ECPR Standing Group on Organised Crime 2nd General Conference
‘Organised Crime Today: criminal networks, routes and partnerships’.
After the success of The ECPR Standing Group on Organised Crime’s first General Conference in Naples in December 2015, the Standing Group now welcomes the submission of abstracts for papers to our 2nd General Conference to be held at the University of Bath, UK, from 7 to 8 July 2017.
The ECPR Standing Group on Organised Crime, in partnership with the Department of Politics, Languages and International Studies at the University of Bath, invites you to the 2nd General Conference of the Standing Group on Organised Crime. The Conference will take place at the University of Bath from 7 to 8 July 2017. Its main theme is ‘Organised crime today: Criminal networks, routes and partnerships’.
Conference Theme
The study of serious and organised crime has allowed a better understanding of many illicit activities including, drug trafficking, smuggling, political corruption, and extortion, as well as improving social-economic policies and policing responses. By developing case studies, research methods, and theoretical frameworks we are closer to tackling these social problems that are challenging democratic institutions in many different ways and levels. However, despite the advances over the last 30 years, we are also starting to realise that we need to go beyond our traditional and well established frameworks to un-package the complex and silent features of serious and organised crime. The reason is simple: criminal networks do not operate in isolation. They exist in a multiplex networked world where changes in one layer of the social or economic fabric enables new structures and activities at another layer, and vice versa.
The examples are plenty. The current version of globalisation, creates spikes in serious and organised crime activities, and local dynamics cascade into major national and international phenomena. New technologies create ripples in the fabric of the global illicit economy. Changes in the flows of people, goods, services, and knowledge produce shifts in global illicit wealth. Remarkably, the exposure of financial scandals (such as the Panama Papers or Fibonacci list for example) have brought about new insights into the multi-layered dimensions of social and economic relations that can be found in criminal enterprises.
Therefore, it is clear that serious and organised crime exists in a world where social relations, kinship ties, business affiliations, political contacts, stakeholder interests, religion, and ideology overlap. Identifying the overlapping relationships of outwardly disconnected spheres of social interaction is a major research puzzle this conference wishes to address.
Submission and deadlines
Proposals for individual papers and panels can be sent to [email protected].
Please also send a short bio and full contact details.
We invite panels and papers addressing different facets of organised crime which may include but not only:
- Gangs, organised crime and mafia
- Criminal Logistics, Organisation, and Modus Operandi.
- Criminal mobility
- Politics, corruption, and symbolic power
- Organised crime in Prisons
- Organised crime and the European Financial Crisis
- Freezing, forfeiture, and social reuse of criminal assets
- Women and Children in criminal and terrorist networks;
- Public Perceptions of Organised Crime
- International and European cooperation in the fight against organised crime;
- Organised crime, social Media and the internet
- Big Data, Crowdsourcing, Spatial-temporal, and Computational approaches
- Environmental crime.
- Modern slavery
- Money laundering
Abstracts should be written in English, contain a clear outline of the argument, and, where applicable, methodology and results. Please limit the maximum length of individual abstracts to 400 words. Panel proposals, should consist of up to four individual abstracts, names of panel chair and discussant, and a rationale of about 400 words. Each panel will last 1.30 hours. Normally sessions will include from 3 to 4 papers, a chair and a discussant. Each presentation will last 15 minute.
Timeline
Submission of paper and panel abstracts: 20th March 2017
Notification of Acceptance: 1 April 2017
Early birds: 1 May 2017
Registration deadline: 1 June 2017
Event fees
Conference fees include participation and lunches/coffee breaks. In order to
ECPR Members 110 £ (100£ early bird)
ECPR Student Members* 90 £ (80£ early bird)
Non-ECPR Members 130 £ (120£ early registration)
Non-ECPR Student* 100 £ (90£ early bird)
Please note that all participants wishing to attend must pay a conference fee.
*Students must send a copy of their student card or a letter from the Head of Department where they are enrolled to the Conference team by 10 April 2015 in order to pay a reduced conference fee.
Registration will take place via the ecpr website. This information will be circulated very soon.
Cancellation policy
In line with the Office of Fair Trading and EU Distance Selling regulations, there is a 7 day cooling off period following registration during which time you have the right to cancel and receive a full refund of the Conference fee. Cancellation/withdrawal from the event after the 7 day cooling off period and before midnight Brussel time 8 June 2017 will receive a refund of 50%.Cancellation/withdrawals received after the 7 day cooling off period and after 18 November will not be eligible for a refund.
Organising Committee
Anna Sergi (University of Essex, UK), Anita Lavorgna (University of Southampton, UK), Bill Tupman (University of Exeter, UK), Panos Kostakos (Finland), Stoycho P. Stoychev (Sofia University), Francesca Longo (Catania University, Italy), Felia Allum (University of Bath).
For any questions or queries please email the organising committee at