Criminal Organization and Transnational Crime

Abstract

Criminal organization is dependent on context, place, and time. However, in the study of organized crime, criminal organization is often conceptualized without a wider view on the context within which opportunities for criminal activities arise and in which criminal networks develop that take advantage of these opportunities. Historical research teaches us a lot about these opportunities and how criminal networks may evolve, during various periods in history within varying contexts. In this chapter, the author reviews some major theoretical notions about criminal organization: protection theory, the bureaucracy model, illegal enterprise theory, criminal networks, and situational approaches. Furthermore, the author discusses how the historical chapters in this volume provide valuable insights into the topic of criminal organization.