In what ways are crimes committed by the middle classes different from all other forms of crime?
OCR
A Level
2019
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In what ways are crimes committed by the middle classes different from all other forms of crime?
This essay will explore the differences between crimes committed by the middle classes and other forms of crime. It will focus on the concept of white-collar crime, drawing on sociological perspectives to understand its unique characteristics and how it differs from traditional understandings of crime.
AO1: Knowledge and Understanding
White Collar Crime: This essay will begin by defining white-collar crime, drawing on the work of Sutherland. The essay will then explore the key characteristics of white-collar crime, such as its difficulty to detect, its indirect nature, and its social construction as being less criminal than other forms of crime. The essay will also discuss how white-collar criminals often do not view themselves as "real" criminals, citing the work of Goldstraw-White.
Under-reporting and Investigation: The essay will explain the challenges of estimating and investigating white-collar crime. It will highlight the power dynamics involved, where individuals in powerful positions can use their financial and political influence to avoid arrest and conviction.
Victimization and Corporate Crime: The essay will discuss the difficulties in identifying victims of white-collar crime, particularly in cases of fraud, where victims may not be aware of their victimisation. The essay will also explore situations where companies are victims of employee white-collar crime and choose not to publicise the matter to avoid negative publicity.
Police Focus and Labelling: The essay will examine how police resources are often focused on working-class crime rather than middle-class crime, linking this to the concepts of negotiation (Cicourel) and labelling theory (Chambliss's Saints and Roughnecks). The essay will also discuss the social construction of crime, as illustrated by Box's argument about assumptions relating to motive and weapon based on working-class crime.
Media Representation: The essay will explore the dominant focus of crime in the media, which often centers on working-class crime, reinforcing stereotypes and framing crime as predominantly a working-class issue.
AO2: Application
This section will directly apply the knowledge discussed in AO1 to the specific question of how middle-class crime differs from other forms of crime. The essay will provide specific examples of white-collar crimes and their impact on society. It will also analyze the implications of under-reporting and under-investigation for both victims and the criminal justice system.
The essay will critically evaluate the sociological perspectives discussed, highlighting both their strengths and limitations in explaining the differences between middle-class crime and other forms of crime. It will also consider the ethical implications of the social construction of crime and the potential for bias and discrimination.
Conclusion
The essay will conclude by summarizing the key differences between middle-class crime and other forms of crime, emphasizing the unique characteristics of white-collar crime. It will reiterate the importance of understanding these differences to develop effective crime prevention strategies and ensure justice for all, regardless of social class.
Middle Class Crime: A Distinct Form of Offence
This essay will explore the distinctive nature of middle-class crime, often referred to as white-collar crime, and how it differs from other forms of criminal activity, particularly those associated with the working class.
Defining White-Collar Crime
Edwin Sutherland, a prominent criminologist, defined white-collar crime as "a crime committed by a person of respectability and high social status in the course of his occupation." This encompasses a wide range of offences, from financial fraud and embezzlement to insider trading and environmental violations. Croall emphasizes the concealed nature of these crimes, arguing that they are often indirect, difficult to detect, and not readily perceived by society as conventional crimes.
The Invisibility of Middle-Class Crime
One of the key distinctions of middle-class crime lies in its relative invisibility. Unlike street crimes, which often involve direct victims and visible consequences, white-collar crimes tend to be hidden within complex organizational structures and financial transactions. This makes them challenging to investigate and prosecute.
Moreover, as Goldstraw-White's research suggests, white-collar criminals often rationalize their actions, viewing themselves as respectable citizens rather than "real" criminals. This self-perception further contributes to the lack of public awareness and outrage surrounding white-collar crime.
Power and Impunity
Another crucial difference is the role of power and influence. Middle-class criminals, by virtue of their social standing and resources, often enjoy a degree of impunity that is unavailable to those from less privileged backgrounds. They can afford expensive legal representation, exert influence over regulatory bodies, and leverage their social networks to avoid severe consequences.
This disparity in the application of justice is highlighted by the work of Chambliss, who in his study of the "Saints and Roughnecks" demonstrated how social class influenced the labeling and treatment of delinquent youth. Similarly, Cicourel's work on the negotiation of justice underscores how biases within the criminal justice system can lead to differential treatment based on factors such as class and social background.
The Social Construction of Crime
The dominant perception of crime is heavily skewed towards working-class offences. As Box argues, the social construction of crime involves implicit assumptions about typical criminal motives, methods, and profiles. These assumptions are often based on stereotypes associated with working-class crime, such as violence, theft, and gang-related activities.
This bias is further reinforced by the media, which tends to focus disproportionately on working-class crime. This selective portrayal creates a distorted image of criminality, downplaying the economic and social harm inflicted by white-collar crime.
Conclusion
In conclusion, crimes committed by the middle classes differ significantly from other forms of crime in their nature, visibility, and the social response they elicit. The concealed nature of white-collar crime, combined with the power and influence of its perpetrators, often shields it from public scrutiny and allows for a degree of impunity that is not afforded to those from less privileged backgrounds. This disparity underscores the need for greater awareness, more robust regulatory mechanisms, and a more equitable application of justice to address the unique challenges posed by middle-class crime.
Free Mark Scheme Extracts
AO1: Knowledge and Understanding
Candidates are likely to link middle class crime to white collar crime.
Candidates may refer to:
- Definitions of white collar crime: ‘a crime committed by a person of respectability and high social status in the course of his occupation’ (Sutherland); Occupational crime: carried out by employees.
- White collar crime is hard to detect, indirect and not socially constructed as crime; Croall
- White collar criminals do not see themselves as ‘real’ criminals; Goldstraw-White
- Difficult to estimate and investigate. People in powerful positions can use financial and political power to escape arrest and conviction.
- Unlikely to appear in a victim survey as victims of crimes such as fraud may be unaware of their victimisation
- Companies' victims of employee white collar crime may decide not to publicise the matter to avoid negative publicity.
- Police focus on working class rather than middle class crime; Cicourel and negotiation; Chambliss, Saints and Roughneck, link to labelling
- Box – the social construction of crime involves assumptions relating to motive, weapon etc, based on working class crime.
- Dominant focus of crime in the media is on the working class
- Other reasonable response.
AO2: Application
The selected knowledge should be directly specific to the question - ways in which middle class crime is different from all other forms of crime.