globalisation & green crime

what changes has globalisation brought?

• more opportunities for crime that crosses borders

• we are increasingly aware of global risks

• awareness of human rights abuse

who says that there is a global criminal economy?

castell

how much is the global criminal economy worth?

over £1 trillion per annumm

what is a globalisation of crime?

an increasing interconnectedness of crime across national borders

what are examples of globalised crime?

• arms trafficking

• smuggling of illegal immigrants

• sex tourism

• cyber-crimes

• green crimes

• the drugs trade

how much is the drugs trade worth annually?

$300-400 billion

how has the media’s portrayal of crime increased it globally?

distorted or exaggerated reports have caused hate crimes in Europe & concerns about protecting borders

what are the results of the new mentality of risk consciousness?

• intensification of social control at the national level

• increased attempts at international cooperation & control

what does taylor argue about globalisation, capitalism & crime?

it has led to changes in pattern & extent of crime

how has globalisation led to changes in the pattern & extent of crime?

• crime at both ends of the social spectrum

• marketisation increased inequality

• TNCs use low wage manufacturing

• deregulation of economies

• lack of job opportunities

what are the strengths of taylors’ theory?

• useful in linking global trends in the capitalist economy to changes in the pattern of crime

what are the weaknesses of taylor’s theory?

• does not adequately explain how the changes make people behave in criminal ways

who studied the role of international financial organisations in crime?

rothe & friedrichs

what do rothe & friedrichs argue?

• IFOs impose pro-capitalist, neoliberal economic structural adjustment programmes on poor countries

• they create the conditions for crime

• e.g., IMF & the world bank

how do hobbs & dunningham show that globalisation has created new criminal opportunities?

• studied post-industrial town

• found that the way crime is organised is linked to the changes brought by globalisation

• individuals with contacts act as a hub rather than a hierarchy

what is a glocal organisation?

a criminal system, that is locally based but has global connections

what are the criticisms of hobbs & dunningham’s theories of glocal organisations?

• not clear that changing patterns are new or that older structures have disappeared

• their conclusions may not be generalisable to other criminal activities elsewhere

what is glenny’s mcmafia?

organisations that emerged in russia & eastern europe following the fall of communism

what happened in russia & eastern europe following the fall of communism?

• global markets were deregulated

• most sectors are the economy were deregulated except for natural resources

• those with the funds for natural resources became oligarchs

• those with capitalist wealth turned to mafias for protection

what is green crime?

crime against the environment that are global issues

what does beck argue?

in late modern society, we can provide adequate resources for all but the technology & rise in productivity has created manufactured risks

what are manufactured risks?

human-made dangers that we have never faced before

what is traditional criminology’s view on green crime?

• only concerned with technically illegal acts

• Situ & Emmons: an unauthorised act or omission that violates the law

what are the strengths of traditional criminology?

• has a clearly defined subject matter

what are the weaknesses of traditional criminology?

• accepts official definitions of environmental problems & crimes, which are often shaped by powerful groups to serve their own interests

what is green criminology’s view on green crime?

• focus on the notion of harm rather than criminal law

• White: anything that harms the physical environment or animals & humans

• different countries have different laws so crime is subjective

what is an anthropocentric view of environmental harm?

a view adopted by nation-states & TNCs that assumes humans have a right to dominate nature for their own ends

what is an ecocentric view of environmental harm?

a view held by green/transgressive criminologists that see humans and their environment as interdependent

what two types of green crime does south identify?

• primary green crimes

• secondary green crimes

what are primary green crimes?

crimes that result directly from the destruction & degradation of the earth’s resources

what are the 4 types of primary green crime?

• crimes of air pollution

• crimes of deforestation

• crimes of species decline & animal abuse

• crimes of water pollution

what are secondary green crimes?

crimes that grow out of the flouting of rules aimed at preventing or regulating environmental disasters

what are the types of secondary green crime?

• state violence against oppositional groups

• hazardous waste & organised crime

• environmental discrimination

what is environmental discrimination?

the fact that poorer groups and countries are worse affected by pollution

what are the strengths of green criminology?

• recognises the growing importance of environmental issues & the need to address the harms & risks of environmental damage

what are the criticisms of green criminology?

• by focusing on the broader concept of harm, it’s hard to define it to study

why do marxist & critical criminologists reject traditional criminology?

they focus on street crime & ignore ‘crime of the suites’