Crime and Punishment - Essay Example

Argumentative Essay: Is White Collar Crime Really Crime? Table of Contents Introduction 3 Arguments 4 Conclusion 6 References 7 Bibliography 7 Introduction Crime and punishment works hand – in - hand and operates together at the same platform. Punishment for any sort of crime is the ancient way to control and implant discipline in the society. In order to indulge into an argument pertaining to the issue concerned with the validity and reliability of white collar crime included in the regime of general crime and punishment, one has to understand the meaning of white collar crime initially. Under the field of criminology, White Collar Crime has been defined by Edwin Sutherland as “a crime committed by a person of respectability and high social status in the course of his occupation”. This definition was given by Sutherland in the year of 1939 and as a follower of Symbolic Interactions; he believed that criminal behaviors originate from interpersonal interaction. Under this kind of perspective, therefore, the regime of corporate crime overlaps with that of the white collar crimes and the scope for the crimes like fraud, bribery, insider trading, embezzlement, crimes related with computers and cyber world, copyright infringement, money laundering, identity theft and last but not the least forgery, increases. As a consequence, these kinds of crimes and criminal tendencies are more evident and obvious in White Collar employees. Arguments Crime or illegitimate action does not bear any separate entity as regards to the status of the criminal. All the criminal actions that fall under the wide umbrella of white collar crimes or corporate crimes pertains to illegitimate actions whether it if a case of forgery, fraud or bribery. Sutherland coined the term “White Collar Crime” and hypothesized it but did not deviated it form the main course of criminal motives or tendencies. White collar criminals are not differentiated from the general street criminals but a thin line of difference in their motives, techniques and psychological or social issues operating behind the crime was differentiated largely. Yet, the white collar crimes fall on the parameter of illegal or illegitimate action and required punitive steps are also adhered to the crime respectively in different nations across the globe. The term was coined during the years of Great Depression in US and Sutherland noticed that only two percent of the total prisoner in the US jails during his time (per year) were being occupied by the criminals from the upper class but the fact is that this data does not clarify neither does it pacifies the fact that crimes are not being committed by the people belonging to the upper class section of the society. Fiscal laws in US prior to the study and thesis of Sutherland also appreciated the problem of White Collar crimes and passed Antitrust Laws in the decade of 1920s and Social Welfare Laws in the decade of 1930s. The difference is that in contemporary period the percentage of people convicted under White Collar crimes are bit higher but not at par with the street criminals which does not at all indicate to the point that such White Collar crimes such as forgery or money laundering. After the years of the Great Depression in US, the financial security became top most priority for its citizens and a major trend in increasing corporate crimes or White Collar crimes were noticed as many of them started thinking that they were being underpaid at times. There might be a vast difference between the blue collar street crimes like rape, burglary, theft and vandalism but at the core of the problem remains certain socio-economic limitations and psychological problems in rare cases are the reason largely for the execution of such illegitimate actions. There is a direct co-relation between society, money and crime and white collar crimes or corporate crimes are not beyond that paradigm of co-relation. Blue Collar criminals are generally poor and their criminal motive evolve from various structural factors such as association or psychological limitation. But the greater reasons for the blue collar crimes are actually poverty, lack of education and compulsion. On the contrary, the White Collar criminals are more opportunists. They are not driven by any economic compulsion largely to take the path of illegitimate action. It is mainly their pursuit of high ambition and desire for professional growth that largely instigate them to take the path of crime. The white collar criminals are mostly intelligent, educated, and financially strong and confident individuals who are stable and qualified enough to undertake any profession and they take the advantage of the circumstances just to gather financial gain. The White Collar crime is often committed just to pacify the desires to accumulate large sum of money backed by unmonitored access. The White Collar crimes cost almost more than $300 million every year according to FBI and these criminals do not though start as criminals and often overlap their action with professional needs and actually use intellect as their weapon to victimize their prey which is more unethical (Federal Bureau of Investigation, n.d.). White Collar crimes are so complicated that courtroom often falls short as a place to investigate and render the justice. Yet for financial gain when any illegitimate action is been taken that cannot be merely overlapped with organizational goal or culture. Sutherland coined the term and tried to find the thin line of difference between the White Collar crimes and the street crimes. However, the criminal instincts or parameters are not much different than the street crimes. The only difference is that in White Collar crimes there is no mark of physical harm as such. But only this parameter is not enough to claim that white collar crimes are in any means lighter form of illegitimate actions. On the contrary, the motive behind White Collar crimes are more serious than the general or main stream or Blue Collar crimes as there are no marks of any economic compulsion or social insecurity. Conclusion Crime is simply defined as an act punishable by law; usually considered as an evil act; “a long record of crimes” (Princeton University, n.d.). The breach of trust and evil proceedings are involved equally in White Collar crimes as they are percolated and operated in the Blue Collar criminal activities. Therefore, under no means and circumstances the White Collar crime can be kept out of the regime of illegal action. Street crimes can be still looked upon with a perspective of mercy as these are compelled by certain structured reasons and economic compulsions but white collar crimes in terms of motif are more offending and serious as it highlights the ambition and unhealthy pursuit and unlawful desire of human. References Princeton University, No Date. Crime. World Net Web. [Online] Available at: http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=crime [Accessed September 01, 2010]. Federal Bureau of Investigation, No Date. White Collar Crime. Home. [Online] Available at: http://www.fbi.gov/whitecollarcrime.htm [Accessed September 01, 2010]. Bibliography Providence College, No Date. History. Corporate Crimes. [Online] Available at: http://www.providence.edu/polisci/students/corporate_crime/history.htm [Accessed September 01, 2010]. Lea, J., 2001. Crime as governance: reorienting criminology. Virgin Media. [Online] Available at: http://www.bunker8.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/misc/crimgov.htm [Accessed September 01, 2010]. Read More