CJ 302 Crime and Behavior. Paul Kaplan, PhD, Assistant Professor School of Public Affairs San Diego State University

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1 Time: T Th 12:30 1:45 Room: COM 105 Schedule No pkaplan@mail.sdsu.edu Office: PSFA 181 Office Hours: Tuesday, 2:00 4:00 CJ 302 Crime and Behavior Paul Kaplan, PhD, Assistant Professor School of Public Affairs San Diego State University Course Description: Why do people engage in behaviors that we call crime? The aim of this course is to develop your understanding of the major disciplinary paradigms that are used to explain criminal behavior and to inform official criminal justice policy. This is achieved first by exploring the major perspectives on criminal behavior, comparing their different views of human nature, society, and their definitions of law, crime, crime causation, and policy. Second, we read an ethnographic study of criminals in order to understand how criminals view themselves and their behavior. Finally, we briefly consider the field of cultural criminology in order to analyze the seductive aspects of criminality that are often left out of criminal justice discourse. By the end of the course students will not only have a thorough understanding of the major disciplinary paradigms explaining criminal behavior, but also be aware of the social and political influences that shape crime, criminality and criminal justice. Prerequisites: CJA 200 and completion of all lower division preparation for the major courses. Required Readings: Bourgois, Philippe and Jeff Schonberg (2009). Righteous Dopefiend. University of California Press. Lanier, Mark M. and Stuart Henry (2004). Essential Criminology. Second Edition. Westview Press Additional readings will be assigned and videos will be shown periodically throughout the semester. Exams and Project: 1

2 Your grade will be based on the following measures: 1. Two 25 pt. multiple choice exams (total of 50 pts). Any material covered in the readings, class discussions, or videos is fair game. 2. Two Pop Quizzes (total of 10 pts). Any material covered in the readings, class discussions, or videos is fair game. 3. Semester Project (40 pts). Choose either of the following: a. Field Assignment Report (5 pages), due on 12/15/09: i. Court Notes: 5 pages of observations of court proceedings ii. Conduct an in-depth interview with someone incarcerated in prison or jail and apply a theory to explain their behavior iii. Conduct an in-depth interview with someone working in the criminal justice system (defense attorney, law enforcement officer, parole officer, correctional officer, judge, etc.) iv. Ride along with a law enforcement officer and apply theory to explain their views of crime and/or policing v. Interview people in the community to study the impact of incarceration on the children of incarcerated fathers and mothers vi. Other field assignment of your choice (with approval from the instructor) b. Term paper (5 pages), due on 12/15/09. In this paper, you will: i. Choose an event involving criminal behavior (e.g., the Chris Brown assault, the North Hollywood shootout of 1997, Jack the Ripper etc.); ii. Collect at least 3 media articles (e.g., the Los Angeles Times or Rolling Stone, etc.) covering the case you chose; iii. Analyze the media sources thematically to examine the ways in which the criminal behavior in your case was depicted through media coverage; iv. Collect at least 3 academic peer-reviewed journal or law review articles focusing on theoretical explanations for criminal behavior; v. Apply the theories discussed in your journal articles to your case study. Project requirements: No less than five (5) and no more than six (6) pages Size-12 font Page-numbered Double spaced One inch margins Consistent citation format throughout 2

3 Separate references page at the end Turning in your project: A hard copy of the project is due on 12/15/09 I will not accept ed projects Grading: Grades are based on the number of points you accumulate on the exams and the paper, which have the maximum potential of 100. Grades will be assigned according to the following scale: = A = A = B = B = B = C = C = C = D = D = D- Below 60 = F Protocol: Attendance to all classes is expected. If you have a legitimate emergency, please me before class. This is especially important if an emergency prevents you from taking one of the exams. I will do my best to accommodate any student with a legitimate emergency, but I cannot reschedule exams for students with non-emergency conflicts (such as work, family gatherings, vacations, etc.). Assignments and participation: Readings are to be completed prior to class. This class will be conducted as socratically as possible, which means that I will call on students during every class session. Think of the reading assignments as our common base of knowledge and be prepared to speak at length in class about it. Classroom decorum: Please silence your cell phones during class. Please do not walk out of class until we are done for the day. Please come to class on time and do not leave early unless you absolutely must. Please do not play around on the internet during class (e.g., no partypoker.com or facebook.com or whatever is cool lately). Participation and lively discussion are expected but please be respectful to your classmates and the professor. 3

4 Professor contact: I will do my best to respond to all reasonable s, but cannot respond to last minute, late night requests. I will not conduct virtual office hours nor discuss class materials in detail in . Please try to see me during scheduled office hours or make an appointment. Plagiarism and cheating: Do not plagiarize or cheat. Doing so is shameful, and if you get caught, you will face serious academic consequences. There is a good definition of plagiarism on this SDSU website: Schedule (subject to change): Date Topics Readings, Assignments, Activities 9/1/09 Introduction Introduction Hand out syllabus 9/3/09 What is Crime? What is Criminology? 9/8/09 Classical and Rational Choice Theory Lanier & Henry Ch. 1 2 Lanier & Henry Ch. 3 9/10/09 Determinism Lanier & Henry Ch. 4 LAPD Blues 9/15/09 Psychological Theory Differential Association Lanier & Henry Ch /17/09 NO CLASS FURLOUGH NO CLASS FURLOUGH 9/22/09 NO CLASS FURLOUGH NO CLASS FURLOUGH 9/24/09 Control Theory Labeling Theory Lanier & Henry Ch. 7 9/29/09 Social Ecology Lanier & Henry Ch. 8 10/1/09 Strain Theory Lanier & Henry Ch. 9 Bastards of the Party 10/6/09 Conflict Theory and Beyond Lanier & Henry Ch /8/09 Conflict Theory and Finish Lanier & Henry 4

5 Beyond 10/13/09 Exam 1 Exam 1 10/15/09 A Theory of Abuse Bourgois & Schonberg Ch. Intro Ch. 1 10/20/09 Addicts and Love Bourgois & Schonberg Ch. 2 10/22/09 Sharing Bourgois & Schonberg Ch. Ch. 3 Video TBA 10/27/09 Social Histories Bourgois & Schonberg Ch. 4 10/29/09 Work and Crime in the Community of Addicts Bourgois & Schonberg Ch. 5 11/3/09 Families Bourgois & Schonberg Ch. 6 11/5/09 NO CLASS FURLOUGH NO CLASS FURLOUGH 11/10/09 Friendship and Homoeroticism 11/12/09 Everyday Addicts: the Thick Description of Hardcore Street Ethnography Bourgois & Schonberg Ch. 7 Bourgois & Schonberg Ch. 8 11/17/09 Treatment Bourgois & Schonberg Ch. 9 Conclusion Video TBA 11/19/09 Beyond Hate Crime The Believer Kaplan Article (on Blackboard) 11/24/09 NO CLASS FURLOUGH NO CLASS FURLOUGH 11/26/09 NO CLASS NO CLASS THANKSGIVING THANKSGIVING 12/1/09 Cultural Criminology Readings TBA 5

6 12/3/09 Library instruction Paper writing workshop 12/8/09 Catch up, review and conclusions Library instruction Paper writing workshop Catch up, review and conclusions 12/10/09 EXAM 2 EXAM 2 12/15/09 PROJECTS DUE PROJECTS DUE 6