Men of Honor Don't Talk

The Relationship Between Masculine Honor and Social Activism Against Criminal Organizations in Italy

Bibliographic Data

ID6338149
AuthorsG A Travaglino (0000-0003-4091-0634, University of Kent), Dominic Abrams (0000-0002-2113-4572, University of Kent), Georgina Randsley De Moura (0000-0001-6285-6128, University of Kent)
Year2016
Volume37
Issue2
Pages183-199
Publication date2016-04-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePolitical Psychology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0162-895X • E-ISSN: 1467-9221
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/pops.12226
OpenAlexW1958681903
LanguageEN
Citations received18
References cited50

Criminal organizations have a strong influence on social, political, and economic life in Italy and other parts of the world. Nonetheless, local populations display collective passivity against organized crime, a phenomenon known as omertà. Omertà is linked to the concepts of honor and masculinity. That is, in order to fit ideological constructions of manliness, individuals should display indifference toward illegal activities and should not collaborate with legal institutions. In two studies, we investigated the link between endorsement of a masculine honor ideology and collective action intentions against criminal organizations (antimafia). Study 1 (N = 121) involved a Northern Italian sample, and Study 2 (N = 301) involved a Southern Italian sample. Across studies, results showed that endorsement of masculine honor ideology was associated with lower willingness to engage in social activism against criminal organizations. This relationship was mediated by attitudes toward criminal organizations (Study 1 and 2) and, in line with the notion of omertà, by lower levels of collective motive and more anxiety about interacting with police (Study 2). Directions for future research are discussed

Collective action · Criminology · Honor · Ideology · Masculinity · Political science · Politics · Sociology · Gender Studies · Law · Leadership, Courage, and Heroism Studies · Psychology · Psychology of Moral and Emotional Judgment · Social and Intergroup Psychology · Social Psychology