Social values of honour and masculinity fuel contact with mafia-type groups

New research by Kent Psychologist Dr Giovanni Travaglino and Dr Libby Drury, of Birkbeck, University of London, has indicated that masculine honour-related values among young Italian men strongly indicates engagement with the mafia-type groups.

Dr Travaglino studied a sample of Southern Italian adolescents over a period of five months and found that gravitation towards contact with criminal organisation associates was higher among those who adhered highly to masculine honour values.

Additionally, the research demonstrated that contact with such criminal organisations is linked to a romanticised view of the groups.

To read the full story, go to Kent’s News Centre page. The study, entitled Connected Guys: Endorsement of Masculine Honour Predicts More Frequent Contact with Members of Criminal Organisations, is published in the European Journal of Social Psychology.