class, race, and ethnicity and those of the people in the setting. Particularly, reflexivity adds depth and plurality to the inquiry process and as Finlay (2002) argues, could be considered as a thoughtful, conscious self-awareness.
- 14.
Denzin and Lincoln’s methodological bricoleur is a researcher who combining multiple research tools is adept at performing a large number of diverse tasks ranging from interviewing to intensive self-reflection and introspection. Therefore the product of his own solution (bricolage) denotes an emergent construction.
- 15.
Theoretical approach to bricolage allows bricoleurs to understand the different theoretical contexts in which an object can be interpreted—providing a multi-perspectival, post-structuralist perspective, showing the plurality of complexities that influence a phenomenon. In other words, for Denzin and Lincoln (2003) the theoretical bricoleur reads widely and is knowledgeable about the many interpretive paradigms (feminism, Marxism, cultural studies, constructivism, queer theory) that can be brought to any particular problem.
- 16.
According to political bricoleur there is no value-free science, for this reason he knows that each research implies political impacts, The notion of the political bricoleur influenced Kincheloe’ s articulation of the critical bricoleur. As author this last one “stress the dialectical and hermeneutic nature of interdisciplinary inquiry, knowing that the boundaries between traditional disciplines no longer hold.
- 17.
For Denzin and Lincoln, narrative bricoleurs recognize that inquiry is a representation (i.e., a narrative), influenced by paradigms employed (e.g., positivism, post-positivism, constructivism). Thus research texts can only represent specific interpretations of a phenomenon. This means that narrative bricoleurs draw their techniques from multiple perspectives, voices, and sources.
- 18.
During the last years, scientific research has seen increasingly publication of qualitative articles in mainstream psychology journals. Specifically, the surge in popularity of qualitative approach in psychology can be traced to dissatisfaction with cognitive–experimental psychology in the 1960s and 1970s. Even more this methodological wave represents a novelty in the criminological research methods.
- 19.
If Grounded Theory builds a theory based on data experience, rather than on pre-established hypotheses, conversely, Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis identifies the possible connections within contents of inquired issues and behavior reasons of participants involved.
- 20.
For example, we might have a primary research question which is very open (such as “How do people make sense of their treatment decisions?”). More pointed questions (such as “How do accounts of the decision-making process relate to the model described in theory Y?”) can be secondary.
- 21.
Analytic process in IPA provides for different steps. According to Smith the analysis has to begin at the level of individual case, with close, line-by-line. In this phase is very important coding experiential claims, concerns and understanding of each participant. It is also very important to detect the emergent patterns (i.e., themes) within this experiential material emphasizing both convergence and divergence, commonality and nuance. Joining up the researchers represents a necessary moment in the creation of an interpersonal dialogue to focus on what it might mean for participants to have these concerns in this context. Doing this operation means to develop more interpretative accounts and frame or gestalt which illustrate the relationship between themes. In this phase it would be possible to organize collected material in format that allows for coded data to be traced right through the analysis—from initial code on the transcript, through initial clustering and thematic development, into the final structure of themes. Supervision and collaboration would be very useful to ensure coherence and plausibility of the interpretation and would be also a very effective way to explore reflexivity. At this point of the analysis, development of a narrative, evidenced by detailed commentary on data extract, it could be supported through visual guide (simple heuristic, diagram, or table). Finally, according to Smith reflection on one’s own perception, conceptions and process should occur throughout the process and is usually captured in a systematic fashion by keeping a reflexive journal.
- 22.
However, in design with multiple participants is preferable to use sample validation (people eligible to participate, but who did not), peer validation (fellow researchers) or audit. According to Smith between general quality indicators that one might look for there are: the possibility to collect appropriate data by starting from an adequate selection of informants to interview; the importance to maintain the idiographic focus (i.e., the right balance between the particular experience of a singular participant and what is shared within a sample); the capacity to achieve an adequate schedule for a semi-structured interview; the ability to focus on “how things are understood,” rather than on “what happened”; the importance to combine phenomenological details and interpretative work in order to develop a psychologically relevant account of the participant’s’ “engagement-in-the-world.” At the same way quality indicators have to overlap with an appropriate use of triangulation (via methods, perspectives, data, analysis, fieldwork) or audit and/or credibility-checking (via respondent, supervisors, peers, parallel sample) in order to achieve trustworthiness. Moreover, according to this perspective, it is also relevant to promote an appropriate use of extracts and commentary to achieve transparency; to adopt appropriate level of contextual detail, to pay attention to analytic and reflexive components of the process employed to obtain meaning patterns and in closing to have an appropriate level of awareness of pitch and engagement with theory (in making sense of the analysis).
- 23.
Participant involved in this research is a Sicilian entrepreneur extorted by Cosa Nostra. Mafia encounter will be documented, starting from participant’s eyes above the tragic first-hand experiences.
- 24.
Figure 7.1 shows the three main semantic and conceptual domains achieved through participant’s IPA analysis (1).
Fig. 7.1 
Visual overview of the three semantic and conceptual domains achieved in analysis of experiences of a Sicilian businessman involved in research
- 25.
Multi-victimization process activated by extortion action exposes one person to different crimes in the same period of time, while repeated victimization provokes the same offense towards the same person several times.
- 26.
The mental representation is the mental imagery of things that are not currently seen or catched by the sense organs. In our mind we often have images of objects, events and settings that could influence our inner world experience, our idea or feelings on interpersonal relationship, the way to perceive its own life condition and more over to give sense to own self-experience.
- 27.
The feeling of insecurity includes two factors. In particular, personal fear is the anxiety sensation that can you feel when you think to be affected by a crime which depends, in particular, in the perception of the probability that such an eventuality becomes a concrete reality. While social concern is, instead, the uneasiness deriving from the crime affecting a country in its various forms. Inter alia, reactions included in the insecurity feeling do not necessarily manifest themselves at the same time.
- 28.
Invisible crimes according to Henry and Lanier include all harmful acts perpetrated by organizations, corporation, professionals, government officials, powerful people, or organized crime. This definition is taken from a scheme called “crime prism” which is used to describe crime and victimization phenomena through variables as crime visibility, social agreement on crime, extent of victimization, and selectivity of social response to crime (ivi).
- 29.
Participant’s experience could be marked by a radical ridefinition of his own identity and social relationships especially in case of serious crime. In these circumstance the person is forced to “reassess his/her personal choices and priority.” Moreover, this condition after crime exposure denotes the beginning of a secondary victimization process.
- 30.
“Libel diffused by mafia methods has created scorched earth around me.” These the words with which participant evokes during the interview, the marginalization strategies employed by Cosa Nostra in order to make him untrusted and invisible (11.835: this interview fragment is positioned in page 11, line 835 of the original transcript). And so on “if before I was a pusher, after denouncing I have become a cheater, a fool, who had made it all up” (14.1056: this interview fragment is positioned in page 14, line 1056 of the original transcript). Both these slice of interview are collocated in the super-ordinate theme “Marginalization techniques connected to extortion.”
- 31.
To refer to the tragedy condition lived after exposure to extortion action, during the interview, participant says it is “as if I were an angel of myself.” Through this words is possible detect dissociative reaction due to offense received. This part of interview has collocated in superordinate theme connected to “Psychosomatic and Psychopathological reactions to extortion” (15.1110: this interview fragment is positioned in page 15, line 1110 of the original transcript).
- 32.
In one of the pieces of the transcript included into the superordinate theme “effects of the extortion on the identity crystallization,” participant talks about the meaning of his madness, by saying “Each normal person would be enough the 1 % of what I have to live every single day to became insane, but thanks to my insanity I do not became aware of what I live” (7.470: this interview fragment is positioned in page 7, line 470 of the original transcript).
- 33.
Primary harms is the direct health, material, economic, emotional or psychological consequences of the crime on the victims, while secondary harms are the consequences deriving from formal/informal response to victimization.
- 34.
“For seven hours, police officers who have collected my statements during the interrogation, treated me as if I were Bin Laden.” These are participant’s memories after denouncing extortion action. This fragment underlines the importance of cops’ reaction during interrogation in reducing of the risk connected to secondary victimization process and is collocated in super-ordinate theme “Impacts of formal control agencies’ behaviour on the level of traumatization undergone” (10.721: this interview fragment is positioned in page 10, line 721 of the original transcript).
- 35.
The participant’s memories after the fire at his dealership are connected to the perception of passiveness of his own community. “I remember a lot of people who watching without help me. They stand still, with folded arms as if what happened it was a show, a movie or a fiction.” Through this word is simply to understand the deep sense of social loneliness, who participant has felt for refusing to pay extortionextortion request. This piece of transcript is included in the super-ordinate theme “Emotive and social reaction of the participant to the behaviour of his community” (11.789: this interview fragment is positioned in page 11, line 789 of the original transcript).
- 36.
Mafia offense has provoked not only the formal and informal networks crush, but also economic consequences and the progressive destruction of participant’s professional finish line. During the interview, with sorrow he remember “After treats I have to oblige to lay off staff” […] “For two years, I see to collapse sales volume” (14.1043: this interview fragment is positioned in page 14, line 1043 of the original transcript). Specifically, this issue it could be found in super-ordinate theme: “effects of extortion on economic vulnerability.”
- 37.
(3.162: this interview fragment is positioned in page 3, line 161 of the original transcript). It is possible to use the same reading procedure in all of the other fragments mentioned in the chapter.
- 38.
The participant tells that during the baptism, he “felt a certain kind of emotion.” He felt, actually, the emerging difference of the new role he just was assigned too, “between ruler and affiliated” (16.1183).
- 39.
A role acquired by the ‘Ndrangheta affiliated.
- 40.
The act of biting your finger with a needle.
- 41.
I think I have been “thought” in such a way that my life, my destiny, was already traced (5.320).
- 42.
As the participant says, referring to his own experience: “There a code that makes you different and you are raised with it… This way you are the superior being” (12.872).
- 43.
From the interview: “’Ndrangheta and its affiliates come first, as if it were the perfect race” (8.542).
- 44.
The emotion stays confined to a somatic level, so that a murder, for instance, produces the acceleration of one’s own heartbeat, but it does not have a sufficient entity to prevent the execution of one’s own assignment. The tendency to the emotional detachment end desensitization are, then, a strategy to rationalize and contain the normalization of violence.
- 45.
In this case, the term “family” refers to the criminal organization.
- 46.
In the participant’s experience, the role of the women, in the conjugal and maternal sense, represents a protection factor and acts as an intergenerational buffer. In essence, the maternal education first and then the presence of his wife, softened the unfortunate effects of the ‘Ndrangheta conditioning.
- 47.
My father managed to get married for love (10.754). As the participant recalls, both his father and his grandfather, even belonging to one of the most strict criminal organizations, managed to marry the woman they wanted for love.
- 48.
During the interview, the participant affirms: “they should find sociologists, educators, social workers and psychologists… why do these things do not exist? (37.2661).
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Calandra, F., Giorgi, A. (2017). The Mafia Psychology: The Study of the ‘Ndrangheta and the Cosa Nostra. In: Viano, E. (eds) Cybercrime, Organized Crime, and Societal Responses. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-44501-4_7
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