L14702 White Collar Crimes

This course aims at providing students with some general level of understanding on white collar crime, its characteristics, its complexities and its social and financial impact on business and society

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

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.

The course will run under both seminar and workshop format, which requires active students’ involvement.

Lectures are held throughout the entire semester. Students are expected to take an active role in the class and to participate in the critical discussion of cases and materials.

Notorious high profile cases of white collar crime will be used to critically examine methods of investigation and prosecution of economic offences

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.

All students should pass an oral exam. For those students attending classes, grade will duly take into consideration class participation (30%).

Participation to classes is strongly recommended