7.globalisation and crime (c&d) Flashcards
how has globalisation impacted crime- global criminal economy
-as societies become more interconnected, crime increases across national borders. there are new opportunities for crime, new means for committing crime and new offences, such as various cyber crimes
how has globalisation impacted crime- global crime control
-attempts to address the surge in international crime has led to the setting up of international agencies: such as interpol, europol. idea is to cooperate on cross border investigations. they also collect data and examine patterns of crime to suggest global strategies
how has globalisation impacted crime-globalisation supply and demand
-part of the reason for transnational crime is the economy of demand and supply. the rich west demands products, e.g. drugs, sex workers. the poor third world countries supply these services. for example, in columbia 20% of the population is dependent on the cocaine trade for their livelihood
how has globalisation impacted crime-global risk consciousness
-globalisation has brought with it an inc in insecurities surrounding the movement of people such as asylum seekers, economic migrants, etc. this led to inc border patrols to protect countries from this perceived threat. much of this is created by media ‘moral panics’ about terrorists and ‘scroungers’, ‘flooding’ the country
held et al
-suggests there has been a globalisation of crime- an interconnectedness of crime across national borders. this has led to the spread of transnational organised crime
manuel castells
-argues that there is now a global crime economy worth over £1 trillion per annum
-this takes a number of forms: arms trafficking; trafficking in nuclear materials; smuggling of illegal immigrants; trafficking of women and children; the drugs trade; cyber crime; green crime; international terrorism; money laundering
transnational organised crime
-castells argues that globalisation has created transnational networks or organised crime, which operate in many countries. these employ millions of people, and often work in collusion with corrupt state officials and legitimate businesses. farr (2005) suggests there are two main forms of global criminal networks
forms of global criminal networks
-established mafias: like the italian american mafia, the japanese yazuka, and the chinese triads, which are very long established groups, often organised around family and ethnic characteristics. these have adapted their activities and organisation to take advantage of the various new opportunities opened up by globalisation
forms of global criminal networks- newer organised crime groups
-emerged since advent of globalisation & collapse of communist regimes of russia and eastern europe in 1980-90s. these newer groups include russian, eastern european and albanian criminal groups, and colombian drug cartels, which connect with both one another and the established mafias to form part of the network of transnational organised crime
-these organisations control much of the worlds human trafficking for sex/prostitution and/or illegal immigration, money laundering, pornography, weapon and drug smuggling, as well as operating a range of legal businesses funded by the money laundered profits of their criminal activities
transnational organised crime
-castells emphasises the inc international linkages between criminal groups, with once regional and local criminal groupings in individual countries becoming deterritorialsed and globalised
-glenny (2009) uses term ‘McMafia’ to describe way transnational organised crime mirrors activities of legal transnational corporations like McDonalds, who seek to provide & sell same products across world. they are operating as purely self interested economic organisations which instead of fast food, provide drugs, sex, guns, body organs, pornography and opportunities for illegal immigration
glocalisation
-hobbs and dunnigham-global criminal networks work within local contexts as interdependent local units
-e.g. international drugs trade & human trafficking require local networks of drug dealers, pimps & sex clubs to organise supply at local level, and existing local criminals need to connect to global networks to continue their activities, such as accessing drugs, counterfeit goods & illegal immigrants for cheap labour as prostitution
-hobbs (1998) coined term ‘glocal’ to describe this interconnectivity between local and global, with transnational crime really rooted in localities- local contexts with global links
disorganised capitalism
-losh and urry (1987) and taylor (1997,1999)
-globalisation accomplished due to less regulation & less state control over business & finance
-led to less job opportunities & more job insecurity as there’s inc in unemployment
-reduced state provision
growing inequality
-taylor (1997)
-winners from globalisation are rich financial investors & transnational corps based in developed western countries- growing sense of relative deprivation feeds crime
-disadvantaged in developing and developed countries are the losers
supply and demand
-demand for illegal drugs provides means of moving money by drug dealing for those deprived of other opportunities, supply met by poverty stricken farmers
-demands by affluent for body parts met by ppl from poor countries. managed by transnational organised criminal networks
-growing global inequality & poverty in developing world+rising expectations by global media=ppl pushed to emigrate to developed western countries
more opportunities
-new means of carrying out crime, through internet (dark web)
-crime committed in one country may have perpetrator in another country. may be impossible to track down & convict offenders & decide which country is responsible for prosecuting perpetrators
