Organized Crime: Analyzing Illegal Activities, Criminal Structures, and Extra-legal Governance

To provide a systematic overview of the processes and structures commonly labeled organized crime, von Lampe draws on empirical and theoretical literature from a broad range of academic disciplines, among them criminology, sociology, economics, and political science. He incorporates global perspectives, though the insights and findings are from scholars based mainly in North America, Europe, and Australia. He covers organized crime as a construct and as an object of study, empirical manifestations of organized crime, organized crime and society, and the big picture and the arsenal of counter-measures. Annotation ©2015 Ringgold, Inc., Portland, OR (protoview.com)
Organized Crime: Analyzing Illegal Activities, Criminal Structures, and Extra-legal Governanceprovides a systematic overview of the processes and structures commonly labeled “organized crime,” drawing on the pertinent empirical and theoretical literature primarily from North America, Europe, and Australia. The main emphasis is placed on a comprehensive classificatory scheme that highlights underlying patterns and dynamics, rather than particular historical manifestations of organized crime. Esteemed author Klaus von Lampe strategically breaks the book down into three key dimensions: (1) illegal activities, (2) patterns of interpersonal relations that are directly or indirectly supporting these illegal activities, and (3) overarching illegal power structures that regulate and control these illegal activities and also extend their influence into the legal spheres of society. Within this framework, numerous case studies and topical issues from a variety of countries illustrate meaningful application of the conceptual and theoretical discussion.