Transnational Organized Crime

Catalog description

This course provides a comprehensive overview of transnational organized crime and emphasizes contemporary case studies. It begins with discussions on the definition of “organized crime”, its origins and modern transnational dimensions as well as issues of measurement. Students will discuss issues of race, ethnicity and geography as organizing principles of criminal organizations, the social embeddedness of organized crime groups, and motives for participation in criminal organizations. Students will then review exemplars of transnational organized crime across the United States, Asia, Europe and Latin America as well as contemporary case studies. The course concludes with a review of institutions and policies designed to mitigate the threats posed by organized crime in the United States and globally.