WHITE-COLLAR CRIME AND SOCIAL STRUCTURE (FROM WHITECOLLAR CRIME - OFFENSES IN BUSINESS, POLITICS, AND THE PROFESSIONS REV. ED., 1977, BY GILBERT GEIS AND ROBERT F. MEIER - SEE NCJ-40489)

• NCJ Number: 41696
• Author(s): V AUBERT
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 12 pages
• Corporate Author: Free Press
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THIS PAPER FOCUSES ON THE CONFLICTS THAT EXIST BETWEEN BEHAVIORAL NORMS CONDITIONED BY THE SOCIAL STRUCTURE WITHIN WHICH WHITE COLLAR CRIME OCCURS AND THE NORMS REFLECTED IN THE LAWS DEFINING WHITE COLLAR CRIME.

Abstract

THIS PAPER EXPLORES THE EXPERIENCES FROM TWO NORWEGIAN STUDIES OF WHITE COLLAR CRIME AND SOCIAL STRUCTURE. THE SOCIAL STRUCTURE INFLUENCING WHITE COLLAR BEHAVIOR IS CONSIDERED A SPECIALIZED FORM OF BEHAVIORAL CONDITIONING THAT MAY PERCEIVE CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR WITHIN ITS SOCIAL FORM QUITE DIFFERENTLY FROM THE LARGER SOCIETY THAT IS MOST INFLUENTIAL IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF LAWS DEFINING WHITE COLLAR CRIME. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT THE LARGE BULK OF LAWS STIPULATING PENALTIES FOR WHITE COLLAR OFFENSES HAVE SOMETHING IN COMMON SOCIOLOGICALLY. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT THE SPECIFICS OF THESE COMMON FACTORS MUST BE ISOLATED IN FURTHER STUDIES TO BE CONDUCTED FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY. MAJOR VARIABLES BETWEEN LEGAL DEFINITIONS OF WHITE COLLAR CRIME AND WHITE COLLAR WORKERS' ASSESSMENTS OF THEIR OWN BEHAVIORAL VALUES IS SEEN TO BE CONNECTED WITH THE CONCEPT OF MULTIPLE SOCIAL HIERARCHIES OR DIVERSE STATUS SYSTEMS. THE PAPER RECOMMENDS THAT THE MOST FRUITFUL RESEARCH FOR THE FUTURE SHOULD INVOLVE A CAREFUL STUDY OF THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS AND THE MACHINERY OF ENFORCEMENT, AS WELL AS THE STUDY OF INDIVIDUAL MOTIVES, ATTITUDES, AND SOCIAL SITUATION OF OFFENDERS....RCB