Norma Rossi

Norma Rossi is a senior lecturer in Defence and International Affairs at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. Dr Rossi studied in Rome and Paris and received her Ph.D. in Politics and International Relations from the University of Reading on an Erhart Foundation fellowship. In her current project she explores how violent non-state actors challenge state sovereignty with a specific focus on the Italian state and the Sicilian mafia. Her research shows how the Sicilian mafia and the Italian state have historically built their identities through opposing spatial, temporal and social narratives, which enable contesting claims to political authority. She has also written on the rise of far-right parties in Europe, specifically exploring how the politics of anxiety fuel distinctive dynamics between mainstream parties and the far right. Recently, she has extended her research interests to include Security Sector Reform and the role of education in conflict-affected environments.