L25522 White collar crimes

Scuola di Diritto
Syllabus
Academic Year 2013/14 First Semester

Learning Objectives

 

At the end of the course the student will be able:

  1. to acquire an understanding of white collar crime and its main characteristics
  2. to understand the complexity of economic crimes
  3. to develop a full understanding of how economists, sociologists and criminologists deal with an issue that is of great concern to our Society
  4. to examine specific cases of the investigation of white collar offences
  5. to appreciate the challenges of prosecution of these criminals
  6. to identify criminological theories which apply to this kind of crimes
  7. to use the economist’s and the sociologist’s tools to examine the economic and the social cost of white collar crime

Learning targets

 

At the end of the course the student will be able:

  1. to acquire an understanding of white collar crime and its main characteristics
  2. to understand the complexity of economic crimes
  3. to develop a full understanding of how economists, sociologists and criminologists deal with an issue that is of great concern to our Society
  4. to examine specific cases of the investigation of white collar offences
  5. to appreciate the challenges of prosecution of these criminals
  6. to identify criminological theories which apply to this kind of crimes
  7. to use the economist’s and the sociologist’s tools to examine the economic and the social cost of white collar crime

Course Content

 

The aim of the course is to provide students with an overview of white collar offences and their power to undermine the basis of trust which holds Society together. Particular attention will be devoted to the analysis of the harmful activities of corporations which endanger the safety of workers and consumers, and have a wide impact on public health and the environment.

Starting from Edwin Sutherland’s official definition of white collar criminality, the course will focus on the historical perspective in order to increase the students’awareness of the huge social and economic cost generated by the so called “crimes of the powerful”.

Students will also be encouraged to develop their analytical thinking capabilities through comparison and contrast in the application of criminological theories to the problem of economic crime.

Course Delivery

 

The course will run under a workshop format requiring active students’ involvement. Lectures are held throughout the entire semester. Students are responsible for reading the material before coming to class and for providing a meaningful contribution to the discussion led by the instructor. They are expected to take an active role in the class and to participate in the critical discussion of cases and materials.

In preparing for lectures, students are required to read the articles, cases and academic papers provided  by the instructor, but they are also encouraged to extend their reading to related papers discovered through personal search on the internet and to related newspaper articles they may become aware of through their daily reading.

Students are responsible for consulting on a regular basis the website of the course on “my.liuc.it” where updates, additional material and slides about the course are posted.

Course Evaluation

 

For students attending classes, grade is based on class participation (50%) and a final oral exam (50%). All other students should pass an oral exam.

Syllabus

Session 1
Hours of lesson: 3
Instructor: C. Rimoldi

Topics:

 

Topics

  • Introduction: The legal definition of a crime
  • Public perception of crime as influenced by the media

Readings:

None

Readings:

Session 1
Hours of lesson: 3
Instructor: C. Rimoldi

Topics:

 

Topics

  • Introduction: The legal definition of a crime
  • Public perception of crime as influenced by the media

Readings:

None

Readings:

Session 2
Hours of lesson: 3
Instructor: C. Rimoldi

Topics:

 

Topics

Edwin Sutherland: white collar crime as a crime committed by a person of respectability and of high social status in the course of his occupation

Readings:

Edwin Sutherland, White collar criminality, 1939, American Sociological Society, Presidential Address

Session 2
Hours of lesson: 3
Instructor: C. Rimoldi

Topics:

 

Topics

Edwin Sutherland: white collar crime as a crime committed by a person of respectability and of high social status in the course of his occupation

Readings:

Edwin Sutherland, White collar criminality, 1939, American Sociological Society, Presidential Address

Session 3
Hours of lesson: 3
Instructor: C. Rimoldi

Topics:

 

  • Brief history of Criminology: from the spiritual explanation of crime to the Positive and Classical School of Criminology
  • The main characteristics of white collar crime

Readings:

 

George B. Vold, Thomas J. Bernard, Jeffrey B. Snipes, Theoretical Criminology, OUP USA, 2002, Chapters 1, 2, 3

Session 3
Hours of lesson: 3
Instructor: C. Rimoldi

Topics:

 

  • Brief history of Criminology: from the spiritual explanation of crime to the Positive and Classical School of Criminology
  • The main characteristics of white collar crime

Readings:

 

George B. Vold, Thomas J. Bernard, Jeffrey B. Snipes, Theoretical Criminology, OUP USA, 2002, Chapters 1, 2, 3

Session 4
Hours of lesson: 3
Instructor: C. Rimoldi

Topics:

 

  • Conceptualizing white collar crime
  • Occupational and organizational crime

Readings:

  Hazel Croall, Understanding white collar crime, Open University Press, 2002, Chapters 1,2

Session 4
Hours of lesson: 3
Instructor: C. Rimoldi

Topics:

 

  • Conceptualizing white collar crime
  • Occupational and organizational crime

Readings:

  Hazel Croall, Understanding white collar crime, Open University Press, 2002, Chapters 1,2

Session 5
Hours of lesson: 3
Instructor: C. Rimoldi

Topics:

 

  • The Enron Case

Readings:

 

  • Bethany McLean, Peter Elkind “The smartest guys in the room: the amazing rise and scandalous fall of Enron” - Documentary
Session 5
Hours of lesson: 3
Instructor: C. Rimoldi

Topics:

 

  • The Enron Case

Readings:

 

  • Bethany McLean, Peter Elkind “The smartest guys in the room: the amazing rise and scandalous fall of Enron” - Documentary
Session 6
Hours of lesson: 3
Instructor: C. Rimoldi

Topics:

 

  • Emile Durkheim and Robert K. Merton
  • Consumer Crimes: The Ford Pinto Case

Readings:

 

George B. Vold, Thomas J. Bernard, Jeffrey B. Snipes, Theoretical Criminology, OUP USA, 2002, Chapters 6 and 8

Douglas Birsch, John H. Fielder, The Ford Pinto Case, a study in applied ethics, business and technology, State University of New York Press, 1994

Session 6
Hours of lesson: 3
Instructor: C. Rimoldi

Topics:

 

  • Emile Durkheim and Robert K. Merton
  • Consumer Crimes: The Ford Pinto Case

Readings:

 

George B. Vold, Thomas J. Bernard, Jeffrey B. Snipes, Theoretical Criminology, OUP USA, 2002, Chapters 6 and 8

Douglas Birsch, John H. Fielder, The Ford Pinto Case, a study in applied ethics, business and technology, State University of New York Press, 1994

Session 7
Hours of lesson: 3
Instructor: C. Rimoldi

Topics:

 

  • The white collar offender
  • White collar victimization

Readings:

Hazel Croall, Understanding white collar crime, Open University Press, 2002, Chapters 3,4

Session 7
Hours of lesson: 3
Instructor: C. Rimoldi

Topics:

 

  • The white collar offender
  • White collar victimization

Readings:

Hazel Croall, Understanding white collar crime, Open University Press, 2002, Chapters 3,4

Session 8
Hours of lesson: 3
Instructor: C. Rimoldi

Topics:

 

  • The organization did it. Individuals, Corporations and Crime
  • Nick Leeson and Baring Banks

Readings:

 

John Minkes and Leonard Minkes (edited by), Corporate and white collar crime, Sage Publications Ink, 2008

 

Stephen Fay, The Collapse of Barings, Library of Congress, 1997, The Education of Nick Leeson, The game begins

Session 8
Hours of lesson: 3
Instructor: C. Rimoldi

Topics:

 

  • The organization did it. Individuals, Corporations and Crime
  • Nick Leeson and Baring Banks

Readings:

 

John Minkes and Leonard Minkes (edited by), Corporate and white collar crime, Sage Publications Ink, 2008

 

Stephen Fay, The Collapse of Barings, Library of Congress, 1997, The Education of Nick Leeson, The game begins

Session 9
Hours of lesson: 3
Instructor: C. Rimoldi

Topics:

 

  • Environmental crimes: Anne Anderson v Beatrice Food

Readings:

 

The trial documents

A Civil Action – The movie

Session 9
Hours of lesson: 3
Instructor: C. Rimoldi

Topics:

 

  • Environmental crimes: Anne Anderson v Beatrice Food

Readings:

 

The trial documents

A Civil Action – The movie

Session 10
Hours of lesson: 3
Instructor: C. Rimoldi

Topics:

 

  • Whistleblowing, a critical approach

Readings:

Material will be provided  by the instructor during the course

Session 10
Hours of lesson: 3
Instructor: C. Rimoldi

Topics:

 

  • Whistleblowing, a critical approach

Readings:

Material will be provided  by the instructor during the course

Session 11
Hours of lesson: 3
Instructor: C. Rimoldi

Topics:

 

  • Criminology: Learning Theories
  • Business Ethics

Readings:

 

George B. Vold, Thomas J. Bernard, Jeffrey B. Snipes, Theoretical Criminology, OUP USA, 2002, Chapter 9

Enron’s Code of Ethics

Session 11
Hours of lesson: 3
Instructor: C. Rimoldi

Topics:

 

  • Criminology: Learning Theories
  • Business Ethics

Readings:

 

George B. Vold, Thomas J. Bernard, Jeffrey B. Snipes, Theoretical Criminology, OUP USA, 2002, Chapter 9

Enron’s Code of Ethics

Session 12
Hours of lesson: 3
Instructor: C. Rimoldi

Topics:

 

  • Cybercrimes

Readings:

Selected articles and cases

Session 12
Hours of lesson: 3
Instructor: C. Rimoldi

Topics:

 

  • Cybercrimes

Readings:

Selected articles and cases


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