PL32095: Organised crime and democracy in Italy
[Page last updated: 25 April 2025]
| Academic Year: | 2025/26 |
| Owning Department/School: | Department of Politics, Languages and International Studies |
| Credits: | 5 [equivalent to 10 CATS credits] |
| Notional Study Hours: | 100 |
| Level: | Honours (FHEQ level 6) |
| Period: |
- Semester 1
|
| Assessment Summary: | CWES 67%, CWVI 33% |
| Assessment Detail: |
- Case study of a form of OC, person, event. (CWES 67%)
- Visual or recorded presentation individual (CWVI 33%)
|
| Supplementary Assessment: |
- Like-for-like reassessment (where allowed by programme regulations)
|
| Requisites: |
|
| Learning Outcomes: |
The unit intended learning outcomes are:
1. Have in-depth knowledge of the phenomenon of organised crime gangs in Italy, including a detailed understanding of their political, economic, and social features as well as their relationships with politicians and businessmen.
2. Be familiar with theories of organised crime and its political significance.
3. Be familiar with the major debates about organised crime in Italy and about Italian mafias in the world.
4. Be able to respond in an informed manner to questions about the existence and persistence of organised crime in Italy and the threat which it poses to Italian democracy.
5. Design and write a case study on an aspect of organised crime in Italy which demonstrates the empirical and theoretical knowledge detailed above.
|
| Synopsis: | "Take a journey into the heart of Italian mafias and build your knowledge of organised crime in this context.
You will gain an understanding of how mafias have developed and expanded in Italy and abroad. "
|
| Content: | Unit content:
Defining Italian organised crime, theoretical approaches to organised crime and democracy in Italy, criminal and civic culture, modernisation of criminal business and white-collar crime, politics, clientelism and organised crime, Italian mafias, Foreign organised crime groups, Gender and organised crime, the fight against organised crime, Challenges to Italian democracy.
This unit unpacks organised crime in Italy in order to allow students to see how organised crime develops specifically parallel to the State. Topics such as development of Italian mafias, mafia values, mafia economics, crime-politics nexus, foreign mafias in Italy, Eco-mafias, gender and organised crime, fighting organised crime.
|
| Course availability: |
PL32095 is Optional on the following courses:
Department of Economics
- UHES-AAB01 : BSc(Hons) Economics and Politics with Study year abroad (Year 4)
- UHES-AKB01 : BSc(Hons) Economics and Politics with Year long work placement (Year 4)
- UHES-ACB01 : BSc(Hons) Economics and Politics with Combined Placement and Study Abroad (Year 4)
- UHES-AFB11 : BSc(Hons) Economics with Politics (Year 3)
Department of Politics, Languages and International Studies
- UHPL-AYB43 : BA(Hons) International Politics and Modern Languages (ab initio French) with Year Abroad (Year 4)
- UHPL-AYB44 : BA(Hons) International Politics and Modern Languages (ab initio German) with Year Abroad (Year 4)
- UHPL-AYB47 : BA(Hons) International Politics and Modern Languages (ab initio Italian) with Year Abroad (Year 4)
- UHPL-AYB48 : BA(Hons) International Politics and Modern Languages (ab initio Mandarin) with Year Abroad (Year 4)
- UHPL-AYB46 : BA(Hons) International Politics and Modern Languages (ab initio Russian) with Year Abroad (Year 4)
- UHPL-AYB45 : BA(Hons) International Politics and Modern Languages (ab initio Spanish) with Year Abroad (Year 4)
- UHPL-AYB43 : BA(Hons) International Politics and Modern Languages (French) with Year Abroad (Year 4)
- UHPL-AYB44 : BA(Hons) International Politics and Modern Languages (German) with Year Abroad (Year 4)
- UHPL-AYB45 : BA(Hons) International Politics and Modern Languages (Spanish) with Year Abroad (Year 4)
- UHPL-AFB53 : BSc(Hons) Politics and International Relations (Year 3)
- UHPL-AAB30 : BSc(Hons) Politics and International Relations with Study year abroad (Year 4)
- UHPL-AKB30 : BSc(Hons) Politics and International Relations with Year long work placement (Year 4)
- UHPL-AFB54 : BSc(Hons) Politics with Economics (Year 3)
- UHPL-AAB10 : BSc(Hons) Politics with Economics with Study year abroad (Year 4)
- UHPL-AKB10 : BSc(Hons) Politics with Economics with Year long work placement (Year 4)
|
Notes: - This unit catalogue is applicable for the 2025/26 academic year only. Students continuing their studies into 2026/27 and beyond should not assume that this unit will be available in future years in the format displayed here for 2025/26.
- 好色tv and units are subject to change in accordance with normal University procedures.
- Availability of units will be subject to constraints such as staff availability, minimum and maximum group sizes, and timetabling factors as well as a student's ability to meet any pre-requisite rules.
- Find out more about these and other important University terms and conditions here.
|
