State crime

Question 1

how does green and ward define state crime?

Answer 1

illegal or deviant activities which the state are against

Question 2

what are the 4 ideas around which sociologists base their definitions of state crime?

Answer 2

domestic law, zemiology, international law and human rights

Question 3

with which definition of state crime is michalowski associated?

Answer 3

zemiology

Question 4

what are the 4 categories of state crime according to mclaughlin?

Answer 4

political, economic, social + cultural

Question 5

which sociologist is associated with neutralisation techniques?

Answer 5

sykes + mata

Question 6

what are the 3 factors needed to cause state crime according to integration theory?

Answer 6

motivation, opportunity + lack of control

Question 7

what 3 features lead to crimes of obedience?

Answer 7

authorisation, routinisation + denomanisation

Question 8

Domestic Law
(Chambliss)

Answer 8

acts defined by law as criminal and committed by state officials in pursuit of the jobs as representatives of the state

Question 9

Zemiology
(Michalowski)

Answer 9

state crime includes illegal acts but also legally permissible acts whose consequences are similar to those of illegal acts in the harm that they cause

Question 10

International Law
(Rothe and Mullins)

Answer 10

state crime is an action by or on behalf of a state that violates international law and/or a states own domestic law

Question 11

Human Rights
(Schwendinger)

Answer 11

state crime should be defined as a violation of people’s basic human rights by the state and their agents

Question 12

Types of State Crime
(Eugene McLaughlin)

Answer 12

• Political Crimes - Censorship or Corruption:
  a correlation between corruption, war, conflict and poverty
• Crimes by security, military and police
• Economic crimes = violation of health and safety laws
• Social and Cultural Crimes = institutional racism, police targeting certain groups

Question 13

Seriousness of State Crime

Answer 13

• Scale = states are large and powerful entities, they can cause large and powerful, often widespread
• State as a source of Law = states have the power to conceal their crimes and make them harder to detect, and change the law to benefit their deviance
• Culture of Denial = it didnt happen, if it did it was something else, even if it is what you say it is, it’s justified
• Neutralisation Theory = justification of the act

Question 14

Explaining State Crime
Integrated Theory

Answer 14

Green and WARD:
suggest state crime arises from similar circumstances to those of other crimes

three factors = motivation, opportunity and lack of control

Question 15

Explaining State Crime
Modernity

Answer 15

Bouman:
certain features of modern society that made the state crime possible:
- division of labour
- dehumanisation of v
- instrumental rationality
- science and technology

Question 16

Explaining State Crime
Social Conditions

Answer 16

Kelman and Hamilton identify 3 features that produce crimes of obedience:
- authorisation = act approved by those in power
- routinisation = act into a routine behaviour
- dehumanisation = v are portrayed as sub human so normal morality doesn’t apply