Sociology of Mafias

Please note this course is offered by the Department of Sociology so the assessment will vary slightly from those offered by the Centre for Criminology.

The course analyses five criminal organizations that have emerged in different times and contexts: the Sicilian Cosa Nostra, the American Mafia, the Russian Mafia, the Hong Kong Triads and the Japanese Yakuza. We explore the extent to which these cases, notwithstanding their differences, share crucial characteristics and features.

The course begins by defining State, Mafia group, Mafia and organized crime, and distinguishes the Mafia from superficially related phenomena, such as corruption and patronage. The course examines parallels between state behaviour in early modern Europe and Mafia behaviour, the emergence of Mafias as well as what Mafias do in both legal and illegal markets. The second part of the course focuses on how Mafias perform their roles. We study the resources, the organization, the role of women and the norms of these organizations.

Finally, the course explores factors that facilitate the expansion and the decline of Mafias and whether Mafias are emerging in non-traditional areas. The course is multidisciplinary and draws on concepts from political theory, industrial economics, and political economy, as well as on the history and sociology of different countries, such as Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Russia, and the United States.