This module provides a comparative and transnational analysis of the historical development and recent growth of corporate, white collar and financial crime. In the past these crimes have been dealt with within the conceptual context of 'white collar crime' but it is increasingly recognised that the globalisation of criminal activities presents unique and unfamiliar problems. Corporate and financial crimes are now almost by definition transnational by virtue not only of the growth of transnational legal and illegal business but also because of the globalisation of financial markets via the internet. This module will, therefore, look at the main social actors, processes and interactions by which corporate, white collar and financial crimes are perpetrated, the ways in which they are criminalised, the business ideologies which deny their criminality, the links between the 'underworld' and the 'overworld' of business, and the means by which corporate crimes are dealt with within national and international law.

In order to do this it will look at a number of relevant in-depth case studies concerning different aspects and levels of corporate, white collar and financial crime such as environmental pollution, financial misappropriation, money laundering, tax evasion, health and safety violations, industrial espionage, consumer fraud, and food adulteration and poisoning.

Accompanying this will be a critical analysis of the recent response of national and international agencies to the growth of corporate, white collar and financial crime and the effectiveness at the global level of attempts to regulate and prosecute it. In particular, the role of international agencies, national governments and financial regulatory agencies will be examined together with the problems of bringing corporate actors to justice and punishing them in a meaningful and effective way.

The context for this will be the deregulation of the global economy as a result of neo-liberalism and the 'casino economy' that this encouraged in international business dealings; the globalisation of national economies and the formation of transnational corporations; the growth of the financial services sector and the increasing volume of online transactions; the growing links between terrorist organisations and illegal arms dealers and transnational banks such as BCCI; and the growing need for transnational criminal organisations to 'launder' money through the legal financial system.

In preparation for the dissertation the module will focus upon analysing the available national and international data regarding corporate, financial and cyber-crime; the problems and issues raised by a case study approach to social research; and the problems of interpreting journalistic and governmental sources in a context marked by fraud and unreliable data.

One essay of 5,000 words from a selected list of titles [LO 1-4] 90%

Participation in on-line tasks and discussion [LO 5] 10%

This module will be based on flexible learning materials delivered using the Blackboard virtual learning environment and selected readings provided in (a) a limited number of course texts (b) reading packs of selected articles and book chapters and (c) e-books, e-journal articles and online news coverage.

The Blackboard environment will provide a context for:

- Tutors to highlight key issues, problems and debates for discussion.
- Learners to undertake a range of structured activities which will involve, for example, problem-solving, literature searching, engagement with group discussions, and scenarios.
- Tutors to provide guidance and advice.
- Learners to access guidance on on-line resources available via the web and the university's e-resources pages.

The readings will provide:

- An essential knowledge base for the module which will be available to all learners.
- A resource for coursework and all assessed assignments.
- A point of departure for the structured activities set for learners.

Learners will be expected to engage fully and critically with the resources and activities that are provided and to engage in detailed discussion with tutors and other learners. Tutors will give online academic support and guidance to learners throughout the lifetime of the module and will respond on a timely basis.

The module will run over 16 weeks; the latter will include 4 weeks set aside for learners to complete the assessed work.

A networked computer capable of accessing the internet and running applications such as Blackboard and Adobe Acrobat.
A Word Processor compatible with Microsoft Word.

Croall, Hazel (2001) Understanding White Collar Crime (Open University Press)

Simpson, Sally S. (2002) Corporate Crime, Law, and Social Control (Cambridge University Press)

Tombs, Steve & Dave Whyte (eds.) (2003) Unmasking the Crimes of the Powerful: scrutinizing states and corporations (Peter Lang)