Jamaican dons, Italian godfathers and the chances of a 'reversible destiny'

Johnson, Hume N., and Soeters, Joseph L. (2008) Jamaican dons, Italian godfathers and the chances of a 'reversible destiny'. Political Studies, 56 (1). pp. 166-191.

[img] PDF (Comparing the Italian Mafia and 'Dons' (Crime bosses) in Jamaica's criminal underworld)
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Abstract

For close to 50 years, so-called ‘dons’ have positioned themselves as civic leaders in Jamaica, gaining acceptance among poor urban communities and (tacit) political recognition in the wider society. The dons’ systematic, coercive organisation of the ghetto community and the counter-hegemonic, executivestyle bureaucracy and culture entrenched here resembles the ‘godfather’-led criminal culture and power of the (Italian) Mafia. However, over the last ten years the Mafia has faced a considerable decline in its omnipotence, due to increased state intervention and resistance within civil society, particularly by women in the local Italian communities. This article attempts to ascertain if such a ‘reversible destiny’ is also thinkable in Jamaica.

Item ID: 3213
Item Type: Article (Research - C1)
ISSN: 1467-9248
Keywords: Jamaica; crime; mafia; garrison; dons; civil society
Date Deposited: 19 May 2009 01:10
FoR Codes: 16 STUDIES IN HUMAN SOCIETY > 1606 Political Science > 160603 Comparative Government and Politics @ 100%
SEO Codes: 94 LAW, POLITICS AND COMMUNITY SERVICES > 9402 Government and Politics > 940299 Government and Politics not elsewhere classified @ 100%
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