Globilisation

Globilisation and State Crime

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Globilisation and Crime

Caused by growth of communication technology.... MEDIA and cheap,quick and reliable TRAVEL around the world

MEANS: Ideas, people and goods flow increasingly across national and international borders

REFERS: increasing interconnectivity of societies around the world, meaning an event in one culture impacts upon others.

Affected all aspects of society-- crime

KEY EFFECTS:

- that economics and businesses have become transnational

- also means that the criminal economy is no longer restricted to a national level, and so a criminal globilised econmony has developed

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Relative Deprivation and Globilisation

TAYLOR (1997)---- Says global capatilism has created greater sense of relative deprivation and inequality-- causing some crimes to flourish.

^ means that nature of crime has changed, and seen resurgence of some crimes that until recently thought to have dissapeared

E.G:

- PIRACY... (Nigeria) transnational companies drill for oil to meet western demands for product... has polluted farmland and fishing stocks

- due to this ^ some nigerians turned to piracy as way to cope with poverty caused as transnational industries have been damaged by the activities of oil companies

^^^^^^^ ALL CAUSED BY GLOBILSED ECONOMY^^^^^^^

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Globilisation and Organised Crime

Globilisation affected crime---- Changing how organised crime works

PAST-- sociological studies demonstrated that criminal organisations often operated in a very local and hierarchial way much like legitimate businesses

NOW--- HOBBS AND DUNNINGHAM-- suggest organised crime works on global level.... mean organised crime gangs are often made up of smaller locally based networks with some global connecions that are more flexible and oppurtunistic than organised crime used to be

GLENNY(2008)--- suggest many criminal organisations developed a business model that is very similar to globalised transnational companies ( E.G companies like mcdonalds operate on a franchise basis )

^ suggested that chechen mafia adopted a similar approach in russia, once they'd established themselves as a feared group in russia they allowed other non-chechen criminal groups to run criminal operations as long as thier brand wasnt damaged--------MCMAFIA

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Globilisation and New Crime

CASTELLS (1998)--- global criminal economy has taken on many forms

^^ E.G-- indicates new crimes have developed due to increased comunication technology

^ THEFT, CHILD ***********, PHISHING, HACKING------- all didnt exist 20 years ago, but now common and often backed by organised crime or nation states

E.G

- China was recently accused of hacking google, with suggestions that this company may withdraw from area

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Crime and Globalised Capatilism

Often linked to the supply and demands of a global capatilist economy

E.G-- rich countries in west demand products and poor countires step into breach to meet the demands------- Drugs and sex workers are in demand in west,

 ^^^ eastern european girls are often promised by organised criminal gangs a promise of a legitimate employment in countries such as UK only to find their victims of sex traffiking----- meet damnds of sex market in country

^^^ poorer countries (columbia-cocaine & Afghanistan--heroin) grow these crops as can attract better price than through traditional agriculture, then envolved in global smuggling economy to reach destinations in europe and USA--------- However western military forces (USA & UK) send troops to stop drugs trade

GLOBAL CAPATILISM---- created criminal oppurtunities for social elites and governments

E.G--- trans-national companies operate globally, can commit fraud, insider trading and avoid taxation, due to differneces in law of countries they operate in----also these companies moved manufactoring to poorer countries (work for less) causes deprivation and crime due to unemplyment

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Globilisation and Terrorism

Some sociologists-- growth of international terrorism linked to process of globilisation

^ individuals in strict muslim countries may fear that thier countries are becoming westernised--- some dislike this and are aware of western counties controversial policies towards muslim countries such as invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan due to internet

CAUSES-- develop resistance identities--- means they become radicalised and carry out international terrorist attacks ( sept 11th & july 7th ) ---- organisation possible due to the increased communication technology (internet & mobile phones)

BECK (1996)--- believe globilisation has produced 'risk society'--- where increased choice brought about by globilisation increases individuals feelings of risk

^ faced with 'threat of international terrorism' individuals (west) more likely to accept harsher forms of social control & governemnts using torture

GLOBILISATION--- could say has caused an increase in state crime

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Strengths

  • is up to date and useful approach to examining crime and deviance
  • highlighted a number of new and understudied areas of crime and deviance ( green crime and corporate crime )
  • Raised socioligists awarness of crimes in different parts of world and explained how crime and deviance are connected globally
  • Even though crime may have increased, the co-operation of different law enforcement agancies allowing them to police crime more effectively now crosses international borders
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Criticisms

- The secretive and complex nature of global crime makes it difficult area for sociologists to research...... E.G difficult to investigate global financial crime as it requires specialist skills and knowledge to do so

-relatively recent area of study within field of sociology, often relies on secondary sources which can be difficult to get hold of such as reliable statistics

-doesnt explain why some people have taken up new criminal oppurtunities and others havent 

-many sociologists are critical of process of globilisation, suggest it only has damaging consequences for society...... Including cultural homogenisation... this is not case, there are many positives to living on a global level

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