Globalisation & Crime

What is globalisation? - The process in which the world is becoming more increasingly interconnected.

Crimes which could be committed due to globalisation? - smuggling drugs/ human trafficking e.g. with women and children being bought, illegal human organ harvesting..

Castells:

  • International illegal drug trade - provides drugs that are available in local communities in the UK. The Home Office estimate that other crimes such as theft are frug related, as people steal to support their addiction. E.g. drugs being trafficked through container shipment

  • Human trafficking - the illegal movement of smuggling people, for a multitude of purposes which could include forced labour and modern day slavery or even the illegal removal of organs for transplants. E.g. Transporting organs into rich countries, there’s an estimate that around 2,000 organs are taken from executed criminals in China.

  • Money laundering - Money obtained illegally making it look like it came from legal sources. Modern technologies have made it accessible to launder ‘dirty money’ as criminals can move large sums of money electronically across the world. E.g. money mules = someone who moves money illegally on the behalf of criminals.

  • Cybercrime - One of the fastest criminal activities in the world, these crimes are committed with the help of communication and information technology (mainly the internet) E.g. Identity theft, hacking and catfishing

Transnational organised crime

Globalisation had led to the creation of transnational networks of organised crime, which operate in many countries. e.g. established mafias, gangs connecting with each other and recruiting.

  • Glenny - uses the term McMafia ( crime being run like an international business). Organised crime seems to mirror legal transnational corporations like McDonalds, who sell and provide the same products globally. These established criminal groups are operating as self interested economic organisations which, instead of food they provide - drugs, guns etc..

Glocalism

These new forms of criminal networks often have international connections, but they remain rooted in local contexts.E.g. criminals still rely on local contacts to find opportunities to sell drugs.

  • Hobbs and Dunnigham - describe these sort of organisations a s a glocal system (crime operates locally but is connected globally.) Glocalism = specific ways crime is organised and how the types of crimes are comitted are influenced by both local and global culture.

  • How globalisation has affected crime

  • Terrorism = Until recently terrorism was fairly localised with people from a particular country. However now terrorist groups such as Al-Qaeda or ISIS groups are in many countries, unites more by the ideology being spread rather than nationality.

  • Global Risk Society = Adds to the uncertainty and uncertainty of life in late modern society. Beck - argues this is a global risk society as people become risk conscious of things such as computer viruses, having identities stolen etc..

  • Growing individualism = Individualism and global consumer ideology put personal gain over community aspects. Bauman - suggest crimes like drug dealig and human trafficking provides individuals with the means of achieving rewards that are otherwise unattainable in society.

  • Supply and demand = Growing global inequality couples with rising expectations generated by the spread of consumerist ideology has a growing demand for products. E.g. fast fashion shopping websites like SHEIN, the supply is met by poor and developing countries.

Evaluation:

  • International cooperation makes it easier than in the past to catch criminals who cross borders e.g. INTERPOL.

  • Global communications have also made us aware of atrocities that are happening in other countries e.g.g Syria, Gaza etc so we can learn from them and countries can intervene if necessary.