1. “Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2010
Concept & Nature of
Privileged Class
Deviance
Tejal N Rohit
LLM 1 (2nd Sem)
Roll No.22

2. “Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2010
Introduction
 Privileged class deviance is a notion very
much similar to the concept of ‘White collar
crime’ of Sutherland as crime committed
by high educational status person or socio-
economic crimes.
 Privileged deviance can be divided into
white-collar deviance, or corporate and
occupational deviance, and governmental
deviance

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Meaning & Concept of
Privileged class deviance
 Privileged Class Deviance, means crime
committed by privileged class of society or
crime committed by powerful privileged
class of society.
 Privileged classes deviance focuses upon
the relation between privileged, power and
their deviant behavior.

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Continue…
 In simple words, Crime committed by
educated and cultured persons, who are
well-clad and would not be normally
reckoned as criminals.
 These persons utilize their economic and
social status as a cover for their crimes.

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Nature of Privileged class
deviance
 What is White-Collar Deviance?
Edwin Sutherland: Introduced the concept
of white-collar crime in 1939. Crime
committed by "the upper, white-collar
class, which is composed of respectable,
or at least respected, business and
professional men in the course of his
occupation.“

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Continue……
 Excludes crimes like Murder, Adultery,
and Intoxication because these are not
customarily part of their occupational
procedures
(1) Occupational related
(2) deviant is a respectable, high status
person
 Also includes corporations participating in
deviant activities

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Corporate Deviance
 Corporate deviance takes place in
corporations; it is carried out for benefit
of the company or an individual; the
FOUR major types of deviance include:
1. Deviance against employees
2. Deviance against customers
3. Deviance against the Government
4. Deviance against the environment

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Occupational Deviance
 White-collar crime committed by employees for
individual gain is usually less costly than that
committed by corporations, but still far more
costly than street crimes
 It is estimated that as many as 60% of
American employees may steal from their
employers if the opportunity is presented
 Embezzlement: stealing of money; costs as
much as $27.2 billion in one year (commercial
banks lose five times as much to embezzlers
as armed robbers).

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Occupational Deviance –
cont.
 Financial frauds are very prevalent
 tax evasion
 securities fraud
 Deviance in the professions is those acts
committed during the course of the individual's
occupation
 medical misconduct – fee splitting, unnecessary
surgery and fraudulent payment claims
 lawyerly lawlessness – overcharging, and
intentionally causing delays in court
 accounting abuses – assisting clients in
falsifying deductions during audits

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What Makes White-Collar
Deviance Unique?
 Use of power, influence, or respectability
to minimize detection
 Rational execution to maximize profits
 Non-criminal self-image
 Victim's unwitting cooperation
 Society is relatively indifferent

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Causes of White-Collar
Deviance
 Three reason why some people are more
likely than other to be deviant:
1. Stronger criminal motivation (greed is
stronger than fear)
2. Great criminal opportunity
3. Weaker social control (tax law
enforcement)

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Governmental Deviance
 Many public officials abuse their power in a
variety of ways
 Official deviance: abuse of power by
governmental officials or politicians running for
office
 Political corruption: abuse of power for
personal gain
 Election improprieties include the illegal or
unethical means used to win elections
 Official violence against citizens has a long
history

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Global Perspective: Official
Corruption
 Official corruption is very common
around the world, and especially in
poorer countries, where corruption of
public officials is seen as normal
 Causes of official corruption:
1. poverty
2. large populations
3. lack of democracy

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Official Ways of Neutralizing
Deviance
 Official deviants practice “the ritual of
wiggle”
 Continually deny that wrongdoing has
occurred
 Ignore the deviance
 Accusing the accuser
 Promising an investigation
 Claim the action was necessary

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Causes of Governmental
Deviance
 Abundance of ambiguous laws
 Complex nature of the government; lack
of information (greater complexity leads
to greater confusion and diminished
awareness that deviance is being
committed) and responsibility