Illicit Trafficking in Italy

Dr. Suzette R. Grillot
Office: Hester Hall 165
Contact Info: sgrillot@ou.edu; 325-6003
Office Hours: By appointment

This course focuses on some of today’s most troubling security issues – the persistent and growing problems associated with the trafficking and smuggling of drugs, money, humans, guns, and commodities of all sorts.  Organized criminals, drug lords, insurgents and terrorists, among others, profit from and thrive upon the illegal trans-border movement of people and items, both dangerous and benign.  This course closely examines the issue of trafficking in Italy as the country has a history of organized criminal activities and experiences significant problems with smuggling of all kinds, especially human trafficking.  The course will focus on the global trafficking problem so that students are aware of the issue more broadly, but the course will narrow its focus on Italy to provide an important case study on the subject of illicit trafficking.

Beyond the normal requirements of class attendance, course readings and assignments, students in this class will be required to travel to Italy with the instructor to study the issue of illicit trafficking close up.  After preparing ourselves for the in-depth study portion of the course, we will go to Italy to visit with government and nongovernmental officials who are involved in and experts on trafficking issues.  See the course and travel schedule below for details.

Three books are required for this course.  They include:

• Moises Naim, Illicit: How Smugglers, Traffickers, and Copycats are Hijacking the Global Economy (Anchor Books, 2006).
• Patrick McCarthy, Italy Since 1945 (Oxford University Press, 2000).
• Letizia Paoli, Mafia Brotherhoods: Organized Crime, Italian Style (Oxford University Press, 2008).

There will be a number of other articles and websites assigned as required reading for this course.

Assignments include the following:      

• 3 book reviews
• 1 mid-term exam (prior to departure)
• 1 personal journal of experiences in Italy
• 1 research paper (due at the end of the semester)

This course will meet six times in Norman throughout the semester.  The bulk of the contact hours for this course will occur during spring break while studying in Italy.  The schedule is as follows.  All meetings in Norman are from 3:30-6:00 in Hester Hall, room 160.

Wednesday, January 27th - Introduction to course and discussion of assignments and Italy travel plans
Wednesday, February 24th - Discussion of Illicit: How Smugglers, Traffickers, and Copycats are Hijacking the Global Economy (book review due)
Wednesday, March 3rd - Discussion of Italy Since 1945 (book review due)
Wednesday, March 10th - Discussion of Mafia Brotherhoods: Organized Crime, Italian Style (book review due)
Friday, March 12th - depart for Italy
Saturday, March 13th – arrive in Rome, Italy – time to adjust and explore
Sunday, March 14th – tour of Rome and discussion of history, politics, economics and society
Monday, March 15th – meetings with NGO officials in Rome
Tuesday, March 16th – meetings with Italian officials and U.S. Embassy officials in Rome
Wednesday, March 17th – travel to Naples – meetings with port officials in Naples
Thursday, March 18th – meetings with NATO southern command and NGO officials in Naples
Friday, March 19th – day trip to Pompeii and then return to Rome
Saturday, March 20th – final tour of Rome and conclusion of Italy portion of course
Sunday, March 21st – return to Oklahoma
Wednesday, April 7th - Re-cap of trip; discussion of research projects; final journal projects due
Wednesday, April 28th - Student presentations of research papers

In addition to tuition costs for this 3 credit hour course, students are expected to pay their expenses related to the required trip to Italy over spring break.  The approximate costs are as follows:     

Students are eligible to apply for the Presidential International Travel Fellowship and the IPC Student Support Grant to help cover costs.