JOURNAL ARTICLE

Land on fire: The spatial production of the mafia.

  • Published In: Criminology & Criminal Justice: An International Journal, 2025, v. 25, n. 1. P. 21 1 of 3

  • Database: Academic Search Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Pearson, Lauren R 3 of 3

Abstract

This article examines how the Sicilian Mafia, specifically Cosa Nostra, is socially and spatially reproducing its power through the intentional setting of wildfires (incendio doloso) in Sicily during the 2021 and 2023 fire seasons. Using Henri Lefebvre's theory of the production of space alongside ethnographic fieldwork, the research argues that these fires are not isolated crimes but part of a broader strategy reflecting the Mafia's evolving organizational structure and altered relationship with both rural and urban landscapes. The study highlights how wildfire-setting serves as a territorial control mechanism, linked to economic interests such as land speculation and infiltration of green energy projects, while also producing a lived space of fear and domination. This spatial approach offers new insights into the Mafia's embeddedness in Sicilian society and the material and symbolic production of mafia-controlled territory.

Additional Information

  • Source:Criminology & Criminal Justice: An International Journal. 2025/02, Vol. 25, Issue 1, p21
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:Law
  • Publication Date:2025
  • ISSN:1748-8958
  • DOI:10.1177/17488958241286117
  • Accession Number:182634169
  • Copyright Statement:Copyright of Criminology & Criminal Justice: An International Journal is the property of Sage Publications Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

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