Crime And Deviance - Globalisation And Crime Flashcards
SOCIOLOGIST: What is globalisation defined as by Held & McGrew?
the widening, deepening & speeding up of worldwide interconnectedness
What process does globalisation include?
deterritorialisation
What is deterritorialisation?
the increasing number of social, political & economic activities that are now transnational
What is an issue with an increase in local & global interconnectedness?
the world has become a single territory for legal & illegal behaviour
SOCIOLOGISTS: What do Karofi, Mwanza & Castells say about the nature & extent of global crime?
globalisation has led to a global criminal economy that provides new opportunities & types of crime to emerge e.g. human trafficking
Why is estimates of the international illegal drug trade hard to calculate?
it is a very widely hidden illegal activity
What does the world drug report 2007 from the United Nations Office on Drugs & Crime (UNODC) say about the international illegal drug trade?
Drug trade is worth $322 bil each year (higher than GDP in 88% of countries)
What is human trafficking and how is it a globalised crime?
the illegal movement & smuggling of people -> for the illegal smuggling of organs or sexual practice etc.
related global network that deals with the trade of illegal immigrants
What does the National Crime Agency (2014 say about human trafficking?
an estimated 13000 people in Britain are victims of slavery
What is money laundering and how is it a globalised crime?
making £££ which is obtained illegally looking as though it has come -> laundering it as to not attract attention
the deregulation of global £££ markets, banking secrecy & modern tech makes it easier to launder dirty money through complex financial transactions -> difficult for law enforcement to track
What is cybercrime and how is it a globalised crime?
a wide range of criminal acts committed with the help of communication & information tech
it is fast growing -> ‘glocal’ with many offences & offenders in the UK have links outside the country
What are 4 examples of cybercrime?
internet-based fraud
child porn
cyberattacks (viruses/hacking)
identity theft
What does Detica say about cybercrimes?
financial cybercrimes e.g. scams/identity theft cost the UK £27 bill each year
SOCIOLOGIST: What does Castells say about transnational organised crime?
Globalisation has created a transnational network of organised crime which has employed millions & has often colluded with corrupt state officials & legit businesses
SOCIOLOGIST: What are the 2 main forms of global crime networks, suggested by Farr?
Established mafias
Newer organised crime groups
What are established mafias?
E.g. Japanese yakusa
Long established groups, often organised around family/ethnic characteristics
Have adapted their activities & org to take advantage of various new opportunities opened up by globalisation
What are newer organised crime groups?
Emerged since advent of globalisation & collapse of communism -> includes Russian east European & Albanian crime groups & Colombian drug cartels which connect with 1 another & established mafias to form a network of transnational organised crime
SOCIOLOGIST: What does Castells say about established mafias & newer organised crime groups?
Emphasises the increasing international linkages between crime groups have had once regional & local criminal groups in individual countries have become deterritorialised & globalised
SOCIOLOGIST: What does Glenny say about transnational organised crime?
Uses term ‘McMafia’ -> describes how transnational crime groups mirror transnational corps e.g. McDonalds which seek to provide & sell products across the world but instead provide drugs, sex, guns etc.
SOCIOLOGIST: What do Hobbs & Dunnighan say about Glocalism?
Global criminal networks work within local contexts as interdependent local units e.g. international drug & human trafficking trade requires network of drug dealers, pimps etc. organise supply at local level & existing local criminal need to connect to global networks to continue activities
Glocal -> describes interconnectivity between the local & global -> local context to global links
Means precise forms of criminal organisation & actual crimes shaped by cultural, political & £££ circumstances of glocalities where they occur
SOCIOLOGISTS: What does Lash & Urry say about disorganised capitalism & how that has affected crime?
Globalisation has been accompanied by less regulation & fewer state control over business & finance -> disorganised capitalism
Corps operate transnationally in global markets (move money etc. where profits higher labour cost lower) -> health & safety less likely to be followed
SOCIOLOGIST: What does Taylor say about disorganised capitalism & how that has affected crime?
It has led to fewer jobs opportunities & increased job insecurity, increase in unemployment & part time jobs in developed countries & intensified exploitation of labour force in developing countries -> been accompanied by a reduction in state provision (areas e.g. health & welfare) -> undermine social cohesion & combined with with lack of opportunity fuel crime as alternative
SOCIOLOGIST: What does Taylor say about growing inequality & how that has affected crime?
Winners from globalisation are rich financial investors & transnat corps based in western countries
Losers are workers in both developed & developing countries -> exposed to more risks & insecurity in lives -> increased relative deprivation fuels crime
How does supply & demand affect crime?
Increased global inequality (particularly poverty) in developing countries + increased expectations from global media causes people to emigrate to western countries (think they’re better off) -> immigration is more difficult (creates market for illegal human trafficking)
Affluent countries: demand for drugs -> means of £££ supply met by poverty stricken farmers (gain increased £££ growing plants e.g. coca -> cocaine)
Managed by transnat organised crime networks
How does more opportunities for crime affect crime?
There are more opportunities for new types of crime
New means e.g. anonymity of the internet decreases risk of detection -> crime committed in 1 country can have perpetrators in another (difficult/impossible for police investigation to convict which reduces risks)
How does cultural globalisation & consumerism affect crime?
Mall tourism, migration & influence of the media spreads ideology of consumerism around the globe
Media-saturated contemporary society -> ppl in developing & developed counties exposed to ‘good life’ -> can only be achieved with consumer goods from £££ western lifestyle
SOCIOLOGIST: What does Young say about how does cultural globalisation & consumerism affect crime?
People have little chance of achieving a consumer lifestyle -> bulimic society encourages turn to crime
SOCIOLOGIST: What does Bauman say about growing individualisation & how that affects crime?
Late modernity creates increased individualisation
Improvement to the living conditions dependent on own efforts (can no longer depend on safety nets provided by welfare state to protect them from unemployment/poverty)
SOCIOLOGIST: What does Taylor say about growing individualisation & how that affects crime?
Individuals are left alone to weigh costs & benefits & choose course that brings them best of chances of gaining rewards (seen in capitalism)
Crimes e.g. drug dealing provide individuals with means of achieving reward that are otherwise obtainable
What is a global risk society?
Globalisation causes increased insecurity & uncertainty of life in late modernity
SOCIOLOGIST: What does Beck say about global risk society & how that affects crime?
People are more risk conscious & fearful of things e.g. loosing their jobs -> causes are located globally & not always easy to identify who’s possible -> media play on fears (moral panics) -> fuels hate crimes
EVALUATION: What is a strength of measuring globalisation & crime?
Valuable -> focuses on newest, most dramatic & serious forms of crime & links them to local & global contexts
EVALUATION: What are some limitations of measuring globalisation & crime?
The secretive & complex nature -> difficult for sociologist to investigate e.g. investigation of global financial crime requires specialist skills
Easy to exaggerate significance of impact of globalisation
