Rutgers University Fall 2011 Criminology 920:222:05 Dr. Howard Wineberg email: [email protected] Office Hours: 2:40 – 3:10 pm & 7:10 – 7:40 pm Monday and Wednesday in the Livingston Student Center
Syllabus
Course Description
This course examines the nature, function, and causes of crime in society. It attempts to bridge criminological theory and contemporary crime and criminal justice issues. Areas discussed include: understanding crime and victimization; explaining crime; criminal behaviors; and controlling and preventing crime. Current events will be incorporated into the course.
Course Schedule and Weekly Assignments
Week of
September 5 Overview of Course Juvenile Deviance The class meets this week on Wednesday and Thursday at the Regular Time
September 12 Juvenile Deviance, continued Sexual Assault on Campus
September 19 Criminology and the Sociological Perspective (Barkan, chapter 1) Public Opinion, the News Media, and the Crime Problem (chapter 2)
September 26 The Measurement and Patterning of Criminal Behavior (chapter 3) No Class on Wednesday
October 3 Victims and Victimization (chapter 4) First Exam – October 5
October 10 Explaining Crime: Emphasis on the Individual (chapter 5)
October 17 Sociological Theories: Emphasis on Social Structure (chapter 6) Sociological Theories: Emphasis on Social Process (chapter7)
October 24 Sociological Theories: Critical Perspectives (chapter 8) Physician-Assisted Suicide
October 31 Violent Crime: Homicide, Assault, and Robbery (chapter 9)
November 7 The Police and the Black Male The Mark of A Criminal Record Second Exam – November 7
November 14 Violence Against Women and Children (chapter 10)
November 21 Property Crime (chapter 11) No Class on Wednesday
November 28 Consensual Crime (chapter 14) The Devil Made me do it: Use of Neutralizations by Shoplifters
December 5 How can we Reduce Crime? (chapter 17) Prosecution and Punishment (chapter 16)
December 12 Miscellaneous
Final Exam – To be Announced
Required Text
Steven E. Barkan. Criminology: A Sociological Understanding. 4th edition, 2009. Prentice-Hall. The 3rd edition is also acceptable.
Other readings may be assigned as appropriate.
Course Information
The grading for the course is based on: participation / attendance – 10%; first exam – 30%; second exam – 30%; final exam – 30%. The exams will include material covered in the lectures and assigned readings. Student participation through informed opinions and facts is essential to a vibrant and intellectually worthwhile course. Students are expected to complete the readings before class, critically think about the material, and participate in class discussions. There is no extra credit given in this class. Students need to put “Criminology Student” in the subject line of an email. If the subject line is left blank, the email will not be read.
Demeanor
The Department of Sociology encourages the free exchange of ideas in a safe, supportive, and productive classroom environment. To facilitate such an environment, students and faculty must act with mutual respect and common courtesy. Thus, behavior that distracts students and faculty is not acceptable. Such behavior includes cell phone use, surfing the internet, checking email, text messaging, listening to music, reading newspapers, leaving and returning, leaving early without permission, discourteous remarks, and other behaviors specified by individual instructors. Two points will be deducted from the student’s final grade for each time s/he uses a cell phone (including text messaging) in class.
The above schedule/information is subject to change.