Forms of Mafia power and resistance practices. An introduction

This article introduces the theoretical-conceptual framework which informs the reflection on the forms of Mafia power and resistance practices activated at both the subjective and community levels, addressed in the contributions collected in the thematic part of the Issue. Starting from the changes related to the processes of neoliberal globalization and their impact in the sphere of law and the State, the authors reflect on the manifestations that mafia power (in its various expressions) takes in the contemporary world, within the criminal organizations addressed in the empirical contributions, as well as in the network of external relations that consolidates them, in very different geographical, political, economic and cultural contexts (such as Sicily, Nigeria and Mexico). Recurrent elements emerge from the analysis, linked above all to the pervasiveness and persistence of some distinctive characteristics of Mafia power, such as the use of physical and symbolic violence, the control of the territory, the ideological and cultural patriarchal legacy, and the ability to exploit traditional culture. At the same time, forms of opposition to the criminal-mafia power are highlighted both in the dimension of everyday life and in that linked to the progressive emergence of a growing political subjectification of citizens and groups denouncing oppression and demanding justice.

Keywords: Power - Mafia - Globalization - Resistance - Neoliberalism

Orsetta Giolo, Monica Massari, Dossier. Forme del potere (mafioso) e pratiche di resistenza nello scenario globale. Questioni teoriche e indagini sul campo. Introduzione in "SOCIOLOGIA DEL DIRITTO " 3/2022, pp 85-90, DOI: 10.3280/SD2022-003004