Department of European Studies & Modern Languages, Unit Catalogue 2008/09 |
EU50663 Organised crime in Europe: threats and challenges |
| Credits: 6 |
| Level: Masters |
| Semester: 2 |
| Assessment: CW 100% |
| Requisites: |
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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. |