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A-Level · Crime and Deviance

GSOC.AL28 Globalisation and Crime in a Global Age

AQA 7192 · Calculators not allowed · about 75 minutes

Total Marks

Name: _______________________________ Date: ____ / ____ / ______

Answer ALL questions. Use sociological vocabulary where relevant. Write full sentences for extended answer questions. Timing guidance: about 75 minutes total; spend about 20 minutes on the final 12-mark question.

Which concept describes a set of interconnected networks linking people, firms and governments across national boundaries, sometimes used to explain how new criminal opportunities spread internationally?

A) social class
B) network society
C) cultural capital
D) labelling

(Total for Question 1 is 1 mark)

Define what sociologists mean by 'transnational organised crime' in the context of crime and globalisation.

(Total for Question 2 is 2 marks)

Outline two ways in which globalisation has created new opportunities for crime in the modern world.

(Total for Question 3 is 4 marks)

Describe one way the growth of multinational companies and complex global supply chains can be linked to 'crimes of globalisation', as discussed in crime and deviance studies.

(Total for Question 4 is 3 marks)

Identify and explain one way cybercrime differs from traditional street crime, in the context of globalised crime opportunities.

(Total for Question 5 is 4 marks)

State one characteristic of organised criminal networks that operate across several countries.

(Total for Question 6 is 2 marks)

Item A: Short police report extract on a globalised crime pattern. "A regional police force detected a sudden rise in confirmed online banking frauds during which victims reported money transferred to accounts in three different countries. Some of the transfers were routed through accounts under false identities. On investigation officers found links to a wider network using online adverts to recruit money mules in several EU states."

(a)Using Item A, identify two features that show the frauds are transnational in nature.(2)

(b)Using Item A, explain one way the network described makes policing more difficult.(2)

(Total for Question 7 is 4 marks)

Define the term 'glocal' as used to describe organised crime that combines global connections with local operations.

(Total for Question 8 is 2 marks)

Item B: Short extract from a criminology briefing. "Modern global systems have increased flows of capital, people and information. This has led to growth in cross-border organised crime such as trafficking and international fraud, and to cyber-enabled offences that can be run from anywhere. Some scholars argue these changes amount to a transformation in the nature of crime; others say they are continuations of older criminal patterns using new tools."

Using Item B and your knowledge, analyse two globalised forms of crime mentioned in the extract, explaining how each is affected by global flows of capital, people or information.

(Total for Question 9 is 6 marks)

Identify and explain one strength and one limitation of using the concept of the 'network society' to understand modern organised crime.

(Total for Question 10 is 4 marks)

State one ethical issue researchers face when studying hidden global crimes such as trafficking.

(Total for Question 11 is 1 mark)

Explain two reasons why transnational organised crime networks often use money mules or intermediaries in different countries.

(Total for Question 12 is 4 marks)

Describe one policy measure that could reduce cyber-enabled fraud across borders and explain how it would help.

(Total for Question 13 is 4 marks)

Compare how the spread of the internet and cheaper international travel each contribute to the growth of globalised crime.

(Total for Question 14 is 4 marks)

Explain one reason why some sociologists argue that globalisation has not completely transformed the nature of crime, despite new technologies and networks.

(Total for Question 15 is 4 marks)

Discuss how far sociologists would agree that globalisation has transformed the nature of crime, using Item B and your own knowledge.

(Total for Question 16 is 12 marks)

Mark scheme · GSOC.AL28 Globalisation and Crime in a Global Age

Question 1

B1 B (network society)
Answer: B

Question 2

B1 identifies that transnational organised crime involves organised groups committing crime that crosses national borders
B1 development, e.g. examples include drug trafficking, human trafficking or smuggling that operate in more than one country
Answer: Transnational organised crime involves organised groups committing crimes that cross national borders, for example drug trafficking or human trafficking operating in more than one country.

Question 3

B1 identifies increased cross-border movement of people and goods creating chances for trafficking or smuggling
B1 brief development of the first point, e.g. more trade and travel makes it easier to move illegal goods or victims across borders
B1 identifies global communications and the internet enabling cybercrime and remote coordination
B1 brief development of the second point, e.g. criminals can target victims remotely and hide activity across jurisdictions
Answer: Global connections increase cross-border movement of people and goods, which provides opportunities for trafficking and smuggling because illegal items and victims can be moved more easily; and global communications and the internet enable cybercrime and remote coordination, allowing criminals to target victims from other countries and to hide activity across jurisdictions.

Question 4

B1 identifies a link, e.g. exploitative labour practices, environmental harm or illegal dumping within global supply chains
B1 development, e.g. weak regulation in some countries can allow corporations or suppliers to break laws causing harm
B1 further development or example, e.g. shipment of hazardous waste to countries with lax controls
Answer: Global supply chains can be linked to crimes of globalisation through exploitative labour practices or environmental harm, because weak regulation in some countries allows suppliers or firms to break laws, for example shipping hazardous waste to places with lax controls.

Question 5

B1 identifies a difference, e.g. cybercrime can be committed remotely across borders
B1 explains the difference, e.g. this reduces the need for physical presence and can complicate policing and jurisdiction
B1 identifies a second element or consequence, e.g. it can target large numbers of victims quickly
B1 explains the second element, e.g. malware or phishing campaigns can reach victims worldwide at low cost
Answer: Cybercrime differs from street crime in that it can be committed remotely across borders, reducing the need for physical presence and complicating policing and jurisdiction; additionally, cybercrime can target large numbers of victims quickly, since malware or phishing campaigns can reach people worldwide at low cost.

Question 6

B1 identifies a characteristic, e.g. use of corruption to protect operations, or flexible, cell-based structures
B1 brief development, e.g. corruption of officials helps avoid detection and cell structures reduce the impact of arrests
Answer: They often use corruption to protect operations or have flexible, cell-based structures that spread roles across countries, so corruption helps avoid detection and cell structures reduce the impact of arrests.

Question 7

(a) B1 identifies a correct feature, e.g. money transferred to accounts in different countries
(a) B1 identifies a second feature, e.g. recruitment of money mules in several EU states or use of false identities across borders
(a) Answer: Money transfers to accounts in multiple countries and recruitment of money mules in several EU states, plus use of false identities across borders, show the frauds are transnational.
(b) B1 identifies a difficulty, e.g. operations spread across countries complicate jurisdiction and co-ordination
(b) B1 develops the point, e.g. differing laws and the need to request cooperation can slow investigations and prosecutions
(b) Answer: Policing is complicated because operations spread across countries create jurisdictional issues and require international cooperation, and differing laws and slow mutual assistance can delay investigations and prosecutions.

Question 8

B1 identifies that glocal means global links combined with local structures or operations
B1 development, e.g. transnational groups using local contacts or cells to run operations in specific towns or cities
Answer: Glocal means organised crime that combines global links with local structures, for example transnational groups using local contacts or cells to carry out operations in particular towns or cities.

Question 9

B1 identifies and explains one globalised form of crime, e.g. human trafficking, and links it to flows of people and capital
B1 develops the explanation for the first crime, e.g. demand in wealthier states and transport networks facilitate movement of victims
B1 identifies and explains a second globalised form, e.g. international fraud or cyber-enabled crime, and links it to flows of information or capital
B1 develops the explanation for the second crime, e.g. online platforms allow fraud to reach victims across borders and enable laundering of proceeds
B1 shows explicit use of Item B in the analysis, not just general definitions
B1 accurate use of sociological terms and examples to support each analytic point
Answer: One example is human trafficking: global flows of people and demand in wealthier states, together with cheaper transport and weak enforcement in some countries, make it easier for traffickers to move victims across borders for forced labour or sexual exploitation. A second example is international fraud or cyber-enabled crime: flows of information and digital connectivity let criminals run scams and phishing from anywhere, target victims in many countries and move proceeds through international accounts, while global financial systems can be abused to launder money. Both analyses draw directly on Item B's point about flows of capital, people and information.

Question 10

B1 identifies a strength, e.g. it highlights how global networks enable rapid coordination and information sharing
B1 explains the strength, e.g. this helps explain why some organised crime can operate across borders more effectively than before
B1 identifies a limitation, e.g. it can underplay the continuing importance of local conditions and face-to-face ties
B1 explains the limitation, e.g. local corruption, language and community ties still shape how networks operate in practice
Answer: A strength is that the network society concept highlights how global networks enable rapid coordination and information sharing, explaining how organised crime can operate across borders; a limitation is that it can underplay local conditions and face-to-face ties, since local corruption, language and community connections still shape how networks operate on the ground.

Question 11

B1 identifies an ethical issue, e.g. risk of harm to victims, confidentiality or the difficulty of gaining informed consent
Answer: Researchers risk causing harm to victims or breaching confidentiality, making informed consent and protecting participants major ethical issues when studying hidden global crimes such as trafficking.

Question 12

B1 identifies one reason, e.g. to launder money and obscure the origin of proceeds
B1 development of first reason, e.g. routing funds through many accounts and jurisdictions makes detection harder
B1 identifies a second reason, e.g. to reduce the risk to core organisers by using expendable local operatives
B1 development of second reason, e.g. intermediaries absorb risk and make investigations focus on visible low-level actors rather than leaders
Answer: They use money mules to launder money and obscure the origin of proceeds, because routing funds through many accounts and jurisdictions makes detection harder; and they use intermediaries to reduce risk to core organisers, since expendable local operatives absorb exposure and divert investigative attention away from leaders.

Question 13

B1 identifies a policy measure, e.g. improved international police cooperation and faster mutual legal assistance
B1 development, e.g. shared databases and joint investigations speed up tracing of funds and suspects
B1 identifies another policy detail, e.g. harmonised laws on cybercrime or regulation of financial flows
B1 development, e.g. harmonised laws reduce safe havens and allow prosecutions across jurisdictions
Answer: One measure is improved international police cooperation and faster mutual legal assistance, with shared databases and joint investigations that speed tracing of funds and suspects; another is harmonised cybercrime laws and regulation of financial flows, which reduce legal safe havens and make cross-border prosecution easier.

Question 14

B1 identifies internet contribution, e.g. enables cybercrime and remote coordination
B1 explains internet contribution, e.g. information flows and anonymity help criminals target victims worldwide
B1 identifies travel contribution, e.g. cheaper travel increases movement for trafficking or smuggling
B1 explains travel contribution, e.g. physical movement facilitates transporting goods and victims and links local networks to global ones
Answer: The internet enables cybercrime and remote coordination because information flows and relative anonymity let criminals target victims worldwide, while cheaper international travel increases movement for trafficking and smuggling, linking local operatives to global networks and enabling physical transport of goods and people.

Question 15

B1 identifies a reason, e.g. many crimes are continuations of old patterns adapted to new tools, not wholly new phenomena
B1 develops the reason, e.g. e.g. fraud, theft and exploitation existed before but now use new methods like the internet
B1 identifies a further supporting point, e.g. local social factors and demand remain important determinants of crime
B1 develops the supporting point, e.g. poverty, inequality and social networks still shape who commits and suffers crime
Answer: Some sociologists argue globalisation has not transformed crime because many offences are continuations of older patterns adapted to new tools, for example fraud and exploitation existed before but now use the internet; additionally local social factors like poverty and social networks still shape who offends and who is victimised.

Question 16

Level 1 (1-3): Simple or generalised statements about globalisation and crime with little sociological explanation or use of Item B.
Level 2 (4-6): Some relevant sociological points and use of Item B, but limited balance. Explanations may be partial and examples may be underdeveloped.
Level 3 (7-9): Clear sociological arguments using Item B and wider knowledge to show how global flows have led to new crime forms; includes evaluation and alternative views with appropriate examples.
Level 4 (10-12): Well-developed, balanced discussion that integrates Item B and wider knowledge. Considers multiple perspectives, such as those who see a transformation and those who see continuity, and reaches a supported conclusion.
Indicative content:
- Points arguing globalisation has transformed crime: growth of cybercrime and cyber-enabled offences that can be run remotely; expansion of transnational organised crime networks exploiting open borders, global finance and trade; crimes of globalisation such as large-scale environmental harm and corporate abuse across borders; Castells' network society explains rapid cross-border coordination.
- Use of Item B: refer to Item B's claim that flows of capital, people and information have led to growth in trafficking, international fraud and cyber-enabled offences, and use this as evidence for transformation.
- Points arguing continuity rather than transformation: many crimes are old in form, for example fraud and theft, but use new tools; local social factors such as poverty, demand and opportunity still determine much offending; policing and legal systems adapt and sometimes maintain control.
- Evaluation of evidence: difficulties of measurement and the dark figure of transnational crime, problems of jurisdiction and data consistency, and the fact that some global harms are under-recorded.
- Perspectives: a view linking to network explanations that emphasise transformation, and critical views that stress continuity and adaptation; realist evaluation weighing the empirical examples and recognising both change and continuities.
- Conclusion: a supported judgement that globalisation has changed some important features of crime, notably scale, reach and methods, but that many underlying causes and patterns remain continuous, so the nature of crime has been partly transformed rather than wholly replaced.

Globalisation and Crime in a Global Age - Worksheets, Questions and Revision