Criminology



Criminology

CRJ 175-80 Fall 2017

St. Charles Community College

Instructor: Kurt R. Woodfin

Office Hours: Thursdays 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. and by appointment

Office Location: SSB 1408

Class: SSB 1408; Thursday (6:30 p.m. – 9:10 p.m.)

Phone: 314-406-7438 cell (Please feel free to leave a message)

E-mail: kwoodfin@stchas.edu

Required Text: Siegel, Larry, Criminology: The Core, 6th 17 Edition, CENGAGE 2017.

Course Description:

This course studies the various explanations of crime: classical, psychological, sociological, critical, and interactionist.  It examines the array of policy responses available to the system, including punishment by incarceration and other alternatives.

Course Objective:

The objectives of this course are to familiarize students with the various causes of crime and deviance at different levels of explanation (Cultural, institutional, neighborhood, group, and individual). A strong emphasis will be place on the policy implications for the various theories of crime. The class will focus on both classical and contemporary theories of crime. The students will develop communication and critical thinking skills through lecture, writing, and class discussion. Students’ performances will be measured through essay tests and a short paper. The tests and paper will measure students’ abilities to understand and communicate the concepts presented in the course description and course objective.

Attendance, participation and preparation are mandatory. Exams are made up from lectures, class notes, and the text. Students are only allowed to miss 6 hours of class. Any student who misses more days/hours than the above absence policy will receive a failing grade for the class, unless the instructor approves the absences.

The exams will be primarily based on the lectures and the required text books. There are 3 multiple choice/essay exams. Each test consists of approximately 60-65 multiple choice questions and 2 essay questions. Students are given the essay questions in advance. The essay questions are attached to the end of this syllabus. It should be noted that the instructor will chose 1 essay question the students must answer. The student will then pick 1 essay of the remaining 3 to answer.

No make-up exams will be given without a serious justification. (Proper documentation will be required) If an exam is going to be missed, you MUST do the following to make-up the test:

1) Contact the instructor prior to missing the exam (if possible) If it is not possible, the student must

contact the instructor prior to the next class period.

2) Proper documentation must be secured (Medical doctor’s note, police report, death certificate,

etc.)

3) Students are to make-up the exam on the day they return to class

Failure to complete any of the above procedures will result in a zero for the test. Acceptance or denial of the excuse for missing the exam and the proper documentation is at the complete discretion of the instructor.

Copious note taking is recommended. I have placed course notes on the Internet at to aid students in note taking. It is recommended that students print out the notes before coming to class and take notes on the printouts. A lot of the material on the test is not covered in sufficient depth on the Internet notes. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that students take notes. If you do not have a computer, then you can use the computers in the library to print the notes.

Paper

Students are expected to write a 3-4 page paper comparing and contrasting classical theory and the positivistic approach. The paper is to be written in 12-point font, double spaced, and must have 1 inch margins. The paper is worth 100 points or 25 percent of your grade. The paper is due on November 30th, 2017 at the beginning of class. No late papers will be accepted.

Grading Scale and Grade Computation

The following grading scale will be used for the class:

A = 90-100

B = 80-89

C = 70-79

D = 60-69

F = 0-59

Grade Computation will be based on the following:

Test 1 is worth 100 points or 25% of your grade

Test 2 is worth 100 points or 25% of your grade

Test 3 is worth 100 points or 25% of your grade

Paper is worth 100 points or 25% of your grade

Total points for the class is 400 points

Finally, if you have any other concerns, please contact me at any time throughout the course.

Course Outline

Test One September 28th Chapters 1-5

Introduction

Classical theory

Routine Activities

Positivism

Biological (Lombroso, Goring, Sheldon, Genetics and Adoption studies, XYY, Biochemical, PMS)

Test Two November 2nd Chapters 5-6

Freud

Psychological Disorders (neurosis and psychosis)

Criminal personality (MMPI & CPI)

Sociopath

Durkheim and Merton, and Crime and the American Dream

Strain Theory (Cloward and Ohlin; and Cohen)

Lower class subculture (Miller)

Social Ecology/Social Disorganization

Test Three December 14th Chapters 7-9

Social learning theory (Classical Conditioning, Operant Conditioning, Modeling/Imitation, Differential

Identification, Differential Association, and Learning Theory)

Control Theory (Containment theory, Hirschi/Social Bond)

Drift/Neutralization

Interactionist Perspective (labeling theory)

Radical Theory/Conflict

Course outline is subject to change at anytime

Miscellaneous

Students must refrain from talking during lectures, unless the class is engaging in class discussion.

Graded papers and exams will be returned to students as soon as is reasonably practical. Normally this will be within one week, but could be longer in unusual circumstances.

Last day to drop and receive a “W” October 27th, 2017

Last day to change from audit to credit/credit to audit September 15th, 2017

Labor Day Holiday September 2nd -4th, 2017

Fall Break October 9th-10th, 2017

Thanksgiving Holiday November 22nd-26th, 2017

Test 1 Essay Questions

Discuss the objective of punishment in terms of pain and pleasure in classical theory. Be sure to incorporate the assumptions about individuals in your answer. (4 points) List and discuss the three elements that are necessary to make punishment work. Be sure to discuss the three elements in detail. (6 points) What is the ultimate goal of punishment in classical theory? (2 points) Finally, discuss at least 3 policy implications of classical theory. In other words, if you wanted to stop or limit crime using classical theory, what kinds of policies and laws would you pass? Be specific in your answer (6 points).

Define both crime and deviance. Give one example of each. (4 points) Is everything that is criminal also deviant and is deviant behavior always criminal? Back up your answers (4 points)

Define social control. (2 points) Give an example of the following forms of social control: positive formal, positive informal, negative formal and negative informal. (4 points) Define specific and general deterrence. (2 points) Discuss any two of the following requirements of crime: criminal act, guilty mind, causation, and concurrence. (2 points)

Define and discuss the assumptions of positivism as covered in class. (8 points) Simply draw the

wheel of social science as discussed in class. (1 Point) Define and discuss what is meant by theory. (2 points) Discuss what is meant by research methods. (2 points) Discuss what is meant by statistical methods (2 points). Define and briefly discuss policy. (3 points) Finally, discuss how theory, research methods, statistical methods, and policy are related.

Discuss the assumptions about the structure and meaning of government in accordance with classical theory. (8 points) What is meant by the law of criminal justice thermodynamics? (2 points) Define restrictive deterrence and discuss both probabilistic and particularistic deterrence. (3 points) Discuss what is meant by territorial, functional, and tactical displacement. (3 points) Discuss the policy implications of the biological theories. You can discuss some of the extreme policy implications, but your answer needs to focus on the more practical policy implications. (2 points)

Test 2 Essay Questions

Discuss Emile Durkheim’s Anomie theory. Focus your answer on mechanical and organic societies. (4 points) Define anomie using a minimum of 10 words. (2 points) What is the cause of crime? (1 point) Briefly discuss the four causes of anomie. (4 points) Merton attempted to apply Durkheim’s anomie theory to the United States. Merton argues there is a disjuncture between the ________ and the _________. Briefly clarify and explain the two concepts you filled in the preceding blanks. (2 points) Merton argues that people adapted to this “strain” in five ways. Discuss each and give examples. (5 points)

In class, we discussed Freud’s theory of psychoanalysis. Freud was interested in the conscious and unconscious minds and their affects on a person’s psychological make-up. Discuss in detail Freud’s three parts of the mind. (9 points) Furthermore, was Freud interested in organic or functional disorders? (1 point) What is the difference between the two types of disorders? (2 points) In class, we discussed personality tests. In particular, we discussed projection tests and personality inventories. Briefly discuss both types of tests and give one example of a personality inventory test. (2 points) Briefly discuss the problems with personality tests (4 points)

Cloward and Ohlin’s strain theory focuses on different types of opportunity structures in society (legitimate and illegitimate). They were concerned with blocked opportunity, and believed there is a gap between ____________ for success and the reality of getting it. (2 points) Briefly explain the three types of subculture that form; be sure to include the name, type of activity and degree of integration. (6 points) Cohen’s theory of delinquent subcultures is similar to Cloward and Ohlin’s theory. Briefly discuss the theory. Focus your answer on social status, competition, the school system, the middle class measuring rod, and status frustration. (3 points) As a result of the status-frustration one of three types of delinquent subcultures will form. List and briefly discuss each subculture. (3 points) Furthermore, his theory attempted to explain “non-utilitarian, malicious, and negativistic behavior. What does that phrase mean? (1 point) According to Miller’s subculture theory, what is a focal concern? (1 point) List and discuss 3 focal concerns. (2 points)

The ultimate goal of psychological theories, especially theories involving personality disorders is to predict future ___________. (2 points) Discuss the policy implications of psychological theories. (3 points) In class we discussed six traits of a sociopath/psychopath/antisocial personality disorder. In order to diagnosis somebody as a sociopath, any 3 of 6 criteria must be present. Pick any three traits and briefly discuss each. (3 points) Briefly discuss the differences between neurosis and psychosis. (4 points) In class we discussed Crime and The American Dream. Briefly explain the problems that exist in the culture and social structure. (3 points) The dominance of the economy manifests itself in three ways. Simply list the three ways. (3 points)

Test 3 Essay Questions

Social disorganization theory/social ecology/broken window theory argues crime is the result of how cities evolve over time. These theorists are particularly interested in zone 2. Why? (7 points) Incorporate zone 1 into your answer. (2 points) Discuss the policy implications of social disorganization theory. (2 points) According to neutralization or drift theory, people drift in and out of conformity using linguistic devices called accounts. In class, we discussed excuses and justifications. Define both of them. (2 points) What are the five techniques of neutralization? Discuss each technique. (5 points)

In class, we covered differential association. Discuss the major points of differential association. Be specific in your answer. (6 points) According to differential association, how is human nature viewed? (1 point) Briefly discuss the concepts “differential” and “association”. (2 points) Discuss at least two policy recommendations based on differential association. (2 points) According to operant conditioning, what are the purpose of reinforces and punishment. (2 points) In class we briefly discussed media’s relationship to crime. First, list 3 examples of media. (3 points) Second, briefly explain the two possible relationships of the media and crime as discussed in class. (2 points)

According to control theory/social bond theory/theory of conformity, there are four social bonds that criminologists should examine to understand crime. The four social bonds are the following: attachment, commitment, involvement, and belief. Discuss each in detail. (8 points) According to control theory, people are which of the following: neutral, inherently good, or inherently evil. Discuss your answer. (3 points) Discuss the various policy implications of control theory. (3 points) Define the concept of master status. (1 point) Give three examples of a master status. (2 point) Also, briefly discuss the idea of retrospective interpretation. (2 points)

Labeling theory is a form of conflict theory that is interested in the effects of labels on subsequent deviant behavior. Discuss how the label causes future deviant behavior. Be sure to include a discussion on the audience, individual, primary deviance, and secondary deviance. (7 points) Discuss at least two policy implications of labeling theory. (2 points) In class, we discussed conflict/radical theory. Describe the differences between the bourgeoisie and the proletarians. Discuss them in detail. (4 points) How can the proletarians threaten the bourgeoisie? (2 points) Finally, discuss how the preceding groups relate to class-consciousness and the idea of false consciousness. Be sure to include a definition for class-consciousness and false consciousness. (3 points)

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download