Masculinity in the Russian Mafia

In their research, they found that many researchers in the field of men’s studies presumed a complete separation from women that they did not even take them into consideration and only “analyzing masculinity by looking only at men and relations among men” (Connell 837). Many of the arguments on the idea of masculinity are over who in the world actually represents hegemonic masculinity. The two competing concepts that they present are whether societies use a fixed type of masculinity or that a society reverts to whatever type of man is dominant at a particular time and place. They agree that the ambiguity of what it means to be masculine, is important because it allows researchers to identify the mechanisms of hegemony more easily. They point to how regions develop models of masculine conduct which are spread by the media and celebrated by the state (838). Connell and Messerschmidt use the example of the USSR’s celebration of the Stakhanovite industrial worker, named for the coal miner Aleksandr Stakhanov who in 1935 hewed a world record 102 tons of coal in a single day, triggering a scramble by other workers to beat the record. The reality of it is that the claimed feats of Stakhanov did not acknowledge the contributions of his coworkers in his record setting day of work. In the final section of their paper Connell and Messerschmidt lay out how they believe that the idea of

Nonetheless, the disclosure that surrounds the rape of the woman does not break away from the customary views on violence especially towards women. In the entire movie, women are depicted and viewed as extremely traditional and passive. They are supposed to follow whatever is required from them. Gender through the movie exists in the similar way through which race exists. The society in the movie is largely patriarchy, and gender is unconsciously used for the purpose of justifying oppression and patriarchal

Within comptemporary society, there are many ways to define gender. Gender includes all the characteristics that differentiate masculinity and femininity. The existence of masculinity create problems for every men because they are constantly pressured to behave in a certain way in order to look masculine. In the story “The Maltese Falcon” by Dashiell Hammett, masculinity is negatively depicted as problematic toward men. In this story, the author displays the negativity of masculinity through the conduct, manliness and reputation of the main character.

Russian organized crime in the United States is unique to traditional organized crime, specifically La Costa Notra, in several ways. These unique traits distinguish the abilities and operations of Russian organized crime. It is generally agreed by researchers and practitioners that Russian groups are generally less structured than Italian organized crime groups. Additionally, they have thrived by adapting to and exploiting technology. Many Russian organized crime members are highly educated, including Semyon Moglievich who had a degree in economics (Radanko, 2011). There are also Russian mafia members who have PH.D’s in mathematics, engineering, or physics (Friedman, 2000). Many law enforcement agencies characterize Russian organized crime as organized crime groups who primarily speak the Russian language, thus comprised of groups from different regions of the former Soviet Union. For the purposes of this paper, this author will follow the same guideline to characterize Russian organized crime.

     Exactly what is the Mafia? Mafia, more specifically the Italian-American Mafia, is a group of criminals organized into "families," and operating primarily in North America. Also known as La Cosa Nostra, at one time there were 26 families in the United States - roughly one for each major city. The Mafia composed of bosses of numerous families, mostly New York, was the overseeing authority for all of the other La Cosa Nostra families. New York City is the place of origin for organized crime in the United States. Currently, there are five families in the New York City outfit of the La Cosa Nostra. The five families are, the Gambinos, Genovese, Colombo,

One of the key concepts detailed by Pringle (2007), is the idea of hegemonic masculinity, which was originally coined by Connell (1995). Connell suggest that the concepts of hegemony and masculinity have been intertwined, which has created a social form of a masculine ideal, developed around male dominance, power and patriarchy over groups who are deemed “weaker” such as women and homosexual men. Hegemonic masculinity is essentially a socially elite or desirable status, with which the “performance of ‘masculinity’” can be legitimately practised within society.

While family structure in the Soviet Union did change significantly during the first two decades of Communist government following the social revolution, there were also many ways in which it did not change, and some ways in which there was a return to traditional family structure during this time. Although there were changes to marriage and divorce laws, the role of women in the workplace, and the social ideas of male and female roles, inequality was still a significant issue. The attempts to create a new model of family life throughout the 1920s and 1930s, without traditional boundaries but with respect for individual rights, was unsuccessful in many ways, as women were still viewed as responsible for household duties and for raising children while men had much more sexual freedom than women. The early 1920s and the revolutionary concepts and laws which it introduced resulted in social disorder, with marriage breakdown, homelessness and poverty leading to a backlash against the changes in gender roles. Rather than blaming the lack of social services, many claimed that women needed to return to traditional roles and supply stability to the family, rather than considering the nation’s economic situation and the lack of social services as being the central issue.

Many socio-historical studies on masculinity have often revealed how Machismo is embedded in the Latino culture within the United States. Machismo is defined as a strong sense of masculine pride, often exhibited by Latino men. In Latino culture in the United States, machismo is not only accepted, but always expected. In any study that investigates the Latino group, machismo is a subject that cannot be left behind.

Dostoevsky, the author of Crime and Punishment, was extremely concerned with many of the social issues of his day. It his work, he addresses the rise of nihilism and disregard for moral responsibility that overtook Russia’s youth during the 1860s through Raskolnikov, who murders a pawnbroker.

When looking at the issue of corporate crime, it becomes apparent that gender is a factor that can play a significant role. Within the article An Ethnography of Wall Street, it is described that because of a social hierarchy, the majority of those in CEO positions are white males while those in lower positions tend to be more females. As discussed in the documentary Inside Job, the males in corporations featured tended to be impulsive risk takers which can be related to the idea of “doing masculinity”. Using these sources, one is able to create a critique of the theory emancipation in accordance to corporate crime. Through the analysis of the documentary Inside Job and the article An Ethnography of Wall Street, it can be determined that corporations are gendered and are based around a sense of masculinity.

The movie “Tough Guise” examines and evaluates the relationship between cultural and social construction of masculinity and the images we see in mass media and popular culture. The movie recognizes immense violence in America as a product of gendered associated phenomenon, and identifies and explains its connection to cultural codes and ideals of “masculinity”. In the movie, Katz main thesis revolves around the idea: masculinity is created; it does not inherently exist, as opposed to one’s biological sex. Central to his argument is this concept: One may be born as male or female: which is one’s biological identity, but the concept of “masculinity” is a societal and cultural construct. To further empower his thesis he argues that media plays a vital role in dispensing and sustaining this cultural construct.

When people think of organized crime they think of the Italian mob and the Russian mafia. They are the ones that they see in movies and on television, and the ones that they hear about the most. However, they were created a couple centuries after their Asian counterparts, the Yakuza in Japan, and the Triads in China. These Asian syndicates were founded in the sixteenth and seventeenth century and consisted of merchants and other people in what was basically the middle class. They were just groups of poorer people who were just looking for protection or were trying to help other people. The first organized crime syndicates were a kind of Robin Hood, they helped the poor. They weren’t big or powerful, and they didn’t have large numbers. The

Imperial Russian society during the time of serfdom was characterized by constantly changing social order. The society experienced a complex social change at the threshold to emancipation. It was undergoing many changes with increasing westernization and serfdom culture that gave rise to formation of new classes (raznochintsy) during the nineteenth century. Many authors have reflected and emphasized this component of change in the structure of pre-emancipation Russian society. This paper will examine how two writers: Nikolai Gogol and Ivan Turgenev, in their novels, Dead Souls and Fathers and Sons depict the society’s constantly changing nature through the relationships between their characters and the development in their beliefs and ideas. Although both the novels explore societal change during the pre-emancipation of serfs, the emphasis of change is different in both the novels. In Fathers and Sons, Turgenev oversees shifting values prevalent in the society. He explores the shift in generational values by depicting the difference in beliefs of characters like Bazarov and Nikolai. On the other hand, in Dead Souls Gogol focuses on issues of morality in society. He depicts a struggle for morality and portrays a corrupt society through the landowners and the protagonist, Chichikov, in his book.

The Russian Mafia: Protectionism in the New Capitalist Russia The Russian Mafia has always exercised an important role in the Russian economy. The contemporary mafiosi are descendents of the seventeenth Century highwaymen and Cossack robbers. These men occasionally murdered families prior to raids preventing them from being captured. The Russia mafiosi made a point to remain aloof from the state. Mob men were actually spurned when returning home from fighting in the Great Patriotic War. The gangs begin to dominate markets such as car sales, spare parts, cigarettes, food distribution, and other markets that the Communist Party failed to provide under the Bolsheviks (Remnick196). Since the collapse of Communism and the

Women are not usually discussed about when it comes to organized crimes and Mafias. They are not always taken as seriously as their male counterparts. They are usually seen as the emotional support for their men. They are viewed as passive onlookers. The women are seen as victims of the male power, even though this plays along with the male stereotype. Women are involved in organized crimes for a number of reasons. They could be involved out of greed, the need to survive, or even to seek independence. There are even three stages to women being involved in the Mafia. The three stages being part of a support system, then defending their men, and the final stage being them becoming criminals. Griselda Blanco is a great example of a woman