Overview
This lecture examines state crime in contemporary society, discussing its definitions, types, examples, and debates about applying Western norms to assess such crimes.
Crime as a Social Construct
- Crime is defined differently across nations and changes over time, making state crime difficult to identify.
- States create laws and can decide what is or isn't a crime, even as they act.
- Sociologists often use a "zoological approach," focusing on harm rather than legality.
Defining State Crime
- State crime: Actions by the state or its agents against citizens or non-nationals that break national or international law.
- Some definitions focus on violations of human rights, not just legal statutes.
- Breaches of international conventions, like the Geneva Convention, are considered state crimes.
Types of State Crime (McLaughlin’s Categories)
- Political Criminality: Censorship, suppression of dissent, clientelism (favoring donors or corporations over citizens).
- Security Force Crimes: Police brutality, torture, unlawful imprisonment, deaths in custody, genocide.
- Economic Crimes: Corruption and illegal activities by state-contracted private firms, e.g., unsafe building practices.
- Social and Cultural Crimes: Discrimination, segregation, denial of rights (e.g., against LGBTQ+ people, ethnic minorities).
Examples of State Crime
- Censorship and enforced disappearances in authoritarian regimes.
- Awarding government contracts to political donors without proper scrutiny (e.g., during COVID-19).
- Deaths of suspects in police custody and extrajudicial killings.
- Unlawful imprisonment (e.g., Guantanamo Bay, Operation Demetrius in Northern Ireland).
- Genocide in Rwanda, Balkans, and Cambodia.
- Discrimination and harsh penalties for LGBTQ+ people in certain countries.
- Historic and ongoing segregation (e.g., US Jim Crow laws, redlining).
Evaluating State Crime Definitions
- Debate exists about imposing Western norms to define state crimes in other countries.
- Some acts (e.g., genocide) are universally condemned, while others (political or economic crimes) are more complex.
- States may legitimize actions as necessary for national security or based on religious beliefs.
- Religious influences can shape laws and practices, complicating outside critiques.
Key Terms & Definitions
- State Crime — Illegal or harmful acts committed by state officials or agents.
- Zoological Approach — Focus on harm done rather than legal definitions.
- Clientelism — Government favors to donors or corporations over citizens.
- Redlining — Discriminatory denial of services based on race or ethnicity.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Review McLaughlin's four categories of state crime.
- Reflect on debates about cultural relativism and universal human rights in defining state crime.