White Collar Crime

The sociologist Edwin Sutherland, a graduate of the famous Chicago School, sets out to study the criminal activity of the wealthy and their business institutions — and he finds a lot of it. In 1949, he publishes White Collar Crime, taking as his title a phrase he himself had coined. Sutherland's publisher, concerned about the possibility of lawsuits, forces him to change the names of the corporations he has investigated. Nevertheless, his trailblazing work uncovers an area of criminal activity that has previously been neglected. Sutherland concludes that illegal conduct in corporate America is prevalent, deliberate, and organized, the result of a pervasive culture of disregard for the law€not the misdeeds of rogue employees. He suggests that this type of illegal behavior may actually be more costly for society than street crime.

Though a precise definition of white-collar crime is difficult to pin down, Sutherland creates a workable framework defined by the status and social position of the perpetrator, as well as particular features of the offense. Typically, these acts include fraud, price-fixing, and embezzlement, as well as corporate conduct outlawed by federal acts designed to protect consumers and foster a fair marketplace. White-collar offenses are rarely, if ever, punished as street-level crime. Still, thanks to Sutherland, this aspect of criminal activity is no longer hidden. The 1983 edition of White Collar Crime will reveal the names of the corporations — most of whom remain in business at the end of the century.

Wall St., New York City, 1941 Library of Congress