Human Rights and State Crimes

Question 1

state crimes

Answer 1

illegal activities committed by state agencies to further state policies

Question 2

state crimes - problems defining

Answer 2

state defines what a crime is so can avoid, disguise or justify their offences

Question 3

state crimes - transgressive approach

Answer 3

green & ward

state crimes should be seen as violations of human rights rather than law-breaking

Question 4

state crimes - human rights

Answer 4

humanity entitles everyone to the same fair and just treatment
united nations universal declaration of human rights enforce universal human rights
has become social norms globally

Question 5

state crimes - examples

Answer 5

• torture and illegal treatment/punishment of citizens (CIA illegal torture to interrogate after 9/11)
• corruption (ruling elites take national resources illegally)
• assassination (mahmoud al-mabhouh; palestenian commander was on israeli hit list)
• war crimes (illegal acts committed during wars, israel-palestine conflict)
• genocide (elimination by mass murder, rwandan; 1 million tutsi killed by hutu 1994)
• state-sponsored terrorism (iran supported shia militants in iraq)

Question 6

state crimes - integrated theory

Answer 6

state crime arises from similar circumstances to other crimes
motivation of offenders, opportunities to commit crime & failure of control generate state crime

Question 7

state crimes - crimes of obedience model

Answer 7

milgram:
state encourages conformity & obedience to the who carry out state-backed systematic human right abuses 
- authorisation
- dehumanisation
- routinisation

Question 8

state crimes - crimes of obedience model; authorisation

Answer 8

making it clear to the individuals they are supported by state authority

Question 9

state crimes - crimes of obedience model; dehumanisation

Answer 9

sub-human species (socially-excluded marginalised minorities) are stripped from human rights
normal rules of civilised behaviour do not apply

Question 10

state crimes - crimes of obedience model; routinisation

Answer 10

enclaves of barbarism:
state violence is encouraged to become a regular routine
performed in a detached way that denies perpetrators the opportunity to start questioning and leave

Question 11

state crimes - techniques of neutralisation

Answer 11

sites create excuses & justify their actions by relabelling crime as a means that is necessary for national security

Question 12

state crimes - problems researching state crime

Answer 12

• dark figure of hidden state crimes lead to lack of official statistics/victim survey
• state agencies control/cover up states criminal activity
• media reports focus on developing countries than western countries
• state prevent sociologists doing research by refusing funding, threats, deny access to official documents