Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
Globalisation and Crime (State Crime (State Crime: Breaking laws of the…
Globalisation and Crime
State Crime
State Crime: Breaking laws of the society in which crime takes place, sometimes states break their own rules.
International laws being broken. Idea certain general standards that our behaviour can be judged regardless of legislation.
Green & Ward give examples of state crime:
- Genocide
- War Crimes
- Violence by the police
- Torture and imprisonment of political opponents.
- Grand corruption
McLaughlin- Claims state crimes divided into 4 types.
- Political crime, e.g. rigging elections.
- Crime of police and security forces such as torture and illegal detention.
- Economic crime- failing to pay employees minimum wage.
- Social and cultural crimes- mistreatment of minority ethnic groups.
Statistics of state crime-
111 countries practised torture and ill treatment in 2009- violence by police.
262 million people were killed by various forms of state action in 20th Century- genocide.
120,000 civilians have been killed since the invasion of Iraq in 2003- war crimes.
State crime and human rights- Human rights: Every living human being is entitled to have right to life, liberty, freedom of thought, recognition before law and liberty (The UN, 2015).
BUT
Sociologists have objected to the idea of universal human rights. As the idea of 'rights' socially constructed and what's seen as normal and appropriate vary between society. Some of the rights outlined are claimed to have liberal, western and individualistic bias.
Globalisation
World wide social relations meaning whatever happens in one country can affect what happens in other countries- Giddens.
Resulted in massive growth of several crimes: Drug dealing, illegal weapon trafficking, Human trafficking, Corruption, Terrorism, Violent crimes and War criminals.
Criminal networks
Castells- Globalisation involves development of networks that cut across national boundaries- idea of self-contained societies is outdated. So knowledge, goods and people can move quickly, easily and cheaply across national boundaries so these networks have quickly developed. This has resulted in development of a global crime economy where there are between criminal networks.
The biggest global criminal businesses according to Castells are drugs, illegal arms trading, smuggling of illegal immigrants and human trafficking.
-
Cohen
Cohen conducted study into social relations to state crime and human right abuses- he defined state crime as "gross violations of human rights". States develop culture of denial to respond to accusations of abuse. No one taking responsibility.
-
Neutralisation
Denial of responsibility- individuals or state claim simply following orders. E.g. technique used in Nazi Germany
Denial of injury- could suggest that victims didn't really suffer so not a violation of human rights.
Denial of victims- claiming 'victims' are terrorists and therefore the state is the real victim. E.g. when torture used on suspects of terrorism.
Condemnation of the condemners- accusing those making judgements of being hypocrites and claiming they behave worse themselves.
-
-