SOC M15 Introduction to Criminology at Moorpark College. Course # Spring 2014

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1 SOC M15 Introduction to Criminology at Moorpark College Course # Spring Instructor: Robert Wonser Class Time and Place: Fridays, 9:00 a.m. 11:50 a.m. Room: HSS Room: 206 Office Hours: After class and by appointment only rgwonser@gmail.com Website: "Sociology's misfortune is that it discovers the arbitrary and the contingent where we like to see necessity, or nature... and that it discovers necessity, social constraints, where we would like to see choice and free will." - Pierre Bourdieu Student Learning Outcomes 1. Evaluate various acts of criminality. 2. Examine the social, cultural, biological, and psychological etiologies used to support their existence. Required Text: The Mythology of Crime and Criminal Justice Fourth Edition by Victor E. Kappeler and Gary W. Potter. ISBN: Available in the bookstore or online. Recommended Text: Criminology: The Core, 3rd Edition by Larry J. Siegel. ISBN-10: or ISBN-13: Available in the bookstore or online (use any edition you can find). Course Description: Explores the scientific study of crime and criminality and examines the definition of crime and its violations as well as the laws and methods used to control criminal behavior. Sociological theories and research methods provide the means of data collection and analysis in understanding the nature of crime, law, and justice. Course Presentation: This course will utilize lectures, discussions and possibly films throughout the semester. Exam questions will come from all three sources, as well as the required text. Additionally, there will be a project assigned pertaining to course material. Details will be discussed later in the session and found on the course website. Course Requirements: Attendance and reading are imperative for success in this class. I trust you all are responsible adults and this won t be a problem. Therefore, missing more than three classes may result in the lowering of one letter grade. Reading the textbook is important; assigned readings must be done by the day in which they are posted on the syllabus. Grades will be based on the following: 1

2 Points Possible Assignment 1 30 Assignment 2 30 Participation in class 15 Final Project 75 Exam 1 30 Exam 2 30 Exam 3 30 Points you Earned: Final Exam 30 Total 270 / 270 DISCLAIMER #1 Since this is a college-level course we will be discussing adult themes and issues that some of you may hold strong opinions about. At all times we must have an environment conducive to learning, therefore, everyone will have respect for each others ideas. Along with this comes the recognition that our own views may not be the only or correct views about these issues. DISCLAIMER #2 In this course you will be expected to keep up with your attendance, readings and class assignments. It is your job to come to class everyday, read ALL of your assigned readings (on time) and pay attention and participate in class discussions. Doing so will ensure yours and the rest of the class learning experience is optimal. It is also you responsibility to keep up with your grade throughout the course. DO NOT wait until the end of the semester to panic about your grade and inquire about extra credit. I cannot stress this enough; if you do not plan to take this course seriously then I urge you to strongly consider dropping this course. Other Stuff: Any behavior that is rude, distracting or disrespectful in any way to anyone in the class (including me) will NOT be tolerated! To make sure we are clear this includes all of the following (and anything else related that I forgot to mention); NO: ipods, cell phones (texting, talking, playing games, internet whatever), no laptops (unless for the sole purpose of taking notes you must run this past me before using), no arriving late (once or twice is ok, after that it will become a problem and you will have to talk with me about it), no leaving early, no packing up before the class is dismissed, no studying/reading for another class, no talking with your neighbor, and sleeping etc. Please note this list does not include everything possible. Use common sense and common courtesy. If you don t want to be here then don t come; there are plenty of students who would love to have your spot. Tips: I teach several sections of this course at several schools, therefore, when ing me please do include the following:! Your name! school, section number and meeting time (e.g. T/TH 7-8:15)! an appropriate subject in the subject line (e.g. questions about Marx) 2

3 Grading System: Final grades will be based on the following breakdown. There will be no curve. A % B 80-89% C 70-79% D 60-69% F 59% and below Exam Format: There will be four exams in this class. Material covered in class readings, films and lectures will be on these exams. The final will be non-cumulative. Exams will consist of multiple choice and true/false questions. You will need the scantron brand form 882E (sold in the bookstore). * Note: If you do not attend class regularly and keep up with the assigned reading I can almost assure you will not perform well on these exams.! There will be no make-up exams. If you know in advance that you will not be able to take the exam on exam day let me know ahead of time (AT LEAST two weeks from the date listed on the syllabus!) and we will make arrangements for you to take it an earlier date during office hours. Students must give advance notice if an exam schedule conflicts with other obligations. Should a student not be able to take a test on the scheduled date, the examination may involve an alternate evaluation technique, such as an oral exam. Note, forgetting an exam is not considered a valid reason for missing an exam. Additionally, as soon as the first person leaves the room I will no longer allow anyone to start, because the questions are then out in public circulation. Assignment Policy: All work in this course must be your own. They are to be worked on independently and individually. Unless noted otherwise, all assignments are to be submitted by the assigned due date (early is ok) to me in person. Absolutely NO LATE PAPERS will be accepted. There are no excuses for late papers. You can always turn them in early, but not late. Assignments: The class will have two papers due throughout the semester at the beginning of class. They are listed in the syllabus. These essays will serve as the springboard for a class discussion on a topic and/or to get you thinking critically about the material as it pertains to your life. Assignments will usually be due at the beginning of class the day we discuss the chapter. On most occasions, there is no right or wrong answers. Essays will be approximately 3-4 pages in length (unless specified otherwise in the assignment!), 12-pt Times New Roman (or similar) font, double spaced. You will not be getting physical handouts on these but the guidelines will be available on the course website listed above for download. I highly encourage you to format your paper the way the guidelines are presented. That is, if there are three parts to the handout, your paper should have the corresponding three parts. Every question asked of you in the handout should be addressed in the paper. Don't lose crucial points by not addressing them and labeling them in your paper. Cheating policy: It s not tolerated, not worth it, and hopefully won t be a problem. If it becomes one, I will report it. All college academic honesty rules will be enforced. Please refer to the policy on academic dishonesty 3

4 for further questions. Cheating and plagiarism will not be tolerated in any way, shape, or form. If you are unsure how to cite something check with me or the various campus services listed in this syllabus. Copying from wikipedia without citations is NOT ok! There is NO excuse to cheat or plagiarize ever! For further questions please see the college s policy on plagiarism available at this link: Students enrolled in this course are encouraged to use The Learning Center, The Math Center, and the Writing Center services to support their efforts in this class. The Learning Center, Math Center, and Writing Center, located in Library 322, will provide tutorial services and supplemental instruction based on course goals. When using these services, students need to state their instructor s name for tracking and reporting purposes. Students will also need to provide their student ID numbers when receiving tutorial services. For further information call The Learning Center (805) or the Writing Center (805) ext Participation Participation accounts for 15 points of your final grade, while this may not seem like a lot it is often the difference between letter grades. More importantly, this class is discussion based. It works better when more people contribute and you learn more through discussion than through passive listening alone. 15 out of 15 in participation points is for the person who attends regularly and contributes meaningfully to the discussion. These are not random comments or stories that detract from learning but rather insightful comments that enhance learning. Disruptive behavior bodes negatively for your participation grade. Special Accommodations If you have a learning, attention, or physical disability that may require classroom or test accommodations, please let me know as soon as possible. If you have not already done so, please register with ACCESS. The ACCESS office is located just to the right of the Campus Center Building. Call them at Verification from ACCESS is required before any classroom or testing accommodation can be made: Students with disabilities, whether physical, learning, or psychological, who believe that they may need accommodations in this class, are encouraged to contact ACCESS as soon as possible to ensure that such accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion. Authorization, based on verification of disability, is required before any accommodation can be made. The phone number for ACCESS is and they are located on the ground floor of the LMC Building. For Your Information: Should you need to get in contact with the chair of this department his contact info is listed below: Daniel Vieira, Department Chair Tentative Topic Outline and Reading Assignments WEEK DAY TOPIC READINGS (Free text readings are the chapters in the 'topic' heading) EXERCISE DUE 1 10, Introduction to the Course / Orientation Syllabus (read it thoroughly to make sure you do not have any questions about the course requirements) 2 17, Lesson 1: Criminology and the Sociological Perspective Chapter 1: The Social Construction of Crime Myths (p. 1) 4

5 , Friday January 31, 7, 14, 21, 28, Lesson 2: Measurement and Patterning of Criminal Behavior Lesson 3: Victims and Victimization Exam 1 (Lessons 1-3) / Film: Crips and Bloods President's Day: No Class Lesson 4: Classical and Neoclassical Perspectives Lesson 5: Biological and Psychological Explanations Chapter 2: Crime Waves, Fears and Social Reality (p. 33) Chapter 3: The Myth and Fear of Missing Children (p. 53) Chapter 4: Myth and Murder - The Serial Killer Panic Chapter 5: Of Stalkers and Murder - Spreading Myth to Common Crime Assignment 1 due 9 Friday March 7, Lesson 6: Social Structure Theories Chapter 9: Juvenile Superpredators - The Myth of Killer Kids, Dangerous Schools, and a Youth Crime Wave Assignment 2 due Friday March 14, Friday March 21, Exam 2 (Lessons 4-6) / Film: America's Drug War Lesson 7: Social Process Theories Chapter 8: Apocalypse Now - The Lost War on Drugs 12 Friday March 28, Lesson 8: Critical Perspectives Chapter 14: Capital Punishment - The Myth of Murder as Effective Crime Control Friday April 4, Friday April 11, Friday April 18, Friday April 25, Friday May 2, Friday May 9, Friday May 16, Spring Break: No Class Lesson 9: Violent Crime Exam 3 (Lessons 7-9) / Film: Under Three Strikes Lesson 10: Violence Against Women / Lesson 11: Prison Industrial Complex Lesson 12: Property Crime and Fraud Lesson 13: White-Collar and Organized Crime Final Exam 8:00-10:00am (Lessons and film) Chapter 11: Order in the Courts - The Myth of Equal Justice Chapter 12: Cons and Country Clubs - The Mythical Utility of Punishment Chapter 6: The Myth of an Underworld Empire Final Project and Extra Credit Due Critical Dates for this Course Spring Last day to add class: Last day to drop with a refund: Last day to drop without a "W": Last day to drop with a "W": 25-APR-14 5