Exclusive Interview with E.H. Sutherland - Essay Example

The theory also had a structural element positing that conflict and social disorganization are the underlying causes of crime because they determine the patterns of people associated with it. This latter element was dropped when the fourth edition was published in 1947. But he remained convinced that social class was a relevant factor, coining the phrase white-collar criminal in a speech to the American Sociological Association on December 27, 1939. In his 1949 monograph, White-Collar Crime he defined white-collar crime as approximately as a crime committed by a person of respectability and high social status in the course of his occupation.

Sutherland's Response. Criminology is a fascinating field and because of my curious nature and natural passion for intrigue. I joined this profession and as you are already aware that the distinctive feature of criminology since the 1930s has been the dominance of sociology among the various disciplines studying crime and criminal justice. My humble contributions to the sociology of crime and delinquency came from his teaching, scholarship, and involvement in criminal justice policy and this field has helped me to pioneer, innovate and provide significant contributions to the study of organized crime, prisons, and criminological theory.

I have also made central and lasting contributions to the sociology of criminal law and white-collar crime and my ideas in each of these areas are reviewed to produce a portrait or profile of what he added to criminology, to remind those who know it already and also to those who have no knowledge about this field.