White collar crime

Question 1

What is White Collar Crime?

Answer 1

Sutherland: ‘crime committed by a person of high social status in the course of their occupation’

Question 2

What sociologists discuss white collar crime?

Answer 2

• Sutherland - differential association
• Croall - word ‘crime’
• Goldstraw-White - not criminal
• Box - how society defines crime
• Tombs - deaths at work
• Friedrichs - risk

Question 3

Who discusses the types of white-collar crime and the word ‘crime’ itself?

Answer 3

Croall

Question 4

What does Croall say about ‘crime’?

Answer 4

• Says not all activity is criminal.
• People in powerful positions can use financial/political power to escape arrest and conviction, which is why they are underrepresented in official statistics.

Question 5

What are the types of white collar crime according to Croall?

Answer 5

• Occupational crime - crime committed by employees
• Corporate crime - crime carried out by businesses often motivated by the desire to increase profits.
  State crime - war, genocide. Act committed by government

Question 6

Who are the Marxists that discuss white collar crime?

Answer 6

Box
Tombs
Goldstraw-white
Friedrichs

Question 7

What do Marxists believe about white collar crime?

Answer 7

Law is a tool used by the ruling class and powerful who create it to serve their own interests.

Question 8

Who talks about the way society defines crime?

Answer 8

Box

Question 9

What does Box discuss?

Answer 9

• The way society defines crime is by focusing on the working class, so what we see as ‘theft’ would more likely involve shop lifting rather than companies or banks charging high prices.
• White collar crime does more harm to society but is ignored.

Question 10

Who analysed deaths at work?

Answer 10

Tombs

Question 11

What does Tombs discuss?

Answer 11

They analysed deaths at work and found the scale of unlawful workplace deaths outweighed the number of recorded homicides, showing more died in the workplace.
- In 1994-5, there were 1300 fatalities associated with the employment. ‘Vastly outweighed’

Question 12

Who believes risk plays a large part in white collar crime?

Answer 12

Friedrichs

Question 13

What does Friedrichs discuss?

Answer 13

• They believe risk plays a large part in white collar crime.
• Although the chances of being caught are low, the activity involves a gamble.
• Big businesses make their decisions for cost benefits. e.g., take risks by cutting corners on health and safety.

Question 14

Who pointed out that those convicted of white-collar crime do not see themself as criminal?

Answer 14

Goldstraw-White

Question 15

What does Goldstraw-White discuss?

Answer 15

• Those convicted of white-collar crime often do not see themself as criminal.
• By doing semi structured interviews with offenders imprisoned for fraud or tax evasion, she found many didn’t accept what they were doing as wrong.
• They felt they could justify what they had done, and they said it didn’t hurt anyone so it couldn’t be labelled as criminal.

Question 16

What are the personality-based approaches to white collar crime?

Answer 16

• Psychologists say personalities can link to success in business and criminality. e.g., successful people are likely to be ambitious, dishonest and prepared to tread on others to reach the top.
• This lack of morality may explain why successful people may also ‘cross the line.’

Question 17

What is criticism of white-collar crime?

Answer 17

• Realists say ordinary people are frightened more about street crime.
• Marxists can be accused of overemphasising the importance of white-collar crime, rather than accepting most criminals are working class.