State Crime

Question 1

McLaughlin

Answer 1

Four types of state crime:
- Political crimes
- Crimes by security and police
- Economic crimes
- Social and cultural crimes

Question 2

Two examples of state crime:

Answer 2

1. Political Michelle Mone is a baroness, she was given £800 million for PPE. The government gave these contracts to people who were close to them.
2. Security Bloody Sunday (1972) - British paratroopers killed 13 people at a peaceful protest in Derry, lied and said they were armed. Gov acknowledged in 2010 and no prosecutions given.

Question 3

Defining state crime:

Answer 3

• Domestic law
• Social harms definition
• Labelling and societal reaction
• International law
• Human rights

Question 4

Kelman and Hamilton (crimes of obedience)

Answer 4

• Authorisation
  permission to commit crime from someone senior.
• Routinisation
  crime becomes routine - done in a detached manner.
• Dehumanisation
  enemy of the state viewed as sub-human.

Question 5

Adorno et al (authoritarian personality)

Answer 5

Identified the authoritarian personality - willingness to obey the order of superiors (nazi germany??)

Question 6

Cohen (the culture of denial)

Answer 6

Cohen states that in today’s society, the state has to make a great deal of effort to conceal or justify their state crimes.
Follow a three stage denial:
- “It didn’t happen”
- “If it did happen, it’s not what you think”
- “Even if it is what you say it is. It’s justified”

Question 7

Bauman (modernity)

Answer 7

Certain features of modern society that made the holocaust possible:
- A division of labour - a workforce.
- Bureaucratisation - hierarchy.
- Instrumental rationality- doing something to get what you want.
- Science and technology - e.g. the gas in the showers, the trains, etc…