CRIMINOLOGY Section 904 (online) Fall 2013 Contact Information Dr. Angela Barlow Course Description Communication your How this course works:

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1 CRIMINOLOGY Section 904 (online) Fall 2013 Contact Information Dr. Angela Barlow Contact information: barlowa@etsu.edu Office hours by request through phone, chat, or skype/google video ( me to set up a time) Emergencies only (angelambarlow@gmail.com or ) Course Description This course approaches the investigation of criminal behavior from a sociological perspective, focusing on the impact inequality and social controls have on the production and punishment of criminal behavior. Factors, such as race and ethnicity, class, and gender, influence not only the possibility of becoming involved in criminal behavior, but also impacts experiences within the criminal justice system. Rather than taking a 'get tough on crime' approach, this course will investigate underlying social structural factors that influence criminal behavior and explore the differing reactions to that behavior. Communication When corresponding with me please type criminology in the subject line (I m teaching 3 different courses this semester). I will generally respond to s within hours during the week. If you send me an over the weekend, do not expect a response until working hours the following Monday. It is your responsibility to keep up with assignments, readings, and due dates. You are also required to check the course homepage for announcements and to check your ETSU at least 3 times a week; any changes to assignments, schedules, and the syllabus will be posted in the announcements section of the course homepage. How this course works: I have gone to great lengths to make this course as accessible and easy to understand as possible. My goal in the structure of this course is for all of you to learn and understand the material and to make the grade in this course that reflects the amount of time you have put into learning the material. Since this course is entirely online you will be required to watch anywhere from 10 minutes to 1 hour of video clips each week which will serve as lecture time. Remember that this is a 3000 level course; the work you submit should be representative of an upper-level undergraduate (that is professional, lacking in grammatical errors (especially in typed work), and properly cited. Due to the increasing abuse of borrowing information from online websites, all work will be

2 scanned through an anti-plagiarism tool such as turnit.com. Therefor, I expect all of your work to be your own and in your own words unless accompanied by proper citations. Students MUST have daily access to reliable Internet and a reliable computer to take online courses. It is assumed that IF you do have some type of equipment failure, you will go to the public library (or anywhere else to meet the requirements of taking online courses). EQUIPMENT/TECHNOLOGICAL FAILURE IS NOT AN EXCUSE. You must ration your time and complete assignments by each due date. Performing successfully in online courses requires immense discipline. Students who schedule regular time periods to study online materials do best in these types of courses. For example, force yourself to treat this course as an on campus course, reading the materials and working on the required assignments for a couple of hours each day or on specific days of the week. I will give ample time to complete each exam and each assignment; therefore, NO LATE EXAMS OR ASSIGNMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED. Pay attention to the calendar and the course schedule in the syllabus (please print these out) and do not wait until the last minute to submit assignments and take exams. Course Requirements Required text: Criminology: A Sociological Understanding, Student Value Edition Plus MyCrimeKit -- Access Card Package, 5th Edition By Steven E. Barkan ISBN-10: Here is the link to access the video (be sure to bookmark this page as you ll need to access it often; also please keep track of your password and sign in info): Media Resources Course Lectures and Readings Students are expected to read the assigned readings for each week and to review the course notes/power points for each given week. Exam questions will be developed directly from the assigned text readings AND video clips. ****IMPORTANT!!!! Take NOTES while watching all videos and video lectures as if you were listening to a lecture in class! If it sounds important, especially when laying out theoretical information, write it down. Video lectures are required; you must have paid access to the online textbook resources to watch the videos.

3 Exams and Assignments Film Analysis: You will be required to choose a film from the list provided (see Film Analysis assignment in Module 5 Under Contents for detailed instructions) and analyze the criminal behaviors depicted in the film. You will choose 2 or 3 criminological theories that you believe best explain the behaviors depicted, and analyze the film based on those theories. This will be a 4-6 page paper, 12 inch Times New Roman Font, double spaces, ONE inch margins all around, and will be graded for proper grammar, punctuation, and proofreading. Exams: Exams 1 and 2 will be primarily multiple choice and T/F, but may include a few short answer/short paragraph questions. I will prepare you for these with study guides. These exams will be 40 questions or less, will be 1 hour timed exams, and will be drawn from video lectures and the textbook (and any required additional material). The final exam is slightly cumulative, meaning there will be some multiple choice and T/F questions over the last few chapters but you will also be required to answer a couple of essay questions, applying some theoretical perspectives as you did in the film analysis. Grading: Summary of Grade Requirements: Exam 1 22% Exam 2 22% Final Exam 30% Syllabus agreement 2% Film Analysis Paper 24% Total 100% Grading Scale 93.0% and above = A % = A % = B % = B % = B % = C %= C = C % = D 59.9% and below =F

4 I do not give extra credit but I do give plenty of time to complete assignments and allow you to set your own schedule and choose between two days (for your convenience) to take exams. At the end of the semester I will round up all final grades that fall at or above.50. For example, if you scored a your grade will be rounded to 93, which will increase your grade from an A- to an A. If you scored a your grade will remain as is. If you are struggling in the course or with the material PLEASE contact me immediately. Waiting until the end of the semester to seek help does you no good. Most professors are extremely approachable but YOU have to approach US! Date Topic Reading/Assignment PART I: UNDERSTANDING CRIME AND VICTIMIZATION August 24 Introduction Syllabus, Syllabus Quiz, and Individual Introductions on Discussion Board August 27 August 29 Sept 3 The Social Construction of Crime Sociological Criminology cont Media Representations of Crime Read Barkan Ch 1 & PPT Ch 1 Watch Critical perspectives video: Creating Laws (who benefits?) Watch video lectures (click on each to redirect these range from 1 minute to 6 minutes) What is Theory? Definition of Theory Definition of Theory and Introduction to Concepts Concepts Statements Variable Relationships Hypotheses What is Good Theory? Theory, Research and Policy Read Barkan Ch 2 & PPT Ch 2 Watch 3 min YouTube video Media and Crime Sept 5 Moral Panics Read Hawdon on Drugs and Moral Panics (Found in

5 Sept 10 Sept 12 Sept 17 and Moral Boundaries: defining criminality Measuring Crime Measuring Crime cont Victims and Victimization Content under Additional Required Readings) Watch 6 minute opinion piece video on the media and Moral Panics Barkan Ch 3 & PPT Ch 3 Video Lectures: Introduction to Measurement of Crime Uniform Crime Report National Crime Victimization Survey Underreporting of Crime Read Barkan Ch 4 & PPT Ch 4 Fri/Sat Sept EXAM Over textbook chapters 1,2,3,4 (incl ppts, videos, and the Hawdon reading) PART II: EXPLAINING CRIME Sept 24 - Sept 26 Early theories and Individual Read Barkan Ch 5 & PPT Ch 5 Oct 1 explanations Rational choice theories because they want to; Biological/trait theories it s in their blood; Psychological theories they re disturbed Read Barkan Ch 6 & PPT Ch 6 Video Lectures: Basic Principles of the Classical Perspective Cesare Beccaria Jeremy Bentham Neo-Classical thought Major Principles of the Biological Perspective Phrenology Positivism Oct 3 Enter Sociological Theories! Read Barkan Ch 7 & PPT Ch 7

6 Oct 8 Oct 10 Oct 16 *Note: Chapters 7, 8, and 9, social theories of crime and deviance, are the backbone of this course. Emphasis on Social Structure Social Process Theories Interpersonal relationships Differential Association (learning theory) Video Lectures: Introduction to Social Structure Introduction to Social Disorganization Chicago School Concentric Zone Theory Social Structure Introduction to Chicago School Concentric Zone Theory Introduction to Strain Theory Robert Merton Walter B. Miller Albert K. Cohen Cloward and Ohlin Sykes and Matza Keep reading some of my FAVORITE theories Read Barkan Ch 8 & PPT Ch 8 Video Lectures: Major Principles of Social Process Symbolic Interactionism Life Histories Intro to Labeling Societal Reaction Edwin Lemert Howard Becker Closing Statement about Labeling Emergence of Learning Theory Punishment vs. Reward Introduction to Edwin H. Sutherland Differential Association Introduction to Social Control Travis Hirschi

7 Labeling Theory Control Theories Social Control (social bond) Self-Control Self-Control Theory Oct 17 Critical Criminology Critical theories Race/Class/Gend er Perspectives Read Barkan Ch 9 & PPT Ch 9 Video Lectures: Introduction to Conflict Perspective Definition of Conflict Theory Basic Principles of Conflict Theory Stephen Spitzer Karl Marx Jeffery Reiman Richard Quinney Exam 2 EXAM 2 Fri/Sat Oc t Tues Oct 29 Film Analysis Over Theories (Ch 5,6,7,8, and 9 and all corresponding videos and PPTS) Film Analysis Due by 11:55 pm Tuesday Oct 29 Due Part III: CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR S Oct 29 Violent Crime Watch: Types of Violent Crime Homicide Robbery Aggravated Assault Oct 31 Nov 5 Homicide, Assault, Robbery Property Crime: Economic Read Barkan CH 10 & PPT Ch 10 Read Barkan Ch 12 & PPT Ch 12

8 Nov 7 Nov 12 Nov 14 Nov 19 Nov 21 Nov 26 through Dec 1 Crimes by the poor Property crimes cont Corporate and White-Collar Crime Consensual Crimes: Sex, Drugs, and Gambling The Marijuana Debate The War on Drugs Policing and Crime Control Crime Control cont *Note: Ch 11 is extremely important, but we simply cannot fit 18 chapters into 15 weeks. We will skip some chapters. These topics are often covered in greater detail in special topics courses Watch: Introduction to Property Crime Burglary Larceny-Theft Motor Vehicle Theft Arson Read Barkan Ch 13 & PPT Ch 13 Definition of White Collar Crime Extent of White Collar Crime Corporate Crime Definition of Organized Crime Organized Crime Today Read Barkan Ch 15 & PPT Ch 15 Marijuana Debate- Watch This! The cost of the war on drugs* * (Data provided by Cato institute) Read Barkan Ch 16 & PPT Ch 16 Watch: VIP!!!! You will see questions on these (watch and read): * Watch: A look inside stop and frisk ard8 and watch: Stop and Frisk Policyhttp:// *Read: top-and-frisk-practice-violated-rights-judge-rules.html *Read:

9 Dec 3 Dec 5 Prosecution and Punishment How Can We Reduce Crime? where-stop-and-frisk-tactic-is-business-as-usualskepticism-prevails.html Read Chapter 17 Watch video lectures: Crack versus cocaine sentencing Race and sentencing Why the US is the only western country with the death penalty? Recent drop in public support for the death penalty Trends in application of the death penalty Chapter 18 (read pages ) Dec 8, 9, 10 Final Exam Available Applying what we ve learned Accommodation for Disabilities Any student in need of accommodations due to a disability should contact the disabilities services office. Academic Integrity ETSU policy prohibits plagiarism, cheating, and other forms of academic dishonesty. I expect all of your written work to be expressed in your own words, and cheating may result in a disciplinary hearing with the Academic Review board. All assignments and tests completed for a grade in this course must be the student's original work. Plagiarism and/or cheating will not be taken lightly and will result in a minimum of a zero on the assignment and may result in an F for the course. As stated earlier, due to the increasing abuse of borrowing information from online websites, all work will be scanned through an anti-plagiarism tool such as turnit.com. Any suspected cases of plagiarism will be investigated and potentially prosecuted.