White Collar Crime

Term Paper # 100350

Criminology > Criminal Justice and Corrections

White Collar Crime

An analysis of the reasons for the escalation of white collar crime in corporate society.

728 words () | 4 sources | MLA | 2007 United States

Paper Summary:

This paper examines the phenomenon of escalating white-collar crime in corporate society. The paper defines white collar crime and then analyzes the reasons for its escalation. It argues that the reasons for this escalation go right to the root of the nature and values of our society, which in turn are reflected in our legal system. Finally, the paper looks at the ineffective nature of punishments for white collar crime.

From the Paper:

"Thus, we see that one reason for the escalation of white-collar crime is that the legal system does not punish such crimes effectively, and that this is turn reflects our social values, which basically value property more than people. This tends to encourage white-collar crime. Another reason is that corporations have no moral or legal duties except to their shareholders - so that killing people can sometimes be seen as justified. All in all, it seems that the rise in white-collar crime is linked to the materialist, consumerist nature of our society, which is reflected in our legal systems."

Sample of Sources Used:

Achbar, Mark and Jennifer Abbott. (Directors). The Corporation. Big Picture Media Corporation, 2003.
Fonda, Darren. "After Bernie, Who's Next?" Time Magazine, 165.13 (March 28, 2005): 44-46.
Samuelson, Les and Wayne Antony. (Eds.) Power and Resistance: Critical Thinking about Canadian Social Issues. Halifax: Fernwood Publishing, 2003.
Teeple, Gary. Perspectives on Canadian Society. Simon Fraser University, 2003.