Social Organized Crime Perspective

1075 Words5 Pages
Social Organized Crime Perspective Brandi Clipper Organized Crime CJA/384 December 10, 2012 Theresa Bunn Social Organized Crime Perspective Family, school, and churches have become to be known as social institutions, but little known is that organized crime is also a social institution. In the discussion ahead will be about defining the term social institution and how it applies to organized crime. Then continue the discussion with what empirical and speculative theories are most applicable to organized crime and criminal behavior. Social Institution A social institution is a group that someone lives and grows up in. These institutions or groups have a goal or task to complete. For example, a school is an educational social institution in which either children or adults go to learn a way of life. Social institutions are a complex set of norms, roles, positions, and values that are in certain types of social structures. These social structures organize stable patterns of human activity that deal with fundamental problems, and produce life-sustaining resources, productive individuals, and a vibrant societal structures in any given environment. Examples of social institutions include family, school, church, and even governments, but it is not limited to producing productive individuals for societal means. This is where organized crime comes is applied as a social institution (Lyman & Potter, 2007). Social institutions are based on structures of relationships, functions, roles, and obligations. People who live their lives with the concept of right and wrong have positive values. People who do not consider these values are known to be antisocial. Social institutions that people learn their socialization from are religion, education, economic, and political. Social institution recognizes a community for social activity rather than legal

More about Social Organized Crime Perspective

Open Document