Nearly six decades have passed since the concept of white-collar crime was introduced and systematic scholarly
investigation of it began. Although it has proven to be one of the most challenging and controversial topics in
sociology, the concept has taken firm root in lay and scholarly lexicons where it is widely understand and used
to denote a type of crime that differs fundamentally from street crime. One way it is different is the backgrounds
and characteristics of it perpetrators; the poor and disreputable fodder routinely encountered in police stations
and in studies of street crime are seldom in evidence here. Most if not all white-collar offenders by contrast
are distinguished by lives by privilege, much of it with origins in class inequality.
This reader begins together under a unifying theoretical approach the current state of knowledge about and debate
over white-collar crime. Editors' introductions preface each of the six chapters in the book, and each of the thirty-one
carefully chosen selections --- both classic and contemporary -- has been significantly edited for readability
and suitability for the college student. The readings address conceptual conflicts as well as empirical studies
of the strucutre of opportunities, the characteristics of white-collar offenders and their decision making, and
the various approaches to controlling white-collar offering. Additionally, the book includes twenty-one specially
designed panels that call-out particular issues from the readings by offering case examples taken from local and
regional newspapers. Together, the readings and the panels offer the student both analysis and examples of white-collar
crime.
Offers thirty-one readings, classic and contemporary, from the top scholars in the field
Each reading is significantly edited for readibility and level
Editors introduce each of the six chapters
Editors designed panels to illustrate specific issues in the readings with further explanation and case examples
Table of Contents
Preface
1. Conceptual Issues and Skirmishes Introduction White-Collar Criminality, Edwin H. Sutherland Is "White-Collar Crime" Crime?, Edwin H. Sutherland Collaring the Crime, Not the Criminal: Reconsidering the Concept of White-Collar Crime, Susan P. Shapiro Organizational Crime, Alber J. Reiss, Jr. and Michael Tonry Crime and Capitalist Business Corporations, Frank Pearce
2. Victims and Costs Introduction The Neglected Victims and Unexamined Costs of White-Collar Crime, Elizabeth Moore and Michael Mills Personal Fraud and Its Victims, Richard M. Titus White-Collar Crime Victimization, Michael Levi Consequences of Victimization by White-Collar Crime, Neal Shover, Greer Fox, and Michael Mills Victims of Fraud: Comparing Victims of White-Collar and Violent Crime, Linda Ganzini, Benston McFarland,
and Joseph Bloom
3. White-Collar Criminal Opportunities Introduction "Heads I Win, Tails You Lose": Deregulation, Crime, and Crisis in the Savings and Loan Industry,
Kitty Calavita and Henry N. Pontell From Fiddle Factors to Networks of Collusion: Charting the Waters of Small Business Crime, Hugh D. Barlow Transaction Systems and Unlawful Organizational Behavior, Diane Vaughan Opportunity and Crime in the Medical Profession, John Liederbach Fire in Hamlet: A Case Study of a State-Corporate Crime, Judy Root Aulette and Raymond Michalowski
4. Decision Making Introduction Poverty of Theory in Corporate Crime Research, Donald R. Cressey A Rational Choice Theory of Corporate Crime, Raymond Paternoster and Sally Simpson Organizational Culture and Organizational Crime, Andrew L. Hochstetler and Heith Copes Profits, Pressure, and Corporate Law-Breaking, Anne Jenkins and John Braithwaite Rational Choice, Situated Action, and the Social Control of Organizations, Diane Vaughan
5. Sources and Characteristics of White-Collar Offenders Introduciton Who Is the White-Collar Criminal?, Hazel Croall Gender and Varieties of White-Collar Crime, Kathleen Daly Corporate Control, Crime, and Compensation: An Examination of Large Corporations, D. Bilimoria Toward Understanding Unlawful Organizational Behavior, Diane Vaughan Characteristics and Sources of White-Collar Crime, Nicole Leeper Piquero and Alex Piquero Competition and Motivation to White-Collar Crime, James W. Coleman
6. Controlling White-Collar Crime? Introduction On Theory and Action for Corporate Crime Control, John Braithwaite and Gilbert Geis Prosecuting Corporate Crime: Problems and Contraints, Michael L. Benson Corporate Crime and Criminal Justice System Capacity: Government Response to Financial Institution Fraud An Evolving Compliance Model for Tax Enforcement, Valerie Braithwaite and John Braithwaite Cooperative Models and Corporate Crime: Panacea or Cop-Out?, Laureen Snider