Sociology & Criminology for a Changing World
White Collar Crime, first published in 1949, is considered a groundbreaking work in criminology. In this study, Edwin H. Sutherland not only coined the term “white collar crime” but also expanded the definition of crime to include offenses committed by upper-class individuals in the context of their professional roles. He criticized the prevailing criminological focus
Introduction Norms and values are foundational concepts in sociology, describing the shared rules, expectations, and moral ideals that guide behavior in society. Values explain what is considered good or desirable, while norms specify how to act in given situations. Together, they shape social order, cohesion, and cultural change. Understanding their definitions, types, and real-world examples
With his essay “Social Structure and Anomie”, published in 1949 in the volume Social Theory and Social Structure, Robert K. Merton presented a key text of modern sociology. The essay first appeared in 1938 in the American Sociological Review, but is best known from its extensively revised versions in Merton’s Social Theory and Social Structure
With his work Folk Devils and Moral Panics (1972), Stanley Cohen created a classic of critical criminology and media analysis. Building on the Labelling Approach, he examines how societies, in times of perceived threat, symbolically charge, demonize in the media, and politically combat certain groups. Cohen describes these processes as “moral panics” – collective reactions
Theories within this category approach crime as a culturally and emotionally meaningful form of social action. Rejecting explanations that reduce crime to structural deprivation, individual pathology, or rational calculation, these perspectives emphasize the situated meanings, symbolic dimensions, and affective dynamics that shape both criminal behaviour and the societal responses to it. Crime is thus understood
Techniques of Neutralization explain how offenders justify or rationalize their deviant behavior, allowing them to violate social norms while maintaining a self-image as essentially moral individuals. Key Points Techniques of Neutralization Main Proponents: Gresham M. Sykes, David Matza First Publication: 1957–1958 Country of Origin: United States Core Idea: Offenders use learned techniques to neutralize guilt