Using material from Item B and elsewhere assess the view that the process of globalisation has led to changes in both the amount of crime and the types of crime committed. (21 marks)

Some sociologists define globalisation as an increasing interconnectedness in the world (Item B), such as Held et al.
Manuel Castells argues that globalisation creates mew opportunities for crime, resulting in transnational organised crime. He argues that this new global criminal economy (worth over £1 trillion per year) has caused types of crime such as sex tourism, green crime, arms trafficking, trafficking in women and children, cyber crime and many more. This one theory therefore agrees with the statement ‘globalisation hassled to changes in both the amount of crime and the types of crime committed’.
Hobbs and Dunningham found that the way crime is organised is linked to the economic changes brought by globalisation. They believe that loose networks are formed, where individuals then seek opportunities and often linking legitimate and illegitimate activities. They see crime as a ‘glocal’ system; this is where crime is locally based but with global connections, for example, the availability of drugs from abroad: drug dealers who buy their drugs from another country aren’t going to be able to succeed if they aren’t available from that country.
Misha Glenny came up with the term ‘McMafia’ which refers to the relationship between criminal organisations and globalisation. For example, under communism, the Soviet state had regulated the prices of everything. However after the fall of communism, the Russian government deregulated most sectors of the economy apart from natural resources such as oil. These remained at their old Soviet prices, and even lower, meaning that people were buying oil from Russia at the lowest price possible, and then selling it for at least triple the price in other countries.
Another sociologist that argues that globalisation has led to a change in patterns and extent of crime is Ian Taylor. He believes that globalisation has created crime at both ends of the social spectrum: working class: insecurity, widening insecurity, lack of legitimate job opportunities and destroys self respect and seek illegitimate opportunities, and ruling class: transnational companies make more money by moving manufacturing to low wage countries, criminal opportunities for elite groups – insider training and tax avoidance. There have been many cases of tax avoidance due to globalisation, and many famous businesses have committed this crime, such as Google, Amazon and even the celebrity Jimmy Carr.
Another way in which globalisation is linked to crime is because it has led to new patterns of employment, creating new opportunities for crime itself. This includes the increase of ‘flexible workers’, often working illegally or for less than the minimum wage, in breach of health and safety or any other laws. This means that the costs of a business are kept very low, whilst their sales continue to stay increasing. For example, the Rana Plaza sweatshop disaster, where an 8 story building in India collapsed, killing 1129 and injuring 2515, despite warnings to avoid using the building using the building after cracks appeared the day before, were ignored.