New Books Network Podcast Summary

Episode Title: Christina Jerne, "Opposition by Imitation: The Economics of Italian Anti-Mafia Activism"
Host: Dr. Miranda Melcher
Guest: Dr. Christina Jerne
Date: November 19, 2025

Overview

In this episode, Dr. Miranda Melcher interviews Dr. Christina Jerne about her groundbreaking book, Opposition by Imitation: The Economics of Italian Anti-Mafia Activism (University of Minnesota Press, 2025). The conversation delves into the multifaceted nature of anti-mafia activism in Italy, examining its economic, political, and social dimensions. Jerne highlights how activists not only oppose the mafia directly but also mirror some of its methods—such as emotional mobilization and resource organization—for positive and transformative ends. The discussion connects Italian activism to global struggles against corruption, repression, and oppressive relationships.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Genesis of the Project and Author’s Motivation

• Personal and Academic Roots:
  • Jerne’s dissatisfaction with the notion that economic systems (like capitalism or neoliberalism) are unchangeable inspired her to seek out real-world examples of grassroots resistance.
  • The discovery of “100% Mafia Free” pasta in a supermarket sparked her investigation into businesses and organizations resisting mafia relations in Italy.
  • Her experience as an Italian expatriate shapes her inquiry into alternative, just economies.
  • “I got intrigued by these kinds of enterprises because they showed me that, well, that's not the case, there is a way out of here, and it's possible to live differently in that context.” (Dr. Christina Jerne, 06:49)

2. Rethinking Key Terms: Mafia, Economy, Politics

• The Mafia Beyond the Mob:
  • The term “mafia” in Italy is broad—used for various oppressive relationships, not only criminal organizations.
  • Jerne frames mafia as a form of “paralegal governance,” blending legal and illegitimate power to control communities.
  • This nuanced definition applies not only to Italy but to power structures worldwide.
  • “Mafia is really a kind of governance of which a specific criminal organization maybe is simply one part.” (08:41)
• Economy as Political Realm:
  • Building on the work of Gibson-Graham, Jerne explains that economic actions—such as determining wages, choosing whom to trade with, or branding—are inherently political.
  • The anti-mafia movement’s recent focus on the economic sphere reframes activism as a creative and transformative practice.

3. Historical Trajectory of Anti-Mafia Activism

• Foundations in the 19th Century:
  • Anti-mafia activism traces back to the late 1800s, with peasant and workers’ revolts in southern Italy seeking to overthrow feudal intermediaries (gabelotti) and improve livelihoods.
  • “These first kind of moments here we see really classic kind of socialist revolts... beginning of a kind of proto cooperative form…” (19:47)
• National Awakening in the 1990s:
  • The assassinations of judges Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino brought the mafia crisis into national consciousness, triggering mass mobilizations and a wave of grassroots activism.
  • Dramatic legal reforms enabled civil society to confiscate and repurpose mafia assets for collective benefit.
  • “This was a huge moment which many activists refer to as their own 9 11.” (25:30)

4. Modern Activism: Confiscated Assets and Economic Innovation

• Cooperatives and Associations:
  • Since the 2000s, thousands of businesses, farms, and social cooperatives manage mafia-confiscated assets, employing marginalized communities and sustaining local economies.
  • The significance lies in sustaining livelihoods otherwise tied to mafia enterprises.
  • “Currently 36,616 mafia assets... are confiscated. And... it's possible for people to take these in their own hands and manage them… So this is really, really to me fascinating...” (29:46)
• Personal Engagement and Fieldwork:
  • Jerne participated in volunteer work across Sicily and Puglia, experiencing firsthand the transformation of mafia properties into centers of education, agriculture, and social support.
  • Attention is given to the plight of migrant workers, anti-trafficking efforts, and anti-mafia tourism.

5. Anti-Mafia Tourism: A Strategy of “Opposition by Imitation”

• Mobilizing Emotions for Collective Good:
  • Enterprises like Addiopizzo (“Farewell Protection Money”) exemplify how activists harness emotions—shock, sadness, pride—to engage locals and tourists in anti-mafia action.
  • Addiopizzo’s network enables businesses to collectively reject extortion, leveraging consumer power and tourism for economic resilience and cultural change.
  • “They started to capitalize on people’s shock and rage and did an incredible work of… mobilization.” (40:57)
• Tourism as Awareness-Building:
  • Activist-led tours educate visitors about mafia history and resilience, reframing sites of trauma as spaces for remembrance and empowerment.
  • Tourism is presented not just as an economic sector, but as a dynamic form of social relationship and possibility.
  • “Tourism is often viewed as a kind of sector that obviously has a lot of problematic consequences… But tourism isn’t just a sector. It’s actually a way of relating to the world…” (43:41)

6. Broader Lessons: Global Relevance and Mimicry as Resistance

• Strategic Mimicry:
  • Jerne introduces “opposition by imitation”—studying and mimicking the organizational strengths, emotional mobilization, and legitimacy of oppressive powers, repurposing them for progressive change.
  • “What this type of activism really stimulates me to think with… is to kind of, well, to work with what these powers can do and then try to do the same thing, but through a reformulation.” (46:27)
• Agency and Hope:
  • The book offers a call to action: everyone has agency and can play a role in transforming oppressive systems by reimagining relationships and possibilities.
  • “We all have a reservoir of economic agency, of political agency that we can tap into. And most likely, we already are having many political effects…” (50:27)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Mafia as Governance:
  • “Mafia is really a kind of governance of which a specific criminal organization maybe is simply one part.”
    —Dr. Christina Jerne, 08:41
• On Economic Politics:
  • “None of those two versions of economy really fit with this type of activism where economic action... those actions are in themselves, political.”
    —Dr. Christina Jerne, 14:37
• On Impact of 1990s Trauma:
  • “This was a huge moment which many activists refer to as their own 9 11.”
    —Dr. Christina Jerne, 25:30
• On Collective Agency:
  • “We all have a reservoir of economic agency, of political agency… I think the call to arms is to kind of think about that. What kind of oppressive relationships exist in your life? What role do you play in them?”
    —Dr. Christina Jerne, 50:29

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [03:40] Author’s background and inspiration for the book
• [08:41] Rethinking “Mafia” and its broader socio-political meaning
• [14:20] Redefining “Economy” and the politics of everyday action
• [17:49] Early anti-mafia mobilizations and peasant revolts
• [24:24] Expansion of activism and national reckoning in the 1990s
• [29:20] Contemporary trends: cooperatives, commemoration, and business
• [34:27] Fieldwork examples: anti-mafia farms, migrant labor, and tourism
• [38:26] Anti-mafia tourism: Addiopizzo and emotional mobilization
• [46:01] Global implications and “opposition by imitation”
• [50:27] Call to reflect on lived agency and transform oppressive relationships
• [53:01] Forthcoming work: re-centering life in economic action

Tone & Style

The tone is thoughtful, hopeful, and intellectually adventurous. Jerne and Melcher both encourage critical thinking, engagement with social issues, and optimism for transformative collective action.

For listeners seeking deeper understanding of anti-mafia movements, economic activism, and the promise of opposition by imitation, Dr. Jerne’s work offers practical inspiration and a path toward more equitable futures—both in Italy and beyond.