Integrated Theories of White-Collar Crime

David O. Friedrichs

A wide range of theories have been applied to the understanding of white-collar crime since Edwin H. Sutherland first introduced the concept in 1939. Some of these theoretical initiatives are addressed elsewhere in this encyclopedia. Arguably the simplest, most direct explanation for white-collar crime is captured by a single word: greed. At the other end of the spectrum, there are complex, multidimensional integrated theories of white-collar crime. This entry addresses these integrated theories of white-collar crime. An integrated theory of white-collar crime attempts to explain such crime by bringing together several different theories or by invoking multiple levels of analysis, or both. The number of different theories or levels, and the formality with which the relationship between the theories or variables on different levels of analysis is posited, varies. Most of the attempts to explain crime, including white-collar crime, are not integrated theories, and some of the most widely discussed ...

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