Introduction to Criminology
Course Description
What Causes People to Commit Crime? Is it Nature or Nurture?
These two questions have plagued societies since the start of organized communities. Ever since people first started living together in groups, there were those that broke “the rules.” Criminologists are often tasked with trying to explain why people commit crime and how we can reduce crime and victimization. This course will provide you with an overview of past and current theories surrounding criminal behavior as well as debates surrounding the definitions of crime and how society should respond to it.
Learning Outcomes:
By the end of this class, you will be able to:
- Compare basic theories and models and identify their strengths and weaknesses.
- Define key disciplinary vocabulary and terms.
- Apply disciplinary concepts to professional, personal, and/or civic contexts.
- Describe approaches to the way data are collected, measured, and analyzed to address research questions and hypotheses.
- Explain how the social sciences have contributed to our understanding of human societies.
- Identify perspectives on the challenges, concerns, and contributions of diverse and/or marginalized groups.
Course Material
Weekly Assignments
Every week (unless otherwise stated in the syllabus) you will be required to complete an assignment tied to your readings. These assignments consist of short answer questions and definitions based upon what you read that week. These assignments will assist you in preparing for the class exams, discussions, and lectures. They, largely, serve as your notes for the course and will be useful to you in your future studies. You are more than welcome to take further notes if you wish, but I want to assist you in getting in the habit of focusing on what you are learning, rather than worrying about taking notes on everything. As such, these assignments focus on the key concepts from the readings.
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CRJS-215S_Assignment13_MacMillanP
Film Analysis: Breaking Bad
Purpose: The purpose of this film analysis is to allow you to identify how strain theories
function in real life and practice your abilities in applying theory.
Final Paper
The final paper option allowed me to test my knowledge of criminological theory by applying a theory that we covered in class to a piece of popular media (e.g., TV show, movie, book, comic book, song, video game, anime). I was graded based off my ability to describe the theory, outline my choice of popular media, and to properly apply the theory selected. I was very excited about this assignment and knew what I would pick to write about on the first week of class. As for the theory I chose, I used the theory of subculture of violence for the paper. I chose to write about a story arc from a popular anime called Naruto Shippuden.
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