The term ‘Mafia’ originated in Sicily in the mid-nineteenth century, and its use spread quickly. Since its emergence, the Sicilian Mafia has played an integral role in Italy’s cultural and political life.
The topic of the Mafia phenomenon is versatile and can be approached from various sides. Writing an essay on such a topic may take a lot of work for some students. That’s why we are here to help. If you need to write about the mafia phenomenon quickly, you can use an essay writing service like Essay Shark or write it on your own.
Writing an essay about the mafia might be intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be if you break it down into simple parts. In the following text, you will find advice on all stages of writing an essay about the Mafia, from the topic choice to referencing and proofreading the final draft.
1. Do a research
Before you start writing, you need to explore the basic information about the issue. To gain an in-depth understanding of the mafia phenomenon, you should look to scholarly sources such as academic journals, books, and other research materials.
Most of the information about the sources you can use may be in the reading lists provided by your teacher. Also, we recommend you explore your library and reputable online sources.
Google Scholar. Here you can find articles and books about mafia and organized crime. Experiment with keywords to find more information on the topic.
ResearchGate. It is a solid resource of academic articles and documents on various topics, including research and information about the Mafia and organized crime.
Sicilian Documentation Center. This resource provides a wealth of information and documents, including historical records, photographs, maps, and more.
OpenEdition Journals. It’s a collection of free articles on various topics you can find online and can be a valuable resource for anyone seeking to broaden their knowledge.
Moreover, you can use a Google-translate to access the sources in Italian for additional information.
2. Choose the topic
It’s highly important to wisely pick the topic and narrow down the field of research. Ensure you like the issue; you need the motivation to explore the primary sources and investigate the essay question.
Here are some topics which you can choose to write about in your essay regarding the mafia phenomenon:
- Relationship between Italian Mafia and mixed migration.
- Sociological approach in the historical context of the Italian Mafia.
- The romanticization of the Mafia in movies and television.
- How the representation of the Mafia has changed over time in the press.
- Cultural and historical perspectives of the Italian Mafia in the United States.
- Language and message systems of the Mafia in the US.
- The function of social relationships and violence in the US Mafia.
- Mafia phenomenon in the context of sociology.
- Difference between Italian and Italian-American Mafia.
- Analysis of the Italian Mafia’s “Silence Code.”
- The position of women in Cosa Nostra.
- Sicilian experience against the Mafia and anti-mafia movements.
- The structure of Mafia power and its importance.
- The origins of the Sicily Mafia.
- Exploration of the origins of the Second Mafia War.
- The relationship between the Italian Mafia and religion.
3. Take notes
Don’t underestimate the importance of note-taking while doing research. Copy-paste the meaningful sentences from sources and save the link where you have found them. Consider that your notes should contain vital information and allow you to find additional information on the topic easily.
You may have various ideas to include in your essay, so try to organize your notes into groups by subtopics. It will allow you to keep track of the points where authors agree or disagree with each other. By managing your ideas into subtopics, you can see which topics need more evidence or examples to support your arguments and ideas.
4. Create an outline
After organizing your ideas, create an outline for your essay by determining which points to emphasize and how to link them. Write down all central ideas you wish to include in a paper and divide them into sections. It is essential to keep track of the structure of the paper and how each concept relates to another.
Depending on the word count, you will need to write an introduction, body paragraphs (each paragraph for one idea or argument), and a conclusion. After you create the outline, you can move on to writing the essay.
5. Come up with the thesis statement
Even if you are writing a two-page essay, you need a clear goal for your writing. A thesis statement serves to provide a focus on which the rest of your paper will be based, and it should be a specific, arguable opinion that can be supported with evidence. It may take from one to several sentences. Moreover, you will have control over the essay content by articulating a thesis statement.
For example, if you have chosen the topic “The relationship between Mafia and religion,” your thesis statement may sound like “The essay will explore the reasons why the church played a conspiratorial role in the Mafia and most of the Mafiosi came from a Catholic background.
6. Add references
You need to create a bibliography of the sources you have used as a basis for your essay and cite them throughout the text. Typically, historical and sociology papers are followed by MLA and the Chicago Manual of Style. Look at which formatting style your teacher prefers in the instructions. In doing so, you can ensure that your research is correctly credited to its source and protect yourself from being accused of plagiarism.
How to avoid plagiarism when using sources? The recipe is simple. You need to quote first and paraphrase later if necessary. A few rules should be followed regarding citing sources, like providing the author’s name and year of publication in parentheses. Always keep on track with reference information.
7. Check your final draft
Before you submit your text, it’s vital to ensure that it is free of grammar and spelling errors. Read your text once more to detect gaps in a logical flow and correct possible misconceptions. Set aside the final draft to read it with fresh eyes or use an online spell checker like Grammarly to fix common mistakes.
Wrapping Up
As you can see, with a little approach you can easily write an essay about the Italian mafia. Take care about choosing an appropriate topic, using original sources, and supporting your key points with evidence. With the tips you have read above, you can create a well-researched and engaging essay that will impress your teacher.