Project description
A closer look at the expanding threat of Sicilian Mafia
The EU faces a serious threat from Italian organised crime, according to the 2013 Europol Threat Assessment. While judicial progress has been made, the emergence of these groups in non-traditional areas remains largely unexplored. One such case is the Sicilian mafia in the province of Messina, which has received limited attention from researchers, despite numerous court cases. In this context, the MSCA-funded MessCa project will trace the history and evolution of mafia groups in Messina. Through legal document analysis, interviews, and the examination of cultural values, the project will provide insight into the ethos and modus operandi of these criminal organisations. Additionally, it aims to raise public awareness about the socio-economic impact of mafia infiltration.
Objective
The 2013 Europol Threat Assessment concerning Italian organised crime outlines how the ongoing threat that mafias pose to the EU is ‘unparalleled by any other European Organised Crime Group’. Significant successes in judicial investigations have undoubtedly contributed to a better understanding of Italian mafias over time. However, the emergence and expansion of mafia groups in non-traditional areas of settlement leave aspects of the phenomenon still unexplored. This is the case of the Sicilian mafia in the province of Messina which, despite being the object of parliamentary inquiries, court cases, and increasing media attention, has largely been neglected by scholarly literature. The proposed research aims to fill this gap. Adopting an interdisciplinary approach, this project aims to trace the history and evolution of mafia groups in the province of Messina –what the judiciary refers to as ‘The Messina Case’– examining their structure, ethos and modus operandi. It will be conducted using a qualitative methodological framework within the interpretive tradition and will involve the analysis of legal documents and judicial papers, in-depth interviews with judicial and police authorities, and state witnesses. Such an interdisciplinary approach allows us to delineate the evolution and structure of mafia groups, their external and internal relations and flux of power, as well as the role that shared cultural values and social conventions play in the dynamics of identity formation. By identifying the components that the mafia in the province of Messina shares with traditional mafia groups in Sicily and Calabria whilst simultaneously exposing a unique reality, this project will advance current research into mafia expansion in non-traditional areas. Through a number of research outputs and engagement events, it will also create impact outside academia by furthering public and policy makers’ awareness on the socio-economic liability that mafia infiltration of territory entails.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
MSCA-IF-EF-ST - Standard EF
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2017
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
98122 Messina
Italy
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.