Overview
Mafia Expansion: The 'Ndrangheta in Established Democracies offers an overarching account of mafia expansion grounded in a far-reaching analysis of one of the most widely spread, yet least understood, mafias in the world. While few mafia organizations exist today, they wield significant global influence, having extended their reach into territories including the United States, Australia, and nearly all European countries. Scholars have often associated mafia presence with a state's ability and willingness to govern effectively when faced with social disorganization, economic recession, and chronic distrust. Why, then, have seemingly stable democracies seen mafia expansion into their territories? In response to this question, Mafia Expansion illuminates how and why mafia organizations have taken root in contexts very different to those in which they originally emerged. Drawing on extensive fieldwork and a rich selection of primary sources, the book presents an in-depth study of the Calabrian 'Ndrangheta's expansion to Germany. It offers a nuanced framework for understanding mafia expansion, according to which mafia groups either transplant their core business model attempting to govern in the new territory; trade in licit and illicit markets as one criminal actor among many; or become inactive and hibernate in a stage from which they may or may not resurface. Taken together, the book proposes a comprehensive explanation of mafia expansion that goes beyond specific case-studies and uncovers relationships between migration, trust, and enforcement dynamics within the context of organized crime.
Full Product Details
Author: Zora L. Hauser (Leverhulme Early Career Fellow, Leverhulme Early Career Fellow, Institute of Criminology, University of Cambridge)
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Imprint: Oxford University Press
Dimensions:
Width: 14.50cm
, Height: 2.00cm
, Length: 22.50cm
Weight: 0.512kg
ISBN: 9780198895541
ISBN 10: 0198895542
Pages: 288
Publication Date: 15 April 2025
Audience:
College/higher education
,
Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: To order
Stock availability from the supplier is unknown. We will order it for you and ship this item to you once it is received by us.
Author Information
Zora L. Hauser is a Leverhulme Early Career Fellow at the Institute of Criminology, University of Cambridge. In her research, Hauser investigates criminal governance and illicit markets, with a focus on dynamics of trust and violence. Her work has been featured on CNN, Sky News, and in Der Spiegel, among others. Previously, she has served as an analyst for the NATO Foundation and the Italian Ministry of Defence. Hauser obtained her doctorate in Sociology from the University of Oxford and holds an MA in International Relations and a BA in Political Science from LUISS University, Rome.
