Organised crime and society

This chapter looks at whether organised crime can be looked at as a “society within a society” as well as a “state within a state” and illicit business. It adopts a network approach to organised crime. It reviews recent changes in the nature of civil society and draws out several avenues for research that are consequent on questions of structure and change. It then suggests how organised crime networks might look at opportunities presented by civil society, before discussing the relevance of the concept of a continuum to assist in creating a framework for analysis. It argues that the concept of the state is central to any continuum developed Finally it suggests a number of avenues for further research. Since the purpose is to suggest a research agenda, it poses more questions than it answers.