The Historical and Sociological Aspects of Organized Crime

Abstract

In the second half of the 20th century the phenomenon of organized crime became part of scientific discourse. The concept of organized crime is defined by several historians and social scientists and their definitions often exclude one another. This study seeks to ascertain to what extent organized crime can be regarded as a modern phenomenon and how this modern illegal activity can be differentiated from terrorism or the mafia. The definition of organised crime helps us recognize this type of illegal activity.