Global Criminal Organizations

The course deals with the main features and dynamics of global criminal organizations by employing a socio-economic perspective. Its learning objectives are the following: 1) to provide students with the main definitions of global criminal organizations -from organized crime to criminal networks; 2) to provide students with knowledge on the involvement of global criminal organizations in legal and illegal markets; 3) to provide students with knowledge on the structures and modus operandi of global criminal organizations : i.e. hierarchical or loose configurations; division of labour; use of violence and/or corruption; routes of trafficked illicit goods or persons; relationships among different criminal organizations and various sectors of the criminal network; criminal groups' use of information and communication technology, etc.. 4) to provide students with knowledge on the global spread of the Italian mafias, including Cosa nostra, 'Ndrangheta and Camorra.

Students will acquire knowledge and understanding of: 1) the main definitions of global criminal organizations elaborated by various institutions, including universities, law enforcement agencies, international organizations, think tanks, NGOs, and by the media; 2) the main activities (legal and illegal) and methods of global criminal organizations; 3) the criminal, socio-economic and cultural factors influencing global criminal organizations' modus operandi; 4) the impact of global criminal organizations' activities in terms of breaching human rights.

Students will develop the ability to: 1) apply knowledge and understanding of global criminal organizations in relation to the main challenges posed by these organizations to society and economy at international and local level; 2) to read critically and contrast official and media representations of global criminal organizations; 3) to read in-depth and critically sources for analysing the development of criminal global organizations, including reports issued by international organizations and by law enforcement, judicial files and first-hand accounts of witnesses; 4) to communicate clearly and through an appropriate language data and analyses about complex issues related to global criminal organizations and countermeasures to tackle them. Given that criminal organizations are increasingly becoming a crucial actors of contemporary society, the above abilities are fundamental, in order to improve the understanding of global societies and international policies.