U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

DOLE BLUDGERS OR TAX DODGERS - WHO IS THE DEVIANT? (FROM TWO FACES OF DEVIANCE - CRIMES OF THE POWERLESS AND POWERFUL, 1978, BY PAUL R WILSON AND JOHN BRAITHWAITE SEE NCJ-62117)

NCJ Number
62122
Author(s)
R A BRIGHT
Date Published
1978
Length
16 pages
Annotation
THIS ANALYSIS OF ATTITUDES TOWARD THE UNEMPLOYED IN AUSTRALIA CONCLUDES THAT THE UNEMPLOYED ARE VICTIMS OF A SYSTEM IN WHICH POWERFUL GROUPS HAVE PERPETRATED UNJUSTIFIED IMAGES OF THE UNEMPLOYED AS DEVIANTS.
Abstract
DESPITE A SURVEY SHOWING MOST AUSTRALIAN UNEMPLOYMENT TO BE STRUCTURAL RATHER THAN VOLUNTARY, THE AUSTRALIAN PUBLIC HAS STRONGLY NEGATIVE ATTITUDES TOWARD THE UNEMPLOYED. THE PUBLIC BELIEVES THAT THE UNEMPLOYED ENJOY THEIR IDLENESS WHILE RECEIVING GOVERNMENT MONEY FOR THEIR SUPPORT AND THAT THEY ARE SOCIAL DEVIANTS AND THEREFORE RESPONSIBLE. ACCEPTANCE OF THESE BELIEFS HAS BEEN PROMOTED BY GOVERNMENTS AND INDUSTRY IN ORDER TO LEGITIMATE THE CURRENTLY HIGHLY-STRATIFIED SOCIETY. BY FOCUSING PUBLIC ATTENTION ON THE UNEMPLOYED, THOSE IN POWER HAVE BEEN ABLE TO CONCEAL BASIC WEAKNESSES IN THE CAPITALISTIC SYSTEM. IN CONTRAST, TAX DODGING BY THE MIDDLE AND UPPER CLASSES, THROUGH ILLEGAL TAX EVASION OR LEGAL TAX AVOIDANCE ATTRACTS LITTLE ATTENTION. YET IT IS MORE WIDESPREAD PROBLEM. TAX DODGERS SHOULD BE, BUT ARE NOT, REGARDED BY THE PUBLIC AS THE TRUE DEVIANTS. THE PUBLIC HAS, THEREFORE, ACCEPTED THE IDEOLOGY PROMOTED BY THE RULING CLASS AND APPLIED IT ONLY TO THE WEAKEST MEMBERS OF SOCIETY, THE UNEMPLOYED. ONE TABLE AND FOOTNOTES WHICH INCLUDE REFERENCES, ARE INCLUDED. FOR RELATED ARTICLES ON CRIMES COMMITTED BY THE POWERFUL AND PROTECTED BY THEIR LAWS, SEE NCJ 62118-62121 AND 62123-62126. (CFW)

Downloads

No download available

Availability