Criminology Jonathan H. Westover Office—319 Beh S Office Hours: by appointment Phone: NA Soc. 3561 Sec. 001 Spring 2009 M/W/F 9:40-10:30 Beh S 110 Email: [email protected] Course Content The objective of this course is to explore crime, its context, and its causes. The course is divided into four major sections: a foundation in criminology, theory of crime causation, typology of crime, and crime prevention efforts. Specifically, students will be introduced to the nature and extent of crime, the criminal justice system, various theories explaining why crime occurs, different types of crimes, and recent efforts to deal with and prevent crime. Attention will be directed at including issues relating to race, class, and gender due to the historical exclusion of these issues in criminological discussion. Course Goal Students, after completing this course, should be able to recognize, understand, and think critically about the major issues in criminology. Additionally, students should be able to apply concepts covered in the course to their encounters with crime and criminology (via the media, through personal experience, and so on). Required Readings • Siegel, Larry Criminology: The Core Belmont, CA: Wadsworth • Gonnerman, Jennifer Life on the Outside: The Prison Odyssey of Elaine Bartlett • Articles on reserve Course Requirements and Grading Students will be required to complete the following: four exams, a term paper, and in-class reaction papers. Given that this is a large, lecture course attendance will not be taken. However, a considerable portion of each exam will be devoted to in class lectures and the in-class reaction papers can only be done in class on the day they are assigned. The grading scale and grading components are as follows: 93-100% A 90-93% A- 87-90 B+ 83-87 B 80-83 B- 77-80 C+ 73-77 C 70-73 C- 67-70 D+ 63-67 D 60-63 D- <60 E Exams 60% Term Paper 15% Application Assignments 10% In-Class Reaction Papers 10% In-Class Presentation 5 % Total 100%Course Requirements Descriptions Exams: There will be 4 exams. Each exam will cover readings, lectures, videos, and presentations from one of the four specific sections of the class (e.g., Foundation, Theory, Typologies, or Prevention). The exams will not be cumulative. Exams will consist of multiple choice, fill-in-blank, and short answer questions. Students will be tested on how well they comprehend and are able to apply the concepts covered in the course. Illegible handwriting on exams will result in zero points for that particular question. Exams are worth 20% each (a total of 60%). The lowest of the four exam scores will be dropped. THERE WILL BE NO MAKE-UP EXAMS, QUIZZES, OR ASSIGNMENTS. Term Paper: The term paper will be due on July 28th. No late papers will be accepted. Students will be expected to complete a well-written, well-researched 6 to 10 page research paper on a topic to be assigned. Students should use at least five recent academic journal articles or books to research the assigned topic. Papers should be double-spaced and typed in 12 point font or less with 1” margins on all sides. Students will be graded on how well they researched the topic, answered the given question(s), and technical aspects of the paper (grammar, punctuation, citations, writing, etc…). More information regarding the term paper will be discussed in class. The paper is worth 15%. Enrichment/Application Assignments: Each Friday will be set aside for application of the course materials to the real world. You will be expected to turn in 4 application assignments throughout the term. You will need to find some article in the newspaper or online, provide a summary overview of that article, and than apply it to what we have be discussing in class that week (recent weeks). Papers should be at least 2 pages, double-spaced and typed in 12 point font or less with 1” margins on all sides. Application assignments are worth 2.5% each (a total of 10%). In-Class Reaction Papers: Periodically, students will be asked to write in-class reaction papers to issues discussed in class on that particular day. The purpose of these assignments is to think critically and thoughtfully about issues in criminology. These assignments can only be completed in class on the day they are assigned. No make-up assignments will be accepted. In-class reactions papers are worth a total of 10%. In-Class Presentation: Each student will be required to do one 5-minute presentation in front of the class. The first 10 minutes of each class session will be set aside for student presentations and reactions to the assigned reading for that class (students will have an opportunity to sign up for their presentations in advance). The first 5 minutes will be given to a student who will provide a brief summary of the main themes and take-away points in the assigned reading for that day. The second 5 minutes will be given to a second student to provide a reaction to the reading materials, including a critique of at least one or more of the key areas in the reading. If a third student presents on that day, they will provide brief additional summary on previously omitted information and additional critique of the assigned reading, as well as provide a real-life application. All students scheduled to present on a given day must be prepared to present in all three capacities, as their presentation roles will be chosen at random the day of the presentation. The in-class presentation is worth 5%. Extra Credit/Make-up Assignments: Observations/Field Trips To help you gain an understanding of the criminal justice system, in addition to providing you opportunities to make up any missed work or increase your grade, the following extra credit assignments are available. You can do up to 2 different observation/field trip extra credit assignments, each worth a possible 2.5% of your overall final grade (for a potential additional 5% increase in your overall grade): Observations/Field Trips: (1) Adult district court, (2) Drug Court, (3) Federal Court in Salt Lake City, and (4) Adult Probation and Parole ride along.Students are responsible to contact the necessary individuals in