The term social institution is the group that a person lives or is raised in throughout his or her lives. These institutions could be schools, churches, gangs, sports groups, and so on. These institutions shape and mold who the person becomes later in life. School for example is the shaping factor for the people who attend. The social environment a person grows up in, forces the choices they have and choices make a person who they are. A person who comes from a lower socioeconomic status or environment that is gang and crime ridden has a good chance of becoming part of that institution. Institutions influence who people become and when they come from a good one such as a school or church they have a good chance of having positive influences versus bad ones they would get from crime and gangs. Social institutions can become a way of life especially if they are created around crime, gangs, and drugs. People get involved with these negative institutions and do not know how to get out. It is a way of life for them and knows no other way of living. Social institutions relate to organized crime because a person is a product of his or her environment when exposed to it long enough. An example of this is when a student leaves middle school and enters high school and becomes involved with entire new group of friends. This student will dress differently, talk differently, and behave differently. It completely molds who they are and the choices they make. Social institutions can be positives ones and negative ones. Some negative social institutions are gangs, mafia, and drug cartels. These negative social institutions are difficult to leave once one joins. Many gangs have it when you join you are part of it for life and if you try and leave, they threaten to kill you, your family, and friends. This makes me difficult and scary for a person to leave. The mafia is easy to get involved in if your family is involved in it. When a child grows up around that type of institution they naturally fall into place and become involved. There are many theories that are associated with organized crime and why it exists and why it has its followers. The queer ladder of mobility theorizes that organized crime is a means to accumulate wealth and power. Many crimes cannot be done successfully without money and power so this theory stands. Another theory is the ethnic succession theory. This theory says that new immigrants find social blocks to achieve the American Dream and uses organized crime to achieve their dream illegally. This could mean entering the country illegally and working without a visa for example. The Social Control Theory says that community, family, and the bond with society prevents or encourages enter into a live of crime stating “Fear of punishment, shame or embarrassment, and psychological restraints such as conscience are few reasons why not everyone who has the opportunity will engage in criminal activity”. With the understanding of organized crime and how it works people will begin to understand why it is largely at type of crime that will remain in our society for years to come if not forever. Understanding these groups helps law enforcement put them away and stop them. It is important however to remember that stopping organized crime groups is similar to the Greek mythology the Hydra. For each head that is cut off, two more grow in its place. Organized crime is the same, for every group stopped and sent to prison two more groups more than likely develop else where. This is why the world will always have organized crime just like the world will never be ridden of drugs and other individualized crimes.