CD: Globalisation & Crime Flashcards
Define globalisation
Globalisation refers to the increasing interconnectedness of societies.
Eg. what happens in one country significantly affects another.
What has globalisation led to the spread of?
Globalisation has led to the spread of new ICT and the influence of the global mass media, cheap air travel and trade.
To understand the relationship between gobalization and crime. What 3 elements must be considered?
- Crimes of the powerful
- Zemiology
-Crimes without frontiers
How do CRIMES OF THE POWERFUL link globalization and crime?
Globalisation gave Nation States and transnational corporations (TNCs) more power to inflict massive harm and conceal it.
Eg. Primark factories in developing countries harm and violate health and safety laws whilst encouraging poverty in workers by low pay.
How does ZEMIOLOGY link globalization and crime?
Zemiology takes us beyond traditional criminology to include the study of ‘harm’
How do CRIMES WITHOUT FRONTIERS link globalization and crime?
Globalisation has enabled new crimes that do not respect national boundaries.
Eg. Cyber-crime (fraud, identity theft - due to rise in ICT) or the harms inflicted upon the planet by polution.
Why has globalisation increased?
- Increase in science and technology
- Global mass media
- Easier to travel
- Spread of ICT
How has globalisation affected crime?
- Increase in crime
- Spread of crime
- New crimes have emerged (cyber crime)
- Structural changes (criminal organisations have changed)
What theory belongs to CASTELLS?
The Global Criminal Economy
What sociologist created a theory of The Global Criminal Economy?
Castells.
Castells argues there is now a global criminal economy. How much is this economy worth?
Worth over £1 trillion per year.
What forms does the global criminal economy take? Name as many as possible.
- Arms trafficking
- Smuggling of illegal immigrants
- Trafficking in women and children
- Sex tourism
- Cyber-crimes
- Drug trade
- Money laundering
- Trafficking in body parts.
How does ARMS TRAFFICKING contribute to the global criminal economy?
Arms trafficking (guns, weapons, ammunition) to illegal regimes and terrorists.
Eg. Ghana’s illegal arms trade produce an estimated 200,000 guns a year.
Provide an example of how SMUGGING OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS contributes to the global criminal economy
Eg. Chinese Triads make an estimated $2.5 billions annually.
How does TRAFFICKING IN WOMEN AND CHILDREN contribute to the global criminal economy?
Trafficking in women and children is often linked to prostitution and slavery. Up to half a million people are trafficked to Europe each year.
Eg. Human trafficking gang found guilty of selling women from Slovakia in Glasgow - forcing victims into prostitution and sham marriages.
How does SEX TOURISM contribute to the global criminal economy?
Westerners travel to developing countries for sex, often with children.
Provide examples of the CYBER CRIMES that contribute to the global criminal economy
Child pornography
Identity theft
How does the DRUGS TRADE contribute to the global criminal economy?
The drug trade is worth an estimated $300-400 billion a year.
Eg. In Columbia, estimated 20% of population depends on cocaine production for livelihood - cocaine outsells all other exports combined.
How does MONEY LAUNDERING contribute to the global criminal economy?
Money laundering of the profits from organised crime. RC hide illegal money in offshore bank accounts to pay less tax.
How does TRAFFICKING IN BODY PARTS contribute to the global criminal economy?
Trafficking in body parts for organ transplates in rich countries. Bought for thousands. An estimated 2,000 organs annually are taken from condemned or executed prisoners in China.
Global Criminal Economy: According to Castells. What is the reason for the scale of transnational organised crime?
The reason for the scale of transnational organised crime is the demand for is products and services in the rich West.
Eg. Sex, drugs, guns.
Global Criminal Economy: How does the demand for products and services in the rich West link to globalisation?
Many third world drug-producing countries such as Colombia and Afghanistan have high levels of poverty among their rural populations. These groups make extra money by producing raw materials for the drug trade.
Global Criminal Economy: According to Castells. In order to understand crime, particularly drug crime, what should sociologists do?
In order to understand drug crime, sociologists need to look further afield than where drugs are consumed.
A03 CASTELLS’ Global Criminal Economy
Technological advancements now make it easier to detect and prosecute through surveillance so crime can now be managed effectively.
Eg. Smuggling can be prevented through border control, body scanners at airports, tracking systems, CCTV.
