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Social Institution Vs Organized Crime Essay

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A “social institution” is defined as a group of individuals that live in a type of “organized arrangement” for the main purpose of obtaining a certain goal. The definition of “organized crime” is a group of individuals that get involved in illegal acts for the main purpose of making a profit. Many of these organized crime groups are centralized and operated on a local, national, and international level, and can be part of several nations (Shanty, 2007).
How the Social Institution and Organized Crime are the Similar Organized crime and a social institution are similar due to the individuals involved in the criminal activities work in unison to gather as much benefit to the group as possible. Take some terrorist groups for example. Many of them have operated for decades and across nations under a singular leader, for a unified cause (Shanty, 2007). …show more content…

The legitimate business often functions as a cover that masks the illegal activities the group performs. Most social organizations are structured in a certain way in which a central leader who makes the decisions as well as gives the orders to be carried out by their followers (Shanty, 2007). Social institutions can be found in every society, and place their focus on the relations, duties, and responsibilities of every member. This is where social institutions and organized crime are most easily recognized. They both share a similarity in that they each have leaders, relations, followers or members, and of course, obligations to someone. One finds its funding through contributions or endowments left by well to do followers and supporters, while the latter receives money through crimes such as kidnapping, hijacking, extortion, human and drug trafficking, murder, among others (Shanty,

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