State crime

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  • Created by: ncs1997
  • Created on: 05-04-15 16:46
What are state crimes?
Green & Ward - illegal or deviant activities perpetrated by or with complicity of state agencies. Includes genocide and war crime. McLaughlin - 4 types of state crime - Political crimes, crime by security, Economic crimes, Social & cultural crimes.
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What are the 2 reasons state crime is so serious?
The scale of state crime - e.g. Cambodia up to 2 million people died. The state has a monopoly over violence. The state is the source of law - the state defines what is criminal, so make their own actions not, e.g. Nazi Germany.
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What 2 things do most definitions of human rights include?
Natural rights - e.g. the right to life, liberty and free speech. Civil rights - e.g. right to vote, privacy, fair trial and education.
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Schwendinger
Should define crime in terms of the violation of basic human rights, rather than the breaking of legal rules.
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How can they be criticised?
Cohen - some acts, whilst violating human rights, aren't self-evidently criminal. Also there is disagreement on what are human rights.
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What does Cohen argue the spiral denial is?
It's the lengths that the state goes to cover up their crimes. It has 3 stages. 1 - it didn't happen. 2 - If it did happen, it was something else. 3 - Even if it did happen, it was justified.
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What are the 5 neutralisation techniques Cohen identifies that the state uses to justify human rights violations.
Denial of victim. Denial of injury. Denial of responsibility. Condemning the condemners. Appeal to a higher loyalty.
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Kelman and Hamilton
Argue that individuals are socialised to accept these crimes, and they turn into crimes of obedience. There are 3 features that produce crimes of obedience - authorisation, routinisation and dehumanisation.
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

The scale of state crime - e.g. Cambodia up to 2 million people died. The state has a monopoly over violence. The state is the source of law - the state defines what is criminal, so make their own actions not, e.g. Nazi Germany.

Back

What are the 2 reasons state crime is so serious?

Card 3

Front

Natural rights - e.g. the right to life, liberty and free speech. Civil rights - e.g. right to vote, privacy, fair trial and education.

Back

Preview of the back of card 3

Card 4

Front

Should define crime in terms of the violation of basic human rights, rather than the breaking of legal rules.

Back

Preview of the back of card 4

Card 5

Front

Cohen - some acts, whilst violating human rights, aren't self-evidently criminal. Also there is disagreement on what are human rights.

Back

Preview of the back of card 5
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