Mafia expansion: the ‘Ndrangheta in established democracies - Dr Zora Hauser

As part of the Institute of Criminology Michaelmas Term 2025 Public Seminar Series, on 16 October Dr Zora Hauser spoke on 'Mafia Expansion: The ‘Ndrangheta in Established Democracies'.

Only a handful of mafia organisations exist in the world today. Yet, they wield significant influence, having extended their reach into the United States, Australia, and nearly all European countries. Scholars have often associated mafia presence with a state's ability and willingness to govern effectively when faced with social disorganisation, economic recession, and chronic distrust. Why, then, have seemingly stable democracies witnessed mafia expansion – and with what consequences?

Based on fieldwork across three countries and a unique collection of primary sources on one of the world’s most widespread mafias, this talk presented key insights from the book Mafia Expansion: The ‘Ndrangheta in Established Democracies. First, it showed that mafia expansion takes different forms, offering a typology to capture this variation. Second, it highlighted the troubling proximity between state institutions, society, and mafiosi, a convergence long recognised as central to mafia resilience in traditional strongholds but assumed to be absent in contexts of democratic stability, social trust, and the rule of law. The talk concluded with a reflection on the consequences for democracy, as institutions struggle to respond effectively to organised crime.

Zora L. Hauser is a Leverhulme Early Career Fellow at the Institute of Criminology and a Research Associate at Peterhouse, University of Cambridge. Her research examines criminal governance and illicit markets, with a particular focus on their interaction with states and societies. She holds a doctorate in Sociology from the University of Oxford, as well as an MA in International Relations and a BA in Political Science from LUISS University in Rome.

For the recording of this event, please click here