In Dubio Pro Reo: The Impact of Certainty and Uncertainty on the Identities and Beliefs of an Organized Crime Member

ABSTRACTThis study scrutinizes the influence of certainty and uncertainty on identity and beliefs. While certainty is often perceived as positive and uncertainty as negative for an individual, this research reveals that they can operate in more nuanced ways. The focus here is understanding their effects on individuals with interconnected yet conflicting identities and beliefs. Through a case study of Antonio – a member of organized crime who also embraces identities as an artist and a migrant – narratives emerge that illustrate how these forces act upon him. Rather than merely describing how certainty and uncertainty shape involvement in organized crime, the study highlights the complexities they introduce to an individual’s various identities and beliefs systems, and reveals their alignment with specific contextual and communicative needs. This study thus holds significant implications for comprehending how attitudes toward certainty and uncertainty influence identity and belief development in a world typified by both stability and change, and how a criminal identity might intersect with other identities based on the processing of these certainties and uncertainties. Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Ethics statementThe author declares that informed consent was obtained from all participants before they were included in the study, and no identifying information about the participants is revealed in the article.Additional informationFundingThe author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.Notes on contributorsFabio Indìo Massimo PoppiFabio Indìo Massimo Poppi (BSC and MSC, Social Psychology, University of Trieste; MA, Sociocultural Linguistics, Goldsmiths College, University of London; PhD, Language and Communication Studies, UEA) is Chief Research Fellow at Vilnius Tech (Lithuania) and Research Associate Professor at the University of Łódź (Poland). Characterized by an interdisciplinary background in critical discourse studies and qualitative social research, he works on the sociocultural dimensions of the identity, social interaction, deviant behavior, and Italian culture, often using a discourse analytical, narrative, and interactional pragmatic approach. Among the international journals where he has published are Information, Communication & Society, Journal of Pragmatics, Discourse, Context & Media, Journal of Language Aggression and Conflict, European Journal of Criminology, Deviant Behavior and Discourse & Communication.