A Fulbright Scholarship Award (1998-1999) afforded me the
opportunity to study first-hand the cultural, political and legal
developments during this period of tremendous social change in
Russia. In this course I will integrate information from my notes
and ideas about crime, the most salient contemporary social problem
in Russia. During my Fulbright tenure in Russia (and subsequent
visits), I observed and interviewed a number of citizens from
provinces in the Republic of Tatarstan, Moscow, St. Petersburg and
Kazan. While focusing on the dynamics of race and ethnic relations,
I witnessed wide-spread famine, under-employment, homelessness, and
a collapsed economy – all which may be attributed to Russia’s
unreasonably high level of crime.

In this course, we will chronicle the history of organized crime in
the United States and Russia, investigate contemporary organized
crime including, but not limited to the corruption of public
officials and explain how organized crime has been addressed in the
United States and Russia. We will also examine the enforcement (or
lack thereof) of international law and how these laws might assist
Russia in solving its most salient problem – crime.

Class Meeting:  Mondays, 2:30-5:00, SY 002

Offered jointly with P680

Instructor:  Professor Dennis Rome, criminal justice department