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PL50663: Organised crime in Europe: threats and challenges

[Page last updated: 15 October 2020]

Follow this link for further information on academic years Academic Year: 2020/1
Further information on owning departmentsOwning Department/School: Department of Politics, Languages and International Studies
Further information on credits Credits: 6      [equivalent to 12 CATS credits]
Further information on notional study hours Notional Study Hours: 120
Further information on unit levels Level: Masters UG & PG (FHEQ level 7)
Further information on teaching periods Period:
Semester 2
Further information on unit assessment Assessment Summary: ES 67%, SM 33%
Further information on unit assessment Assessment Detail:
  • Seminar (SM 33%)
  • Essay (ES 67%)
Further information on supplementary assessment Supplementary Assessment:
Like-for-like reassessment (where allowed by programme regulations)
Further information on requisites Requisites:
Description: Aims:
The units aims:
* To identify the main theoretical concepts adopted to analyse organised crime.
* To study the ways in which these issues constitute a challenge to the idea of the nation-state and democracy.
* To explore the extent to which these topics represent new and non-traditional security threats.

Learning Outcomes:
On completion of this unit, students will be familiar with:
* A detailed/empirical understanding of organised crime in Europe
* The critical/analytical approach to the major issues raised by organised crime.
* The theoretical debates associated with organised crime and its relationship with politics.
* The ways in which organised crime challenges democracy (politics, economics and civil society)
* The security implications of organised crime for the EU.

Skills:
The key skills the unit will hone and further develop are:
* Advanced research skills in identifying, locating and exploiting a wide range of descriptive, evaluative and theoretical literature.
* Intellectual skills of conceptual, original and independent thinking, critical analysis, synthesis and reasoned argument.
* Skills of assessment and judgement in relation to the soundness of competing arguments and scenarios, including the reporting and assessing of qualitative and quantitative data.
* Generic and transferable skills related to the oral and written presentation of ideas.
* Skills of self-direction, self-evaluation and time management.

Content:
1. Defining organised crime
2. Explaining organised crime
3. Organised crime and civil society
4. Organised crime and the economy
5. Organised crime and its relationship with politics I
6. Italian organised crime in Europe
7. Non-traditional organised crime
8. Organised crime and its relationship with politics II
9. The fight against organised crime
10. Organised crime: challenging democracy.
Further information on programme availabilityProgramme availability:

PL50663 is Optional (DEU) on the following programmes:

Department of Social & Policy Sciences

PL50663 is Optional on the following programmes:

Department of Politics, Languages and International Studies

Notes:

  • This unit catalogue is applicable for the 2020/21 academic year only. Students continuing their studies into 2021/22 and beyond should not assume that this unit will be available in future years in the format displayed here for 2020/21.
  • Programmes 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.