NCJ Number
56475
Date Published
1979
Length
9 pages
Annotation
TYPES OF 'WHITE COLLAR' CRIME ARE IDENTIFIED AND DISCUSSED AND FEMALE PARTICIPATION IN EACH TYPE IS EXAMINED.
Abstract
SUTHERLAND'S ORIGINAL CONCEPT OF 'WHITE-COLLAR' CRIME (E.H. SUTHERLAND, 'WHITE-COLLAR CRIME,' 1949) EMBRACED TWO DISTINCT CATEGORIES OF CRIMINAL AND/OR DEVIANT BEHAVIOR, TO WHICH DIFFERENT FORMS OF EXPLANATION ARE APPROPRIATE. THE FIRST, 'CRIME AS BUSINESS,' INCLUDES A LARGE AND IMPORTANT VARIETY OF ACTS THAT TAKE PLACE WITHIN BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS AND THE SOCIAL, ECONOMIC, AND POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS THAT SURROUND THEM, SUCH AS PROHIBITIONS ON PRICE FIXING AND POLITICAL CONTRIBUTIONS, PRODUCT-QUALITY LEGISLATION, AND FOREIGN TRADE REGULATION. THERE ARE SOME SUBSIDIARY QUESTIONS THAT MAY BE ASKED ABOUT THE PARTICIPATION OF WOMEN IN THESE TYPES OF CRIMES, BUT THEY ARE NOT OF VERY MUCH THEORETICAL OR PRACTICAL IMPORTANCE. THE SECOND CLASS OF CRIMES ENCOMPASSED BY SUTHERLAND'S ORIGINAL FORMULATION--'CRIMES COMMITTED BY MIDDLE-CLASS PERSONS'--ESSENTIALLY INVOLVES INDIVIDUAL BEHAVIOR, ALBEIT USUALLY WITHIN AN ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT OF SOME SORT. THE EXPLANATION OF THESE 'CRIMES COMMITTED BY A SPECIAL CLASS OF PEOPLE' SHOULD NOT BE MUCH DIFFERENT, IN TERMS OF ITS LOGICAL STRUCTURE, FROM THE EXPLANATION OF OTHER CRIMES; IN PARTICULAR, THE SAME HYPOTHESES ABOUT THE PARTICIPATION OF WOMEN IN THEM SHOULD APPLY. FOR THE MOMENT, THE APPARENTLY LOW RATES OF PARTICIPATION OF WOMEN IN THESE OFFENSES, AND THEIR VIRTUAL NONPARTICIPATION IN 'CRIME AS BUSINESS' ARE A CLEAR INDICATION OF THE CONTINUED EXCLUSION OF WOMEN FROM THE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC ROLES THAT WOULD MAKE THAT PARTICIPATION POSSIBLE. IT CAN BE ASSUMED THAT AS THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN VARIOUS BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS EXPANDS, THEIR PARTICIPATION IN THE CRIMINAL ENTERPRISES AVAILABLE THROUGH VARIOUS BUSINESS ROLES WILL ALSO EXPAND. REFERENCES ARE FOOTNOTED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--RCB)