The implicit association between masculinity and criminal organisations

A new research article published in Scientific Reports offers insights into how criminal groups, such as Italian mafias, cultivate legitimacy within the communities they govern.

Drawing on Intra-Cultural Appropriation Theory (ICAT), the research shows that these organizations can benefit from being seen as embodying masculine traits – particularly by individuals who endorse masculine honor ideologies. Across two studies, the authors used implicit association tests to examine whether people unconsciously associate criminal groups with masculinity more than they do the state. The results revealed that participants indeed linked criminal organizations more strongly with both maleness and masculinity.

Crucially, the study also found that individuals who strongly associated masculinity with criminal groups were more likely to view them as legitimate, especially if they personally endorsed honor-based masculinity values. These findings highlight how deep cultural beliefs about gender and honor can be strategically leveraged by non-state actors to secure social power.

The article was co-authored by Giovanni Travaglino and Maddalena Marini.