Organized crime in Europe: between tradition and modernity
Instructor: Petr Kupka
This module concentrates on security threats linked with growing of organized crime
activities after 1989. Birth of new independent states has created the question if it is possible
to compare the traditional organized criminal systems (mafia etc.) with criminal behaviours
based on the existence of informal structures originating in parallel “underworld”“upperworld” nexus of rotten communist regime in late 70´s and 80´s.
In the module called “Organized crime in Europe: between tradition and modernity” students
of summer school will get the knowledge of origins both traditional and “new” forms of
organized crime, their contemporary activities and consequences for stability of political and
economical systems in Europe. This exposition will be applied on two case studies – Italy and
Czech Republic, while students are also expected to discuss the topic using the recommended
literature and movies provided by instructor.
Structure of the module:

Organized crime – definitions, concepts, theories and types
von Lampe, K. (1999): The Concept of Organized Crime in Historical Perspective, online text available on http://organized-crime.de/lauhtm01.htm
von Lampe, K. (2006): The Interdisciplinary Dimensions of the Study of Organized
Crime, Trends in Organized Crime 9(3), 2006, p. 77-95, on-line text available on
http://organized-crime.de/kvlInterdiscDimStudyOC-TOC-9-3-2006.pdf

Organised crime in Italy – case study
Paoli, L. (2004): Organised Crime in Italy: Mafia and Illegal Markets –
Exception and Normality, in Fijnaut, C. – Paoli, L. (eds.; 2004): Organised crime in
Europe: concepts, patterns, and control policies in the European Union and Beyond,
Dordrecht: Springer, s. 263-302

Organized Crime in East Central Europe – case study
Hignett, K. (2004): Organised Crime in East Central Europe: The Czech Republic,
Hungary and Poland, Global Crime, 6 (1), 2004, p. 70-83
Šmíd, T. – Kupka, P. (2011): Czech Organized Crime: Structural Development and
Activities of Czech Organized Crime, Politologický časopis, Nr. 1 (2011), p. 31-45