Demobilising by Legitimising: Masculine Honour, Positive and Negative Contact, and Social Activism against Criminal Organisations

Italian mafia-type groups exert governance over the community. To do so, they must engage in contact with community members. Previous research indicates that individuals’ endorsement of masculine honour values is associated to more frequent contact with members of criminal organisations (COs). The present research examines the relationship between masculine honour and both positive and negative contact, as well the potential implications of such contact. Structural equation modelling of survey data (N = 327) revealed that masculine honour was associated to positive but not negative contact with COs’ members. Positive contact was, in turn, associated with a stronger tendency to see COs as matching the ideals of honour (romanticisation), and lower perceived threat. In contrast, negative contact was associated with stronger perceived threat from COs’ presence. Finally, romanticisation and lower perceived threat were associated with lower intentions to engage in social activism against COs. Results support the idea that cultural values of masculine honour make the presence of COs in society more acceptable and are an important predictor of contact with these types groups.