Globalisation & Crime Flashcards
Define Globalisation
The increasing interconnectedness of societies
What is meant by transnational?
Operates across nations
What does Fied et al argue about globalisation and crime?
- There has been a globalisation of crime
- Increased interconnectedness of crime across national borders.
- The rise of TNCs has led to more crime
How much does Castells argue the global crime economy is worth?
£1 trillion per year
Global supply and demand explanation
- Global criminal economy has a supply side and a demand side
- The supply and demand relationship is linked to globalisation
- Low income countries like Colombia and Afghanistan produce drugs for sale in HICs
What percentage of Colombia’s population depend on Cocaine production for their livelihood?
20%
What is global risk consciousness by Beck?
Globalisation has created new insecurities which produces an awareness of risk consciousness where the risk is global rather than attached to particular place.
Example of global risk consciousness
Syrian refugee crisis
1. Refugees were fleeing war and were seen by many in the UK as a risk
2. The media exaggerates the risk
3. This leads to greater fear of risk
4. There is an increase in hate crime
5. Intensification of social control
What does Taylor’s explanation of globalisation and crime.
Globalisation has led to greater global inequality and crime.
According to Taylor how has global capitalism led to crime
- TNCs have moved their factories to LICs as they make more profit due to low wages and weak regulations.
- In HICs this means there are fewer low skilled job opportunities leading to unemployment and poverty
- At the same time welfare spending has declined but a materialistic culture is being produced by media.
- All these factors encourage the poor to turn to crime as there is less legitimate ways to earn
An example Taylor gives of global capitalism and crime
Decline in LA manufacturing industry in the 1970s led to the growth of the drug trade
Who does Taylor argue benefit the most from globalisation?
Elite groups benefit the most due to the deregulation of financial markets which has increased opportunities for insider trading and the movement of funds around the globe to avoid tax and TNCs increase profits from employing workers illegally.
Who explains globalisation and crime through crimes of global financial institutions
Rothe & Friedrichs
What do Rothe and Friedrich examine and argue
- The role of international financial institutions such as the IMF and World Bank in what they call “crimes of globalisation”
- They are dominated by major capitalist country’s such as both IMF and WB headquarters are in the US
- WB has 188 members but 5 hold over 1/3 of voting rights which means they ensure it operates in their interests
- They argue these organisations impose pro capitalist economic ‘structural adjustment’ programmes on poorer countries as a condition for the loans they provide e.g loss of control of a nations resource and this is a social crime in the eyes of Rothe and Friedrich
Who explains the global and local organisation of crime
Hobbs and Dunningham
What do Hobbs and Dunningham argue on the global and local organisation of crime
- Unlike traditional hierarchy of criminal gangs, today there is a loose knit network of individuals seeking opportunities to make money which often has international links.
Glocal definition
- Crime is locally based but operates in a global context
- The form of crime will vary place to place but is influenced by global factors like the availability of drugs abroad
Jewkes & Global cybercrime
- Jewkes says Internet has created opportunities to commit conventional crimes like fraud and new crimes using new tools
- Policing of crime is difficult because of the scale of the internet and limited police resources
- Prosecution is difficult as it operates across borders
Wall’s 4 categories of cybercrime
- Cyber trespass e.g Hacking into a computer for bank details
- Cyber deception & theft e.g Phishing
- Cyber pornography
- Cyber violence e.g cyber stalking
2 Strengths of the sociology of globalisation & crime
+ Globalisation has led to more agencies working together across national borders to tackle global crime
+ Provides an insight into some of the newest and serious forms of crime
5 limitations of the sociology of globalisation & crime
- Hard to investigate due to secretive and complex nature
- Dependency on secondary sources and reliable statistics may not be available
- Hard to know extent of crime due to dark web
- Global crime is a distraction from more routine crime
- Extent and significance of global crime may be exaggerated
