Springer Histories of Transnational Crime: 9 (Studies of Organized Crime)

Histories of Transnational Crime provides a broad, historical framework for understanding the developments in research of transnational crime over the centuries. This volume provides examples of transnational crime, and places them in a broad historical context, which has so far been missing from this field of study. The contributions to this comprehensive volume explore the causes and historical precursors of six main types of transnational crime: -piracy -human smuggling -arms trafficking -drug trafficking -art and antique trafficking -corporate crime. The historical contributions demonstrate that transnational crime is not a novel phenomenon of recent globalization and that, beyond organized crime groups, powerful individuals, governments and business corporations have been heavily involved. Through a systematic historical and contextual analysis of these types of transnational crime, the contributions to this volume provide a fundamental understanding of why and how various forms of transnational crime are still present in the contemporary world. In the past two decades, the study of transnational crime has developed from a subset of the study of organized crime to its own recognized field of study, covering distinct societal threats and requiring a particular approach. Review “Gerben Bruinsma … has assembled a diverse group of experts to provide interesting and thought-provoking chapters for this edited volume. … this book is an excellent addition to the literature on transnational crime. The chapters, individually and collectively, provide an important context for students, researchers, and policy-makers as each attempts a more complete understanding of transnational crime.” (Philip L. Reichel, Criminal Law and Criminal Justice Books, clcjbooks.rutgers.edu, July, 2016) From the Back Cover In the past two decades, the study of transnational crime has developed from a subset of the study of organized crime to its own recognized field of study, covering distinct societal threats and requiring a particular approach. This volume provides examples of transnational crime, and places them in a broad historical context, which has so far been missing from this field of study. The contributions to this comprehensive volume explore the causes and historical precursors of six main types of transnational crime: piracy human smuggling arms trafficking drug trafficking art and antique trafficking corporate crime The historical contributions demonstrate that transnational crime is not a novel phenomenon of recent globalization and that, beyond organized crime groups, powerful individuals, governments and business corporations have been heavily involved. Through a systematic historical and contextual analysis of these types of transnational crime, the contributions to this volume provide a fundamental understanding of why and how various forms of transnational crime are still present in the contemporary world. About the Author Gerben Bruinsma has been director of the Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement (NSCR) in Amsterdam, a national research institute of the National Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) from 1999 till 2014 and, currently senior researcher of the institute. He is also professor of environmental criminology at VU University of Amsterdam (from 2009). In the past he held positions as professor of criminology at Twente University and Leiden University. He studied sociology and criminology at Utrecht University and finished his doctoral dissertation ‘Crime as a social process. A test of the differential association theory in the version of K-D. Opp’ at the Radboud University Nijmegen. In the 90s he was co-founder and director of the International Police Institute at Twente University. He initiated and developed a bachelor and master program in criminology at Leiden University in 2002. He is former president of the Dutch Soci