[Photo of Sociologist Edwin Sutherland from wikipedia]
In 1939, famous sociologist Edwin Sutherland defined white collar crime as crime committed by a person of respectability and high social status in the course of his occupation.
This definition has been criticized by many other the years since then. For example, as a part-time criminal justice professor, I have often taken issue with Sutherland's definition because it requires that the crime must have been committed by a person of "high social status" in order to be classified as white collar crime. In my opinion, even an embezzlement committed by a low level bank teller would constitute white collar crime.
Do you agree? What is your opinion about Sutherland's definition of white collar crime?
In 1939, famous sociologist Edwin Sutherland defined white collar crime as crime committed by a person of respectability and high social status in the course of his occupation.
This definition has been criticized by many other the years since then. For example, as a part-time criminal justice professor, I have often taken issue with Sutherland's definition because it requires that the crime must have been committed by a person of "high social status" in order to be classified as white collar crime. In my opinion, even an embezzlement committed by a low level bank teller would constitute white collar crime.
Do you agree? What is your opinion about Sutherland's definition of white collar crime?
This post first appeared on White Collar Crime In Georgia--A Blog By The Gools, please read the originial post: here
