‘The main factor behind the rise in global crime is Western exploitation of developing societies.’ Evaluate this view
CAMBRIDGE
A level and AS level
2023
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Introduction
Briefly define global crime and acknowledge its rise. State the essay's focus: evaluating the claim that Western exploitation of developing societies is the **main** factor behind this rise.
Arguments Supporting the Claim
Marxist Perspective: Link global crime to capitalist expansion (Castells' networks, Wallerstein's world system). Provide examples like drug trade, exploitation of cheap labor.
Poverty and Social Disorganization: Argue that exploitation exacerbates these issues, pushing individuals towards crime for survival (e.g., international cybercrime, people trafficking).
Corporate Crimes and "Green Crimes": Highlight the role of transnational corporations exploiting lax regulations in developing countries, leading to environmental damage and worker exploitation.
Arguments Against the Claim
Alternative Factors: Acknowledge the role of wars, conflicts, and weak governance in creating environments where global crime thrives. Provide examples like migration fueling human trafficking.
Globalization's Complex Impact: Challenge the view that globalization solely weakens developing economies. Argue that it can also bring economic growth and institutional strengthening.
Other Contributing Factors: Discuss the role of increased global tourism (e.g., fueling sex tourism), deregulated financial systems enabling financial crimes, and improved communication/transport facilitating criminal activities.
Conclusion
Provide a balanced evaluation. Acknowledge Western exploitation as a significant factor but emphasize the interplay of various elements. Suggest that tackling global crime requires addressing a complex web of social, economic, and political issues.
The Role of Western Exploitation in the Rise of Global Crime
Global crime, encompassing activities that transcend national boundaries, has witnessed a significant surge in recent years. This essay will evaluate the claim that Western exploitation of developing societies is the primary driver behind this phenomenon. While undoubtedly a contributing factor, attributing the entirety of global crime to Western exploitation presents an overly simplistic view, neglecting a complex interplay of other contributing elements.
Arguments Supporting Western Exploitation as a Key Factor
Proponents of this view, particularly Marxist sociologists, argue that the expansion of global capitalism has inadvertently fueled global crime. Manuel Castells, for instance, posits that globalization, while fostering economic interconnectedness, simultaneously created avenues for criminal networks to flourish. The rapid flow of goods, people, and information across borders, facilitated by advancements in technology, has been exploited by criminal organizations for illicit activities such as drug trafficking and money laundering (Castells, 2010).
Furthermore, the exploitation of developing nations by Western powers, often through unfair trade practices and resource extraction, has exacerbated poverty and social inequalities in these regions. Immanuel Wallerstein's world-system theory suggests that this economic marginalization creates fertile ground for criminal activity, as individuals turn to illicit means for survival and profit. The allure of high profits from drug cultivation, for instance, entices impoverished farmers in developing countries to engage in the illegal drug trade (Wallerstein, 1974).
Moreover, the globalization of Western consumerism has fueled demand for certain products and services, inadvertently contributing to criminal activities. The demand for cheap labor, for instance, fuels human trafficking, while the insatiable appetite for narcotics in Western nations drives the global drug trade.
Arguments Against Western Exploitation as the Sole Factor
However, attributing the entirety of global crime's rise to Western exploitation risks overlooking other crucial factors. Internal conflicts and political instability within developing nations play a significant role. Wars and civil unrest disrupt social structures, weaken law enforcement, and create environments where criminal organizations thrive. For example, the illicit diamond trade in war-torn regions of Africa exemplifies how conflict fuels global crime.
Technological advancements, while exploited by criminal networks, are not inherently responsible for global crime. The internet, for instance, facilitates communication and financial transactions for legitimate businesses and individuals, but it has also provided new avenues for cybercrime, regardless of Western exploitation.
Furthermore, the growth of international tourism, while beneficial for many economies, has created opportunities for criminal activities such as sex tourism. The demand for sexual services, often driven by individuals from both developed and developing countries, fuels this exploitative industry.
Conclusion
In conclusion, while Western exploitation of developing nations undoubtedly contributes to the rise in global crime by exacerbating poverty, inequality, and fueling demand for illicit goods and services, it is not the sole factor. Internal conflicts, political instability, technological advancements, and changing global dynamics all play significant roles. A nuanced understanding of global crime requires acknowledging the intricate interplay of these various factors, recognizing that attributing it solely to Western exploitation presents an incomplete and overly simplistic narrative.
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The main factor behind the rise in global crime is Western exploitation of developing societies.’ Evaluate this view.
Key focus of the question
Global crime, sometimes known as transnational crime or ‘crimes without frontiers’, can be understood as crime that takes place across the borders of one or more countries. Studies suggest that the scale of global crime has increased significantly in recent years. This question invites candidates to consider the reasons for the rise in global crime and, in particular, to reflect on possible links with Western exploitation of developing societies. Candidates are likely to discuss examples of global crime that have clear links to exploitation and the spread of global capitalism, such as the drugs trade, people trafficking, sex tourism, and international financial fraud. Examples of environmental crimes and corporate crimes in developing societies might also be cited in support of the view expressed in the question. While Western exploitation of developing countries may be a significant contributor to the increase in global crime, other factors are also involved. A strong evaluative response to the question will consider some of these other factors, including the impact of wars and regional conflicts, weakness and corruption in some governments, improvements in global communications and transport networks, and the impact of increased levels of international migration.
Indicative content
For:
- Marxist sociologists explain the growth in global crime as mirroring the spread of the global capitalist economy. Castells, for example, argues that globalisation resulted in the development of physical, digital, and financial networks that cut across national borders and which led to knowledge as well as goods and people moving quickly, easily, and cheaply across the world. While this facilitated the development of global capitalism, it also created opportunities for the development of global criminal networks. There are connections between drug dealing (through money laundering) and the global financial system, for instance.
- Wallerstein believes that global capitalism has damaged the economy of poor countries, making the latter fertile ground for the development of criminal networks who may be recruited by established criminal groups in wealthier countries to, for example, supply drugs or people trafficking.
- Western exploitation of developing countries has exacerbated problems of poverty and social disorganization in those countries. In that context, global crimes provide an opportunity for poor people in developing societies to generate a significantly higher income than would otherwise be available to them. Some become the organizers and/or participants in illicit activities such as international cybercrime, people trafficking, and drugs supply.
- Competition from large, western-style farming enterprises in developing countries has led to many local subsistence farmers abandoning conventional crops and grow plants to produce illicit drugs.
- So-called ‘green crimes’ have contributed to the growth in global crime. These crimes are often committed by transnational corporations who flout environmental protection laws in poorer countries. Transnational Corporations may also break laws relating to the health and safety of their workers in developing countries.
- Deregulation of the world’s financial system, which in part was designed to facilitate growth in international trade and commerce, has facilitated a range of financial crimes, from tax evasion and insider trading to defrauding transnational organizations such as the EU out of grant and subsidy money.
Against:
- While Western exploitation of developing countries may have contributed to the increase in global crime, it is not the only significant factor. For example, wars and regional conflicts in developing societies have caused extensive social disruption and impoverishment of local populations. In turn, this has led to a huge increase in migration, thereby creating a market in people trafficking.
- The claim that global capitalism and the spread of neoliberal values around the world has weakened the economy of poorer countries (and thereby encouraged a local and global increase in crime) has been disputed. In many cases, the economy and institutions of poorer countries may have been strengthened through increasing international trade and exposure to globalization.
- Growth in international tourism has provided a context in which sexual crimes have proliferated. Some poorer countries are viewed as a safe haven for sexual predators who visit as tourists and exploit women and children in the local sex industry.
- Deregulation of the world’s financial system, which in part was designed to facilitate growth in international trade and commerce, is another factor contributing to the growth of global crime by facilitating a range of financial crimes, from tax evasion and insider trading to defrauding transnational organizations such as the EU out of grant and subsidy money.
- Although poverty in developing societies may facilitate global crime, the extent of the problem is greatly exacerbated by the weakness of the legal and political systems in many poorer countries and by the failure of governments in developed countries to crack down on the corporate crimes committed by transnational organizations in less developed countries.
- Improved global communication and transport networks, particularly the internet, has facilitated the growth in global crime and allowed criminal gangs to operate across borders with a reduced risk of being caught.