Transnational Crime

SOC 2137—Transnational Crime FALL 2016 Take-home Midterm Exam (20 points) Directions: Address each of the following questions. Please cite your sources using ASA citation style and provide a work cited page at the end of the exam. All responses should be written in 12 point Times New Roman font and double-spaced. Remember, this is an exam—you should be working on your own. Limit your answers for each question to a maximum of three pages double-spaced (12 pages total for the entire exam); however, you’ll likely be able to make your points in less than that. Note: All exams are due via Blackboard by 2:00pm on Thursday, October 20th, 2016. Late exams will be assessed a penalty of 10% for EACH day they are late. Make sure you upload your exam as a PDF or Word document (not Pages or Google Docs). Guidelines for addressing each question ? ? ? ? Answer all parts of each question. Define concepts and provide examples when applicable. Make sure to expand on the “why or why not” prompts. Responses should be written out in essay form, not listed as bullet points. Q1.) Franko Aas (2013), Naím (2005), and Lee (2011) each spend considerable time discussing globalization. According to each of these authors, what is globalization? Generally speaking, has globalization been “good” or “bad”? Please give examples. Further, Naím discusses three major global transformations that occurred during the 1990s that contributed to the globalization process. What were these transformations? Please provide specific examples of each. How, if at all, do these transformations relate to transnational crime and the operation of illicit networks? Do illicit networks seem to be thriving in an increasingly globalized world? Why or why not? Support your answers with material addressed in our course readings and lectures. (6 points) Q2.) What, if any, is the connection between transnational crime and human development on the global-level? In a similar vein, according to van Dijk and Spapens (2014), what, if any, is the relationship between the “rule of law” and transnational organized crime? What would a conflict criminologist say about relying too heavily on the notion of the “rule of law” to understand transnational crime (or any crime, for that matter)? (4 points) Q3.) Define human trafficking by drawing on (and explicitly citing) at least two assigned readings. How does human trafficking differ from human smuggling? What, if any, are the dangers of making explicit distinctions between these two activities? Provide specific examples of how the boundary between human trafficking and human smuggling is often blurred. Lee (2011) argues there are six dominant conceptual approaches to human trafficking. According to our readings, which two or three have dominated the discourse on human trafficking? Provide specific examples. What is the problem with relying too heavily on some of these approaches at the expense of others? In other words, why does the framing of a social problem matter? (6 points) Q4.) Define and discuss Spener’s (2009) notion of global apartheid. How does global apartheid relate to structural violence and cultural violence? Make sure to define both concepts and provide examples of each. Spener conceptualizes autonomous migration as resistencia hormiga. What does he mean by this and how does this concept relate to global apartheid? Where do coyotes (human smugglers) fit in this discussion? Finally, how do migrants tend to perceive their coyotes? (4 points)