Corporate Crime

Persuasive Essay # 100875

Criminology > Criminal Justice and Corrections

Corporate Crime

An analysis of conflict theory in relation to the abundance and persecution of corporate crime.

1,842 words () | 5 sources | APA | 2008 United States

Paper Summary:

This paper examines corporate crime and applies conflict theory to this type of crime. Firstly, it defines corporate crime. It then critiques the conflict theory. The paper argues that conflict theory can be used to explain why corporate crime is abundant and why it is not often persecuted. It also discusses, according to conflict theory, why corporate crimes tend to remain under punished.

From the Paper:

"Most white collar offenders belong to the "white collar class" - in other words, usually privileged, educated, rich (or at least economically middle class) and usually white and viewed in a different light than the more 'common criminals' and hence punished differently. In most cases they can also afford better and more expensive lawyers, which usually leads to lighter sentences. McDermid Gomme (1998) asserts that recidivism rate is quite high for convicted organizations and high-ranking individuals within these organizations. This can easily be explained by minimal penalties these crimes are given, and deterrence is almost non-existent, but rewards and immediate. Indeed, as McDermid Gomme (1998) notes "fines are so small that business executives generally think of them as modest licensing fees" (446)."

Sample of Sources Used:

DeKeseredy, W.S., Ellis, D. & Alvi, S. (2005) Deviance and Crime: Theory, Research and Policy, 3rd. edition. Toronto: Anderson Publishing.
McDernid Gomme, I. (1998) The Shadow Line, 2nd edition. Toronto: Harcourt Brace
Jones, S. (2001) Criminology, 2nd edition. London: Butterwoths
Brown, S.E., Esbensen, F. A. & Geis, G. (2004) Criminology: explaining Crime and its Context. 5th edition. LexisNexis
Geis, G. & Dimento, J. (1995) Should we prosecute corporations and/or individuals? In. F. Pearce & L. Snider (Eds.). Corporate crime: Contemporary Debates. P . 72-86. Toronto: University of Toronto Press