Carceral hegemony: Confinement, race and state formation in Italy
July 13th, 2026
We recommend the English-language article “Carceral hegemony: Confinement, race and state formation in Italy”, written by Simone Santorso and published in 2026 in Theoretical Criminology.
The article develops a reflection on the relationship between carceral power and the formation of the Italian state, arguing that practices of confinement have played a constitutive role in defining the boundaries of citizenship and national belonging. Through a historical-sociological analysis spanning different phases of Italian history – from national unification to contemporary migration policies – the author shows how legal instruments, territorial arrangements, and social representations have progressively identified groups deemed “deviant” or “dangerous,” thereby legitimising their control and exclusion.
The full article can be accessed at the following link.