Crime And Deviance - Globalisation And Crime

Question 1

SOCIOLOGIST: What is globalisation defined as by Held & McGrew?

Answer 1

the widening, deepening & speeding up of worldwide interconnectedness

Question 2

What process does globalisation include?

Answer 2

deterritorialisation

Question 3

What is deterritorialisation?

Answer 3

the increasing number of social, political & economic activities that are now transnational

Question 4

What is an issue with an increase in local & global interconnectedness?

Answer 4

the world has become a single territory for legal & illegal behaviour

Question 5

SOCIOLOGISTS: What do Karofi, Mwanza & Castells say about the nature & extent of global crime?

Answer 5

globalisation has led to a global criminal economy that provides new opportunities & types of crime to emerge e.g. human trafficking

Question 6

Why is estimates of the international illegal drug trade hard to calculate?

Answer 6

it is a very widely hidden illegal activity

Question 7

What does the world drug report 2007 from the United Nations Office on Drugs & Crime (UNODC) say about the international illegal drug trade?

Answer 7

Drug trade is worth $322 bil each year (higher than GDP in 88% of countries)

Question 8

What is human trafficking and how is it a globalised crime?

Answer 8

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

Question 9

What does the National Crime Agency (2014 say about human trafficking?

Answer 9

an estimated 13000 people in Britain are victims of slavery

Question 10

What is money laundering and how is it a globalised crime?

Answer 10

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

Question 11

What is cybercrime and how is it a globalised crime?

Answer 11

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

Question 12

What are 4 examples of cybercrime?

Answer 12

internet-based fraud
child porn
cyberattacks (viruses/hacking)
identity theft

Question 13

What does Detica say about cybercrimes?

Answer 13

financial cybercrimes e.g. scams/identity theft cost the UK £27 bill each year

Question 14

SOCIOLOGIST: What does Castells say about transnational organised crime?

Answer 14

Globalisation has created a transnational network of organised crime which has employed millions & has often colluded with corrupt state officials & legit businesses

Question 15

SOCIOLOGIST: What are the 2 main forms of global crime networks, suggested by Farr?

Answer 15

Established mafias
Newer organised crime groups

Question 16

What are established mafias?

Answer 16

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

Question 17

What are newer organised crime groups?

Answer 17

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

Question 18

SOCIOLOGIST: What does Castells say about established mafias & newer organised crime groups?

Answer 18

Emphasises the increasing international linkages between crime groups have had once regional & local criminal groups in individual countries have become deterritorialised & globalised

Question 19

SOCIOLOGIST: What does Glenny say about transnational organised crime?

Answer 19

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.

Question 20

SOCIOLOGIST: What do Hobbs & Dunnighan say about Glocalism?

Answer 20

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

Question 21

SOCIOLOGISTS: What does Lash & Urry say about disorganised capitalism & how that has affected crime?

Answer 21

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

Question 22

SOCIOLOGIST: What does Taylor say about disorganised capitalism & how that has affected crime?

Answer 22

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

Question 23

SOCIOLOGIST: What does Taylor say about growing inequality & how that has affected crime?

Answer 23

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

Question 24

How does supply & demand affect crime?

Answer 24

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

Question 25

How does more opportunities for crime affect crime?

Answer 25

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)

Question 26

How does cultural globalisation & consumerism affect crime?

Answer 26

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

Question 27

SOCIOLOGIST: What does Young say about how does cultural globalisation & consumerism affect crime?

Answer 27

People have little chance of achieving a consumer lifestyle -> bulimic society encourages turn to crime

Question 28

SOCIOLOGIST: What does Bauman say about growing individualisation & how that affects crime?

Answer 28

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)

Question 29

SOCIOLOGIST: What does Taylor say about growing individualisation & how that affects crime?

Answer 29

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

Question 30

What is a global risk society?

Answer 30

Globalisation causes increased insecurity & uncertainty of life in late modernity

Question 31

SOCIOLOGIST: What does Beck say about global risk society & how that affects crime?

Answer 31

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

Question 32

EVALUATION: What is a strength of measuring globalisation & crime?

Answer 32

Valuable -> focuses on newest, most dramatic & serious forms of crime & links them to local & global contexts

Question 33

EVALUATION: What are some limitations of measuring globalisation & crime?

Answer 33

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