Book Review: Michael L. Benson and Sally S. Simpson White-Collar Crime: An Opportunity Perspective. NY: Routledge, 2009. vi, 240pp. $39.95. ISBN-10: 0-415-95664-1

• DOI: 10.1177/0734016809356305
• Published date: 01 June 2010
• Author: Matthew G. Yeager
• Date: 01 June 2010
• Subject Matter: Articles

Book Reviews

Michael L. Benson and Sally S. Simpson

White-Collar Crime: An Opportunity Perspective. NY: Routledge, 2009. vi, 240pp. $39.95.

ISBN-10: 0-415-95664-1.

Reviewed by: Matthew G. Yeager, King’s University College, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada

DOI: 10.1177/0734016809356305

This monograph represents the work of two very well-known researchers in white-collar crime,

both of whom work in a mainstream, establishment tradition. Their perspective does not generally

incorporate more critical analyses from political economy and tends to rely upon mainstream,

traditional explanations as well as solutions to the problem of white-collar crime.

Permit me to illustrate. The authors argue for what they call an ‘‘opportunity perspective’’ to

study the machinations of white-collar criminals. In their view, that ‘‘opportunities are required for

crime to occur is such a simple one that it is often overlooked in discussions about crime’’

(pp. viiiix). Of course, the foundation for this perspective is based on rational choice theory and

situational crime prevention explanations. In fact, the editor for this series sees this as a ‘‘new way

of examining the vastly under studied area of white-collar crime’’ (p. vii).

In point of fact, analyzing opportunity structures in regard to crimes of the bourgeoisie, the well-

do-to, or corporations for that matter, has been a well-established perspective dating to the early 20th

century. Bonger, in his Criminality and Economic Conditions (1916, 1967 translation) talked about

the environment of business crimes influenced by stealth, opportunity, and a decided lack of sanc-

tions. The famous Edwin H. Sutherland in his White-Collar Crime (1949) talked about the nature of

social disorganization, and how both the structure of certain industries and the risks attendant to

committing white-collar crime varied dramatically and were theoretically important. Even Marshall

Clinard in his classic book, The Black Market (1952), talked about the influence of both subcultural

influences and market conditions during World War II price controls, including government regu-

lations and enforcement policies.

When it comes to theorizing white-collar crime, we get a discussion of Sutherland’s differential

social organization, and then an interesting analysis of Merton’s anomie theory. I say ‘‘interesting’’

because the discussion is actually about the cultural and structural contradictions of capitalism and

how they promote ‘‘widespread corporate deviance’’ (p. 58). It would have been more appropriate to

label this political economy rather than anomie theory. We then get a narrative on control theory,

which is not widely accepted as an explanation for white-collar crime. Next comes rational choice

theory, which is ‘‘the one most compatible with our opportunity perspective’’ (p. 67). Of course, one

of the defects with rational choice theory is that there is usually little discussion of the market forces

over which there is a motivated offender, a suitable target, and a lack of surveillance. In this

neoclassical approach, those market forces tend to get ignored in favor of tightening enforcement

loopholes and jailing those dastardly, white-collar criminals. For example, ‘‘motivations for

white-collar crime are rooted in the culture of competition and are disseminated via organizational

and occupational subcultures’’ (p.71). What kind of competitive market structures are we talking

about?

Criminal Justice Review

35(2) 244-259

ª2010 Georgia State University

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