INFLUENCE OF COSA NOSTRA IN SHAPING OF COLLECTIVE CONSCIOUSNESS OF SICILIAN SOCIETY
Keywords:
mafia, Cosa Nostra, organized criminal, Sicilian society, collective consciousnessAbstract
Precise origin of the term ‘mafia’ is still unknown, although it is believed that the term originated in Sicily. Some indications of proto-mafia practices were recorded in XVI and XVII century, but they are not concrete enough to be considered part of the process which would by time be defined and recognized by the term ‘mafia’. Regardless of the lexical origin of this term, mafia in the present time has become a common term which is used to describe various criminal activities. In this study we particularly focus on the Sicilian mafia, more precisely on Cosa Nostra (translated from Italian: ‘Our Thing’), probably the most influential mafia organization in the entire world which marked the XX century, infamous for its traditional criminal activities such as racketeering and extortion. The influence of mafia and its shaping of the collective consciousness of the Sicilian society is still evident, as it is rooted in all the pores of society. As a result, the mafia became much more sophisticated and has diversified its portfolio of criminal activities, which are not preformed the way they used to be.
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