Social identity theory studies intergroup behavior and it gives us some insight on how some groups came to be. It is based on personal identity and social identity. Personal identity is essentially “a person’s sense of who they are” (Gruman, Jamie. 2016). Examples of this is “I think I am strong, independent, and charming.” Social identity is based on how you see yourself as it relates to the group/s you belong to or associate with.
If you look at those terms, they can be used in positive ways and negative ways. When I read those terms, I immediately correlated it to organizations like the Mafia. People in the mafia have their own personal identity just like we all do. However, I think what ends up driving their life is the social identity.
Social and personal identity do tend to overlap. Let’s say someone who is in the Mafia has a personal identity of loyal, strong, and tough. The social identity as it relates to the Mafia would include a lot of those same characteristics or behaviors, you could say. If an individual was raised with a lot of those same core values, finds an organization that preaches the same thing, as you can imagine it would not be difficult to get the familial sense from a crime organization like the Mafia.
I think you can draw the correlation between social identity theory and a lot of crime organizations, not just the Mafia. I think a lot of these groups advertise themselves as a strong family with loyalty. Some people may have grown up in that sort of environment while others may be looking for something along those lines because it is important to their own personal identity. Obviously, these organizations are more complicated than this simple observation, as are the people within them, but it is an interesting correlation to point out.
Gruman, Jamie, A. et al. Applied Social Psychology: Understanding and Addressing Social and Practical Problems. Available from: MBS Direct, (3rd Edition). SAGE Publications, Inc. (US), 2016.