Department of European Studies & Modern Languages, Unit Catalogue 2008/09 |
EU30548 Italian national option IT9: organised crime & democracy in Italy |
| Credits: 6 |
| Level: Honours |
| Semester: 1 |
| Assessment: CW 33%, ES 67% |
| Requisites: |
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Aims: This unit has four main aims:
1. to provide students with a detailed theoretical/empirical understanding of organised crime in Italy; 2. to provide students with an appreciation of the theoretical debates associated with organised crime and its relationship with civil society and politics; 3. to enable students to develop a critical/analytical approach to the major issues raised by organised crime in Italy; 4. to help students improve research techniques through use of a case study. Learning Outcomes: On completion of this unit, students should: 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; 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. Skills: Skills in critical analysis, conceptual thinking, precision in the use of written and spoken language, exercise of independent judgement, reasoned argument, teamwork and the planning/conduct/reporting of non-quantitative research are developed and assessed in this 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; La Mafia, Camorra, Ndrnagheta e Corona Sacra unita; the Alfieri Confederation - a case study; foreign criminal groups in Italy; the trials of Giulio Andreotti and Antonio Gava; Italy's fight against organised crime; challenges to Italian democracy. Key texts: * Arlacchi, P. (1986) Mafia Business, The Mafia Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, OUP: Oxford. * Gambetta, D. (1993) The Sicilian Mafia, OUP: Oxford. * Stile, A. (1995) Excellent Cadavers, The Mafia and the Death of the First Republic, Jonathan Cape: London. |