UNVEILING THE SHADOWS: A COGNITIVE APPROACH TO UNDERSTANDING SOCIAL INFLUENCE STRATEGIES FOR ESTABLISHING SOCIAL ORDER IN DARKNET MARKETS

Darknet markets have emerged due to technological advancements, decreasing the likelihood of violence by facilitating remote purchasing interactions. However, the absence of traditional legal frameworks makes maintaining order in these illegal online markets challenging. Without a legitimate state to enforce property rights or quality standards, sustaining order becomes increasingly complex. Despite its illicit nature and the absence of a legitimate state to protect market transactions, the darknet market has proven to be a resilient environment where user satisfaction rivals that of traditional e-commerce platforms such as eBay. How is this possible? Howcan social order emerge in such a context? Existing studies have primarily approached the issue from neo-institutionalist and social network perspectives, examining the emergence of social order through informal institutions and repeated interactions. A notable gap remains in understanding the cognitive aspects shaping decision-making processes in these illicit markets. This dissertation aims to fill this gap by examining the role of social influence in establishing the social order of the market in the absence of legal safeguards from a socio-cognitive lean.

Grantor dc:publisher

Università degli studi di Trento

Year dc:date

2024

Author dc:creator

• Andrei, Filippo

Contributors dc:contributor

• Veltri, Giuseppe Alessandro

• Trust, Bounded rationality, Dark web markets, Social influence, Social order
• Settore SPS/07 - Sociologia Generale

Statement dc:rights

• info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
• license:Tutti i diritti riservati (All rights reserved)
• license uri:iris.PRI01

Language dc:language

eng

Identifier

http://dx.doi.org/10.15168/11572_404189
10.15168/11572_404189

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:iris.unitn.it:11572/404189