Globalisation of Crime

Question 1

Held & McGrew (2007): What is globalisation?

Answer 1

‘Globalisation is the widening, deepening, and speeding up of worldwide interconnectedness’

Question 2

Effects of Globalisation on society

Answer 2

• Comms tech & infrastructure - improved world, but it has become socially smaller - mix with more cultures, but lose connection to locality
• Large TNCs have more power than many govs. - trade on global scale
• Countries form ‘blocs’ - push back boundaries from land they own to their own group
• Provided lots of opportunities for criminals & reduced personal risk

Question 3

Types of Global Crimes

Answer 3

• International Illegal Drug Trade
• Human Trafficking
• Money Laundering
• Cybercrime
• Transnational Organised Crime (Glenny’s McMafia)

Question 4

Hobbs & Dunningham (1998): Glocalism

Answer 4

• World is becoming smaller - cheap international travel & reduced border security
• Whole world now feels local - see people from everywhere at home & can visit anywhere we want

Question 5

Disorganised Capitalism

Answer 5

• Globalisation has meant less regulation & oversight of business
• No gov can keep track of TNCs dealings around the world
• Money can be moved to avoid tax
• Marxism, Neo-Feudalism

Question 6

Growing Inequality

Answer 6

• Whole countries now rich while others are poor - globalisation didn’t remove hierarchical class structure, just redistributed wealth
• Linked to World Systems

Question 7

Supply & Demand

Answer 7

• Global media & the chance to see the rich as they travel through poor areas are seen on TV - raise expectations
• Rich pay more to compete - poor are exploited
• Criminal gangs grow to provide bourgeois lifestyle we all expect

Question 8

Increased Opportunities

Answer 8

• New tech (eg. Dark Web) & increased ability to travel give criminals more chances & makes them harder to track
• eg. the Silk Road

Question 9

Consumerist Culture

Answer 9

• Neoliberal culture transmitted through dominant Western media - American TV, music, films spread consumerist ideology worldwide
• People consume more & abandon traditional means - status frustration at being unable to have that life
• Drives them to crime & reduces objection to exploitation
• Neo-colonial & hegemonic

Question 10

Increasing Individualism

Answer 10

• Increasingly encouraged to look out for ourselves - exposure to global society highlights how small and vulnerable we are
• Drawn interest inwards, made us selfish - more likely to commit crime against ‘the other’, less likely to care about those harmed to provide our lifestyle
• LR, Mineral mines for phones

Question 11

Beck (1992): The Global Risk Society

Answer 11

• See more of outside world - feel threatened by the scale/pace of change
• National sentiment increases as people constantly feel risk from global society - populist revolt, terrorism
• Leads to walls, tighter immigration laws, and splintering of cooperation
• Fuels isolationism and hate crimes