Veiling and unveiling the membership of the Sicilian Mafia (1963-2016): Struggles, strategies and set-backs

Ambiguity is a key part of organizations, but for some of them it is more strategic than for others. This is especially the case for organizations that are clandestine, criminal or otherwise strive to remain hidden from the public eye in society. Such organizations include gangs, hate groups, terrorists and criminal groups such as the Mafia. Making sense of them forms a daunting task that involves a constant struggle between those who want to remain hidden from public scrutiny and those who strive to reveal clandestine organizations and make criminals accountable. Despite advances in research on hidden, stigmatized and criminal organizations, the question of how the veiling and unveiling of such organizations and their membership happens is as of yet poorly understood. We embrace a categorization perspective in analysing the struggles around the Sicilian Mafia between 1963 and 2016.

Should you want to attend this talk, please register by sending a message to Thinley Tharchen at: tharchen@em-lyon.com by Wednesday 13 noon. We will order a free sandwich for you (please mention any dietary preference).