Class, Status and Elites

Abstract

In this chapter, we detail the reasons why it appears that people of lower socio-economic status are more likely to commit crimes. These reasons include the focus of crime studies and statistics on the lower socio-economic classes, the presumed links between crime and poverty, and the fact that who is defining crime are people of high social status. We then discuss the contributions of Edwin Sutherland, who proposed the concept of white-collar crime. Whilst white-collar crime challenges the typical focus on crimes committed by people of lower socio-economic status and emphasises that people of high social status are just as likely to commit crime, albeit different types, white-collar crimes are not the only crimes committed by the elite. A case study of the movie director Harvey Weinstein exemplifies how people in the upper classes also commit crimes typically found in crime statistics. Yet, because of the power that comes with their celebrity high social status, Weinstein and people like him are able to shield themselves from accusations of crimes. We conclude with a discussion of the power of class and being one of the elite.