Discover a groundbreaking exploration of Mafia politics with 'Cosa Nostra: An Alternative Political Tradition' by Marco Santoro. This BRAND NEW book delves into the Mafia as a unique form of political organization, challenging traditional views that regard it merely as a criminal enterprise or an industry of protection. Santoro's 2021 publication, published by John Wiley & Sons UK, presents the Mafia not as a failure of state governance, but as an age-old institution that reflects a distinct Southern political and social life, centered on personal ties, obligations, and prestige. In 336 insightful pages, this book interweaves diverse theoretical perspectives, folk sources, and firsthand accounts from Mafiosi, offering an enriching cultural sociology of the Mafia. Santoro posits that the Mafia exists as a conservative counter-politics, thriving in areas where the modern state has not fully integrated. Understanding this dynamic is pivotal for grasping the complexities of power, authority, and social structure within subaltern classes. If you're intrigued by the intersection of crime, culture, and politics, this book provides essential tools and concepts to navigate the rich symbolism and intricate social frameworks of Mafia life. Order now and immerse yourself in this captivating political theory that sheds new light on this resilient global phenomenon.

Note: Shipping for this item is free. Please allow up to 6 weeks for delivery. Once your order is placed, it cannot be cancelled.

Note: Shipping for this item is free. Please allow up to 6 weeks for delivery. Once your order is placed, it cannot be cancelled.

Condition: BRAND NEW
ISBN: 9780745670683
Year: 2021
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons (UK)
Pages: 336


Description:


This ground-breaking book offers a deep and original analysis of the Mafia “ in particular Cosa Nostra “ as a distinct form of politics. Marco Santoro breaks with criminal and economic approaches which see the Mafia as an industry of private protection and rationally calculating wealth accumulation. Instead he argues that it represents an alternative way of organizing political relations, the exercise of power, and the struggle for prestige. Nor is this a distortion or failure of the modern Western state, based on the rule of law: the Mafia is best understood as an older, alternative tradition of politics, a distinctly Southern institutional arrangement of social life focused on personal ties and obligations. Today, the Mafia still thrives among subaltern classes and in regions that the modern state has not yet incorporated, as a conservative counter-politics of prestige. Pivotal to understanding this world is a cultural sociology of the Mafia, offering the tools and concepts necessary to penetrate the symbolism and structures of Mafia life.


Blending diverse theoretical strands with folk sources and the voices of Mafiosi themselves, Santoro develops a political theory of the Mafia, shedding new light on this captivating, global, and remarkably resilient phenomenon.