SOC 305—Organized Crime

Through a case study approach, this course will seek to understand different forms of organized crime and street gangs. Case studies of specific organized crime groups will include: U.S. examples of gangs and mafias in Los Angeles and Chicago; Cartels south of the U.S. border including the Medellín and Sinaloa cartels; organized groups in Europe and Asia such as the Sicilian mafia and the Yakuza; as well as contemporary organized crime issues such as the supply chain of conflict minerals in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the growing political power of gangs in Haiti.