ucracy contains the following elements of structure: division of labor; hierarchy; regulations; impersonality; record-keeping; administrative staff; career structure (Elwell, 1999, 2). Weber also argued that in an ideal type of bureaucracy career advancement or promotion comes from achievement. Weber also argued society evolves toward an “inescapable rationalization and bureaucratization” (Elwell, 1999, 15). We can certainly see all of these concepts at work within the Mafia. There is definitely a hierarchy and division of labor. A crime boss, or Don, is the head of a particular family. The family members are composed of those who administrate the organization, those who protect the organization (bodyguards), those who commit illegal activities from prostitution to murder (the capo, wiseguy, etc.) and so on. Further, while achievement may represent the murder of crime boss, advancement typically comes from achievements that demonstrate power
...