Accounts of Honesty: Refuting Allegations of Bribery |
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Authors: | Katarina Jacobsson |
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Institution: | 1. Department of Social Work , Lund University , Lund, Sweden Katarina.jacobsson@soch.lu.se |
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Abstract: | This article investigates the stories told by Swedish men charged with bribery. The interviews are drawn from a study of court cases relating to bribery. White-collar criminals often justify their actions with reference to business culture: “Everyone's doing it.” In this study, when refuting allegations, interviewees also invoke a “folk logic of bribery,” thus making use of mainstream cultural resources. Received ideas of a “real” bribe include the act itself, but also the moral character of the people involved. Accordingly, interviewees tailor a version in line with these ideas to refute the allegations against them. |
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