Criminal Pursuit of Wealth: Theoretical Explanations

• In Event: The Role of Power and Status on Crime, Victimization and Justice Organizations

Abstract

Criminal Pursuit of Wealth: Theoretical Explanations
Criminological theories are guiding lights for explaining why some people commit crime while others don’t. More especially, why is it that some rich people commit financial crimes? That is, why is it that some people who are already wealthy still pursue wealth by all means? To explain their crimes, we had to find out what wealth can bring to opulent individuals. This study tries to identify wealthy individuals around the world and economic and noneconomic crimes they committed.
The paper outlines sociological and criminological theories that can explain the economic and noneconomic crimes of the rich. Using available literature, this paper finds out that the essence of wealth is power, and with power, more wealth is earned. The paper identifies five theories that can explain why some people pursue wealth by all means. These theories are hedonism (Beccaria 1819), expansivity of human wants (Durkheim 1938), structural strain (Merton 1968), economic conditions (Bonger 1916), personal aggrandizement in conspicuous consumption (Ebbe 2003), and fear of falling from the zenith of opulent elite (Ebbe 2016). The paper concludes that the five theoretical explanations are fueled by greed and desire to wield power over others in society.

Author

• Obi N.I. Ebbe, The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga