Men of Honor Don't Talk

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

Datos Bibliográficos

ID6338149
AutoresG 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)
Año2016
Volumen37
Número2
Páginas183-199
Fecha de publicación2016-04-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaPolitical Psychology (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0162-895X • E-ISSN: 1467-9221
EditorialWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/pops.12226
OpenAlexW1958681903
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas18
Referencias citadas50

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