'Clan crime' - an analysis of the state of research on its causes and the conditions of its emergence and persistence

Görgen, Thomas; Dangelmaier, Tamara; Nüschen, Stella; Struck, Jens; Wagner, Daniel

Abstract

This chapter provides an up-to-date overview of the state of research and professional publications on the conditions of the emergence and persistence of ‘clan crime’. Empirical studies on this topic are rare. Various perspectives can be distinguished in the relevant literature. ‘Clan crime’ is sometimes primarily analyzed against the background of migration and integration processes of the social groups identified as ‘clan families’. Other works consider connections between characteristics of ‘clans’ and the occurrence of ‘clan crime’; normative orientations and relations between ‘clans’ and their external social environment play a major role here. From a third perspective, ‘clan crime’ is primarily analyzed as a construct generated by law enforcement agencies, politics and the media, and its functions and effects are examined.