White-Collar Crime - Research Paper Example

White-Collar Crime This paper seeks to explain and give a deeper insight into the sociological aspects that determine the various behaviors observed in the business world. Of key interest is the various theory of deviance that fuels such ill conduct in the society. All over the globe, one thing remains clear that the society is divided majorly into two groups, that is, the haves and the have-nots. Moreover, the behavioral characteristics of these people within the society are relatively different owing to the level of interaction experienced. The type of environment in which different people are brought up defines the diverse cultural backgrounds of the societal composition. Nevertheless, in terms of the material wealth and ownership of factors of production, a social line is drawn that clusters the conduct of people into the two major social classes mentioned above. Suffice is to say that the poor share economic, social and political attributes and the affluent does the same. Various theories of deviance in sociology have been used to explain the malpractices in the society. Differential association theory explains much about the brainwashing effect that the practices of the older individual transcend down to the younger learner (Smelser, 130-5). This explains the perpetual existence and apparently increasing gap between the rich and the poor. Over the years the society has been campaigning for equality among people but this is unrealistic in practical application. The structure of the society assumes a pyramid shape in which the majority at the larger base forms the bulwark of the poor and the chain of command goes up the apex. At this point the structural strain theory may be the possible result of the poor falling into crime. This is because they are strained by the ill intentions and manipulations of the elite that they are forced to attempt beating the system. At the top are the elite that are almost being worshiped due to their massive economic authority. In respect of this order the legal system has not been very effective across all these classes of people in the society as claimed (Clinard 150-9). This mentality has got entrenched into the mind of the people such that the law is believed to serve the interest of the reach and tame the success endeavors of the poor. In that regard the business community has not been left out especially in the case of economic crime which is substantially undertaken by elite entities with minimal punishment. On the other hand, the poor people have suffered in the hands of the law over relatively petty activities. Among them is the massive fraud that has been carried out by large and reputable firms and personalities against the welfare of the society. Impunity takes toll across the globe in various ways and it is propagated by the respected in the society who ironically go scot-free. One outstanding crime which is eating its way into the social, economic and political fabric of the society is white collar crime. This is to say that most of the mega economic crimes are not done by the common man but the big fish in the society. It has been known to all and sundry that a petty thief is subjected to a severe punishment while the economic elite in the society walks away with greater crimes right in front of the legal system. A number of cases all over the world before and in this era of globalization have been reported of multinational firms engaging in dishonest business practices and fraudulent activities. This is all because of their ability to beat the law through their numerous dubious ways and easy identification of loopholes in the market framework. It is also not news that most business entities have changed the traditional slogan of customer power to their own manipulative activities of exploiting the clientele (Mann 200-12). The overriding motive of the various entrepreneurial activities in the world has to do with supernormal profits and market power. Through this and the upsurge of cut-throat competition in the business world, firms are engaged in continuous skims of fleecing the customer while they preach the customer power. The misunderstanding arising from the difference in appearance and reality has been to the advantage of the corporate to exploit the society. The group of people have developed the spirit of capitalism that money driven and has no place for equality. Suffice is to say, accumulation of wealth is perpetual and the social welfare of another individual is immaterial provided one amass and defend his/her wealth. These mentality is perpetual especially with the new generations that are brought up is such affluent environment and who has zero experience of the life in poverty. When a poor person is trapped is any criminal activity however small it may be, the full force of law is employed and these is a tool that the powerful people in the society use to threaten and tame the perceived competitors from poor background. The extremity of the white collar crime has pushed out some strong willed leadership personalities out of the job. The sub -cultural theory of deviance explains the behavior of the top cream management who engages in ulterior motivated deals but in the light of the larger staff fraternity preaches integrity .Take the case of Goldman Sachs in which The C.E.O Greg Smith resigned and wrote an open letter that has been all over the world web. His point of complaint arose from the loss of track by the firm concerning the clientele affairs and the shear greed that overwhelmed the interest of customers in the firm (Hickman, 25-7). Many other firms are engaged in business malpractices which eventually end with the customers who on the other side of the coin happen to be the less advantaged in the society. The rot in the society have taken various dimensions but, the baseline has to do with the craving desire to own more wealth and have power. There are cases where some illicit activities earn colossal amounts of money that paradoxically end up funding legal activities. In the society many people tend to consider the final product or rather the ultimate place where such illicit businesses target. In other words, the poor in the society are at the mercy of the illegal business undertakings which the elite claims is justified to support the larger community that is allegedly missing out on the national cake. They manipulate the people that there has been economic marginalization that justifies the black market activities which in actual sense is their economic empowerment tool. Such actions have been taken to a higher scale of the economy where the management of the large firms seeks to maximize profits from the financially emaciated people. In addition to that, there has been the widespread increase in corporate crime which involves managers working out schemes of significant economic ripple to the country and the entire world at large. Such incidences explain the much touted economic meltdown that resulted from worldwide financial crisis. When the large corporate firms indulge in fraudulent activities and other economic crimes, the investors are shaken and they withdraw from further transactions that enhance the circulation of money and other resources in the economy. This descends to the less advantaged in the society through reduced income and money circulation and the resultant effect is aggregate fall in demand (Barkan, 215-8). It is therefore the dirty underground economic activities of the top executive directors that bring woes to the common man. There are numerous sociological factors that defend the weird activities that the elite in the society engage in. Crime is defined as acting against the law but the translation of the law in reality is relative. This means that the meaning of law is always focused to save the rich man. This is always aided by the experience that this class of people have within the circles of power and business rules and the legal loopholes within. They are therefore armed with the appropriate defense mechanisms that will eventually see them sleep out smoothly in the hands of law. Besides this, they are the educated class that will do a courtroom rehearsal and establish necessary hypothesis that can counter the questioning from the judicial system. For the ones who are not well conversant with the law but have the money, they can hire high profile law practitioners or as well manipulate members of the bench with bribe to achieve skewed ruling. On the other side of the coin, the economically less fortunate in the society are victims of unfair judgments due their inability to meet the high legal fee charged by lawyers. It should however be noted that the efforts to remain clean from crime in the society also arises from the control theory which is more pronounced among the less fortunate economically in the society. It should also not be lost that the entire legal structure is dominated by the wealthy that perpetuate the defense of the cronies’ wealth (Mann, 190-6). It is therefore more than the arm of the law but the sociological understanding is of great importance in solving the problem. Works Cited Clinard, Marshall B, and Robert F. Meier. Sociology of Deviant Behavior. Australia: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, 2011. Print. Mann, Doug. Structural Idealism: A Theory of Social and Historical Explanation. Waterloo, Ont: Wilfrid Laurier University Press, 2002. Print. Smelser, Neil J. The Handbook of Economic Sociology. Princeton [u.a.: Princeton Univ. Press [u.a., 2005. Print. Barkan, Steven E, and George J. Bryjak. Fundamentals of Criminal Justice: A Sociological View. Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning, 2011. Print. Hickman, Craig R. Management Malpractice: How to Cure Unhealthy Management Practices That Disable Your Organization. Avon, Mass: Platinum Press, 2005. Print. Read More