Chapter 1 - Course Introduction
THE HISTORY OF A CONCEPT
The term “white-collar crime” was first used by Edwin Sutherland in 1939. Sutherland argued that this type of crime differed from other crimes in the administrative procedures used in dealing with offenders. He defined white-collar crimes as those committed by persons of respectability and high social status in the course of their occupation. Sutherland went on to state that, because of the political and financial power of white-collar criminals and the use of alternate response mechanisms, information on these crimes was lacking. The data that was available suggested that white-collar crime was far more costly than street crime.
Sutherland’s recognition of the extent of white-collar crime forced a reexamination of the common theories for crime commission. Sutherland’s remarks came at a time when the United States had moved from a rural, agrarian society to an urban, industrial one dominated by powerful corporations. Journalists referred to as “muckrakers” were beginning to examine abusive corporate practices, and Congress had legislated against monopolistic practices.
The Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890 was enacted to stop companies from fixing prices or pooling their operations under a single administration in order to eliminate competition. The corporation that came to symbolize the strategic use of mergers and trusts was the Standard Oil Company, headed by John D. Rockefeller. He ruthlessly destroyed competition and created an empire that controlled virtually the entire American petroleum industry.
The Roaring Twenties were a bonanza for white-collar crime. The feeding frenzy unleashed aby an exploding economy attracted bold predators.
Chapter 2 Crimes against Consumers
Chapter 3 Unsafe Products
Chapter 4 Environmental Crime
Chapter 5 Institutional Corruption: Mass Media and Religion
Chapter 6 Securities Fraud
Chapter 7 Corporate Fraud
Chapter 8 Fiduciary Fraud
Chapter 9 Crimes by the Government
Chapter 10 Corruption of Public Officials
Chapter 11 Medical Crime
Chapter 12 Computer Crime