Taught by Professor Richard B. Spence | 29 min | Categories: The Great Courses Plus Online History Courses

We are exposed to them all the time in movies, television, and novels, so do criminal gangs really qualify as secret societies? Yes: They’re selective in membership, require oaths and initiations, and members usually advance through grades or ranks. Starting with the biggest—and most feared—all-female gang in the London underworld, Professor Spence turns a spotlight on organized crime. From the early 20th century, Thuggees of India to the modern-day Mafias that have arisen in cities all over the world, you’ll get to know the seedy underbelly of society like never before.