Criminal Structures

Mass atrocity crimes are inherently political. They are, above all, about power. The architectures this book explores are similar in many respects to those of mafias and organised crime. There is a clear logic to arguing that the criminology of modern mass atrocities can be understood as scaled up forms of organised crime. Certainly, conceptualising mass atrocities as organised crime puts focus upon their logic, rather than the all too often misunderstood ‘causes’ of atrocities. This chapter explores the overlap and collaboration between the architectures of mass atrocity and the architectures of organised crime. Understanding the criminal dynamics of mass atrocities as part of the larger violent and irregular architecture is crucial not only for post-atrocity reconstruction, but for prevention strategies too. This chapter therefore explores how cultures of organised crime and corruption can be created by elite structures but can also stimulate more spontaneous or day-to-day participation in criminal activity and can shift perceptions of what is and is not legally or morally permissible.