SEXUALITY, CRIME AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE GSS Fall 2013

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1 The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey School of General Studies General Social and Behavioral Sciences SEXUALITY, CRIME AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE Fall 2013 Instructor: Dr. Deeanna M. Button Course Hours: T/R: 2:30-4:20pm Course Location: B-001 Office Hours: M/T/R: 10:30-11:30am; T: 4:45-5:30pm; and by appointment Office Location: H-240 Contact Information: Phone: COURSE DESCRIPTION While scholars have documented the impact of race, class, and gender on issues related to crime and criminal justice, the influence of sexuality on crime and criminal justice has yet to be fully recognized. This course utilizes research from American History, Sociology, Criminology, and Gender and Sexuality studies to understand the affect of sexuality on crime and criminal justice. The course begins with an exploration of the historical construction of sexuality. Students will examine how the construction of sexuality impacts the definition, production, and response to crime. Students will also explore how sexuality affects the experiences of victims, offenders, and practitioners in the criminal justice system. An intersectionalist perspective will be used to explore how experiences of crime and criminal justice are further shaped by gender and race. G-COURSE QUALIFICATIONS This course will provide students with a better ability to understand human behavior by exploring how the historical construction of sexuality influences current constructions and reactions to crime. Students will read theoretical and empirical literature from multiple disciplines to better understand this subject. The assigned readings stem from various disciplines including American History, Sociology, Criminology, and Sexuality and Gender studies. This multi-disciplinary reading list will ensure that students are exposed to a wide variety of perspectives on how sexuality influences the production and reaction to crime. STUDENT LEARNING GOALS As a result of this course, students will: 1. Describe factual knowledge (terminology, classifications, trends) about the historical construction of sexuality and how sexuality shapes crime and criminal justice; 2. Learn fundamental principles, generalizations, and theories to understand the influence of sexuality on crime and criminal justice; 3. Analyze and critically evaluate various ideas, arguments, and points of view to better understand how sexuality shapes contemporary issues related to crime and criminal justice; 4. Develop skills, competencies, and points of view to challenge current knowledge of crime and criminal justice to help further understandings of crime and criminal justice.

2 TEACHING APPROACH FOR THIS COURSE I believe that learning is an active, ongoing, and collaborative experience. I approach teaching more as facilitating, and believe that the onus of learning is on the student. I am not here to force memorization on you, nor do I expect a regurgitation of information that is found in textbooks or other readings. I am here to help you understand and make greater sense of the information that you come across. From this approach, you, as the student, should expect to engage actively in critical thinking. It is expected that you will put a substantial amount of effort into your learning. The learning that occurs in this course comes from your active participation in readings and discussions of the course material. The majority of learning occurs through engagement in critical in-class discussions of the assigned readings. You should also expect to collaborate with your peers. If you believe you cannot or will not complete the readings and/or speak up in class, it would be wise to look for another class. This is not meant to discourage or scare you, just simply to make you aware that you must read to discuss, and you must discuss to successfully learn the material and succeed in the course. REQUIRED TEXT Elder, L., & Paul, R. (2009). The aspiring thinker s guide to critical thinking. Foundation for Critical Thinking: Tomales, CA. ISBN REQUIRED ARTICLE READINGS The scholarly articles listed within the tentative course schedule expose students to additional perspectives on the subject matter. These readings subject students to current empirical research and a wider array of critical thought on various topics related to sexuality, crime, and criminal justice. They also provide students with the opportunity to practice critical analysis and evaluation skills. These sources are available via Blackboard. COURSE REQUIREMENTS & GRADING Grades will be based on the following: REQUIREMENT POINTS Analytical Essays (4) 15 each 60% Peer Reviews (3) 5 each 15% Reading Notes (20) ½ each 10% Class Participation total 15% TOTAL % Analytical Essays Students will write four essays to analyze and critically evaluate theoretical arguments. These essays will help students develop skills, competencies, and points of view to challenge current understandings of crime and criminal justice and to help further understandings of crime and criminal justice. Essays will take the form of a short paper, 3-4 pages, that begin with a clear thesis. Essay must be supported with course material that is properly cited. The four essays will consist of the following: 1. The first essay will focus on the historical construction of sexuality. In this essay, students will examine sexuality as a social construction and as a source of power and inequality. Page 2 of 11

3 Students will reflect on how using these concepts to think about sexuality transforms our thinking about crime and criminal justice. 2. For the second essay, students will focus on how sexuality shapes what we define as crime and how sexuality shapes criminal justice and the response to crime. 3. In the third essay, students will explore how sexuality intersects with either gender or race to shape crime and criminal justice experiences 4. In the final essay, students will analyze how sexuality shapes the experiences of either victims, perpetrators, or practitioners in the criminal justice system. Essays will be structured according to the elements of thought and graded on the corresponding intellectual standards. Additional information for each essay will be provided in class. For the first three essays, students will submit a draft essay, which will be reviewed by a peer. Students will revise the draft essay to incorporate peer reviewer feedback before turning in the final essay. Students who do not submit a draft essay will lose 3 points off the corresponding final essay grade. For the fourth essay, students will only submit a final draft. Each essay is worth 15 points. Essays are cumulatively worth 60% of the final grade. Draft essays: Students must submit three copies of draft essays in person at the beginning of class Two copies will be given to peer reviewers and one copy will be given to the instructor. Late or ed drafts will not be accepted. Final essays: In addition to the final essay, students must submit the two drafts with reviewer s notes and corresponding rubrics. Students who do not submit reviewer documents will receive 0 credit for the assignment. Late or ed essays will not be accepted. Students must submit all written work to turnitin.com one hour prior to class (1:30pm). Ten percentage points will be deducted from final essay grades for students who fail to submit drafts and final essays to turnitin.com on time. Peer Reviews For the first three analytical essays, students will serve as reviewers for two draft essays. Reviewers are expected to identify the elements of thought in the draft essays and assess the quality of each element according the to the intellectual standards. Draft essays are assigned reading, so students are expected to read their group members drafts before coming to class. During class, reviewers will have 35 minutes per essay to provide written feedback. The last 30 minutes of class will be allotted to verbal feedback. Peer reviewers will be graded on the quality of feedback they provide. The writer will submit peer reviews with his or her final essay. Each peer review is worth 5 points. Peer reviews collectively account for 15% of the final grade. Students who miss class or arrive more than 15 minutes late will receive a 0 for the peer review. Peer reviews cannot be made up. Reading Notes Students are expected to read students cannot pass this course if they do not read. Class discussions of the readings are crucial to learning and understanding the material. Reading notes help students get the most out of readings by allowing students to reflect on the material and prepare for class discussions. To exhibit the importance of reading in this course, reading comprehension is worth 10% of the final grade. In order to receive full credit, students must complete typed reading notes for 20 out of 21 discussion classes. Each submission of reading notes is worth ½ Page 3 of 11

4 point. Reading notes should be about half a page to a page long, typed, single-spaced, block style paragraph formatting, with 12 font and 1 inch margins. Reading notes should include the following: 1. State the purpose of the reading and identify the question at issue: What is the goal or purpose of the reading? What problem or issue is the author trying to address? What important questions are imbedded in the issue? This should be two to three sentences; 2. Describe the information generated in the findings or the argument: a. For empirical research (research studies), what did the author find? What are the results of this study? This should be completed in four to five sentences; b. For theoretical articles (book chapters that do not use data), what is the author s rational used to support her/his argument? What information or evidence does the author use to support her/his argument? This should be four to five sentences; 3. Describe the conclusions and implications of the reading: What conclusion is the author coming to? What are the larger implications of this conclusion? This should be four to five sentences; 4. Summary statement of what was learned and reaction to reading: In one sentence, state what you have learned from this reading. Begin the statement with, From this reading, I have learned. This statement should be bolded. Following the summary statement, describe your reaction to this reading. How does this reading change how you think about sexuality and crime? This should be four to five sentences. Students will be graded on the completion of reading notes. To be noted as complete, students must address each of the above sections in a well thought out manner. Although content is not graded, students who submit anecdotal, irrelevant, or inappropriate reading notes will not receive completion credit. Students must bring a printed copy of their reading notes to class and must submit reading notes to Blackboard one hour prior to class (1:30pm). Students who submit reading notes to Blackboard more than 5 minutes late will not receive credit. Do not wait until the last minute! The Blackboard system may get overloaded. Reading notes cannot be made up. Class Participation Participation includes regular attendance, attentiveness, and active engagement in classroom discussions. Class participation is worth 15 points toward the final grade. Class participation in discussions will be tracked daily. Classed participation is based on student contribution to a critical discussion of the assigned readings. In other words, participation in discussions must be more than anecdotal. Students should prepare for discussions by completing course readings, reading notes, and coming to class on time. Participation points will be awarded according to the following descriptions: A Participates always; participation is substantial and thoughtful B Participates regularly; participation is substantial and thoughtful C Participates frequently, but not on a regular basis and participation is substantial and thoughtful OR participates regularly, but participation is anecdotal, unrelated, and/or doesn't contribute relevantly to the discussion D Participates infrequently, but participation is substantial and thoughtful F Participates only when called on OR participates infrequently and participation is anecdotal, unrelated, and/or doesn't contribute relevantly to the discussion Students will lose substantial participation points for negative participation. Page 4 of 11

5 FINAL GRADES Final grades are calculated by adding the total number of points earned and are based on the below point ranges. Final grades will NOT be rounded up. GRADE POINTS GRADE % POINTS A 93 or above C A C B D B D B D C F 59 or below COURSE POLICIES Classroom etiquette Discussions in this course often involve sensitive and controversial topics that many may have strong feelings about. It is best to approach these discussions with an open mind and consider the opinions, thoughts, and questions of others with patience. This is a safe learning environment and students are encouraged to express their thoughts on these issues in a manner that is thoughtful, relevant, and respectful. However, rudeness or impatience will not be tolerated and any racist, sexist, homophobic, or other offensive speech is prohibited in this course. Persistently offensive students will be removed from the course. While students may relate on a personal level to the material in class, it may not always be appropriate to share these experiences in the classroom setting. Discussing sexuality in a classroom setting requires a delicate balance between sharing and over-sharing. Students should draw from their own personal experiences relating class material to one s own experiences facilitates the learning process. However, students should not share details that are too personal or details that may make others uncomfortable. If you are unsure as to what may be considered over-sharing, please speak with the instructor one-on-one first. Student disruption will also not be tolerated. The following are a few examples of disruptive behavior: talking when the instructor is talking, use of laptops, reading the newspaper, doing a crossword puzzle, playing games on cell phones, high-fiving, inside jokes, comments made discretely, etc. Many other behaviors can be viewed as disruptive. Students disrupting the class period will be asked to stop and will lose points for negative participation. Students who continue to disrupt the class will be asked to leave. Repeated dismissals from class will result in removal from the course. Attendance Attendance is strongly encouraged. Students are expected to be on time. Roll will be taken at the beginning of each class. Please do not be late and/or leave early. It is distracting to other students and disrupts their ability to learn. Please note the following: 1. Students who will lose 1 point off their participation grade for each late arrival or early departure. 2. Students will lose 3 points off their participation grade for each unexcused absence. Page 5 of 11

6 3. Students are responsible for missed material. Please do not come to the instructor to ask what was missed. 4. Any exams, reading reviews, assignments, in-class activities etc. missed due to unexcused absenteeism or lateness cannot be made up. Absences are considered excused only in the event of physician documented illness or in the event of a death in the family. Punctual attendance directly affects final grades. Punctual attendance also affects student grades in several indirect ways. First, students must be on time to participate. Participation, 15% of the final grade, is based on engagement in class discussions and completion of in-class activities. Engagement in discussions and/or in-class activities cannot be made up. Second, students must be in class to turn in reading notes and analytical essays. The instructor does not permit course work to be submitted via . If course work is not submitted on time, in class, it will not be accepted. Finally, attendance facilitates student learning and mastery of the difficult concepts covered in this course. Class attendance better prepares students. Students who miss class may not perform as well on analytical essays compared to students who come to class. Blackboard Students can access course documents and review important announcements via Blackboard. Students are responsible for material and announcements posted on Blackboard. Please check Blackboard regularly. Turnitin.com Students are required to submit all writing assignments to turnitin.com one hour prior to class (1:30). Students will need to have a turnitin.com account. To create an account, follow the steps 1 through 5 below. Students who already have an account must enroll in this course, by following steps 4 and Go to 2. Click on Create a user profile on the top right corner. 3. Select student and click the next button. 4. The turnitin class ID is and enrollment password is button. 5. Enter the address that will be used when uploading assignments and answer all questions to set up your profile. **Every time coursework is uploaded, turnitin.com will send a receipt . If you do not receive an receipt your work has NOT been uploaded. Be sure to check for the receipt. Communication The best way to contact the instructor is through her Stockton address at deeanna.button@stockton.edu. Students are encouraged to contact the instructor via with questions and concerns. should be written in a professional and clear prose with proper punctuation and include the subject header of GSS that does not include the GSS 3640 subject heading and/or that is written in haste or has incomplete sentences, abbreviations, improper capitalization or grammar, etc. (text message style) will not get a response. should include your first and last name so that the instructor has enough information to best answer questions and/or address concerns. Please do not the instructor via Blackboard. Page 6 of 11

7 Students will be contacted through their stockton.edu and announcements on Blackboard. Students must have a stockton.edu account, as alternate addresses cannot be accommodated. Students are responsible for all sent to stockton.edu and announcements posted on Blackboard. Please check both regularly. Electronic devices Please turn off or silence (not set to vibrate) all phones, blackberries, etc. and put them away upon entering the classroom. Please do not surf the internet and NO texting, g-chatting, facebooking, etc.! Students using a cell phone (for any reason) or surfing the internet, will have one point deducted from their final grade for each offense. No headphones, bluetooths, etc. are to be used or worn during class time. The use of electronic devices is extremely distracting to the instructor and disruptive to other students, and is considered rude and disrespectful. Late/Missed coursework and Make-up exams The instructor does not accept late coursework. Submission of late assignments and make-up exams will only be considered for students who experienced a serious illness (requiring medical attention) or a death in the family. Students must inform the instructor of the issue within 48 hours of the due date (via or office phone) and provide written documentation of the problem within one week. Students who fail to provide 48-hour notification of the problem and/or fail to submit written documentation of the problem within one week will not be able to submit late assignments or make-up exams. The instructor reserves the right to give any type of make-up exam (oral, essay, etc.) she deems appropriate. Incomplete grades The instructor does not give incomplete grades. All coursework must be submitted on time, as late work is not accepted. Disputed grades Students who have questions or concerns about grades on any coursework should submit their questions or concerns in writing to the instructor within one week of receiving the grade. The same applies for final grades. Students who have questions or concerns about their final grade need to submit their questions or concerns in writing to the instructor within one week of receiving their final grade. Extra credit No extra credit is offered in this course. Snow days/class cancellations When classes are cancelled due to snow or inclement weather, the instructor requests that students please check their stockton.edu account and Blackboard for an update on the class. If an assignment is due, students will still need to upload to turnitin.com by the due date/time. In the event that classes are in session, but the instructor is unable to make it to campus, an will be sent to students stockton.edu account with cancellation information and a message will also be posted to Blackboard. Page 7 of 11

8 Academic integrity Please consult the College s policy on academic integrity at All students are expected to conduct themselves with academic integrity at all times in this course. Please note that academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, any act of representing the work of another as one s own, such as copying somebody else s writing or another student s exam answers, or directly copying any material written by somebody else (including webpages) without quotation marks and a proper citation. Academic dishonesty can take many other forms, and each student is responsible for understanding the concept of academic dishonesty. Any and all instances of academic dishonesty will not be tolerated under any circumstances. Any student who takes part in any form of academic dishonesty will face harsh consequences including a report to the Office of Academic Affairs and a zero on the assignments and/or a zero in the class. Student accommodation Student success is important. The Richard Stockton College complies with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Students with disabilities who seek accommodations should make their request by contacting the Learning Access Program located in the J-204 or by calling You must give the instructor the paperwork from the Learning Access Center by the second week of class, Thursday, September 13, 2012, in order to receive services in this class. In order to receive exam accommodations in this class, you will need to meet the requirements set out by Learning Access according to their timeline. Additional information on the program may be obtained from Stockton website: Page 8 of 11

9 COURSE SCHEDULE The instructor reserves the right to make adjustments to the course schedule (alter topics, readings, and dates) as deemed appropriate. Students will be notified of any changes. Students are required to have completed all assigned readings and assignments by the dates specified in the syllabus unless otherwise specified by the instructor. * Cannot be used for Reading Notes DATE TOPIC READING NOTES UNIT 1: SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF SEXUALITY R Sept 5 Introductions Critical Thinking Sociological Perspectives Elder & Paul, pgs. 3-9 Syllabus & BB SiF: Pop Quiz Assessment 4pm Dismissal T Sept 10 R Sept 12 Understanding Gender and Sexuality Understanding Gender and Sexuality Andersen, Ch. 2 *SiF: Hegemonic Masculinity Andersen, Ch. 4 *Kimmel, 1994 Last day to drop: Sept 11 T Sept 17 R Sept 19 Understanding Gender and Sexuality History of Sexuality in the U.S. Seidman, Ch. 4 *Elder & Paul, pgs. 10-end Lee, Ch. 5 Katz, 1990 T Sept 24 R Sept 26 History of Sexuality in the U.S. Seidman, Ch. 7 UNIT 2: SEXUALITY, CRIME, & CRIMINAL JUSTICE Sexuality and Crime: LGBTQ Victims Button, Ch. 6 T Oct 1 R Oct 3 Sexuality and Crime: LGBTQ Victims Writing Day Herek et al., 2002 West, 1998 Essay 1 Drafts Review Reviewer s Rubric Draft 1 Due 4pm Dismissal T Oct 8 R Oct 10 Sexuality and Crime: LGBTQ Offenders Sexuality and Crime: LGBTQ Offenders *Review Button, Ch. 6 Hunt & Moodie-Mills, 2012 Farr, 2000 Edney, 2004 Essay 1 Due Page 9 of 11

10 DATE TOPIC READING NOTES UNIT 3: SEXUALITY, GENDER, RACE, CRIME, & CRIMINAL JUSTICE T Oct 15 R Oct 17 Gender, Sexuality, and Crime: Girls Gender, Sexuality, and Crime: Girls Pasko 2010 Schaffner, Ch. 3 Draft 2 Due T Oct 22 Writing Day Essay 2 Drafts Gender, Sexuality, and *Review Kimmel, 1994 R Oct 24 Crime: Boys Messerschmidt, 2000 Essay 2 Due T Oct 29 R Oct 31 No Class Precepting Gender, Sexuality, and Crime: Boys Kimmel & Mahler 2003 T Nov 5 R Nov 7 Race, Sexuality, and Crime Race, Sexuality, and Crime Davis, 1983 Mukhopadhyay, 2008 Wriggins, pm dismissal UNIT 4: SEXUALITY, PRACTITIONERS, CRIME, & CRIMINAL JUSTICE T Nov 12 R Nov 14 Practioners: LGBTQ Police Officers Practioners: Female Police Officers Miller et al., 2003 Lonsway et al., 2013 Last day to withdraw: Nov 13 Draft 3 Due T Nov 19 Writing Day Essay 3 Drafts Practioners: Female R Nov 21 Police Officers Dodge et al., 2005 Practioners: CO s News Articles (7) Essay 3 Due UNIT 5: SEX, CRIMES, & CRIMINAL JUSTICE T Nov 26 Sex Crimes: Victims Kreisel, Ch. 16 R Nov 28 No Class--Thanksgiving T Dec 3 Sex Crimes: Offenders Meloy, Ch. 5 4pm Dismissal R Dec 5 Sex Crimes: Prostitution *Flatow, 2013 Seidman, Ch. 12 IDEAS T Dec 10 Conclusions Essay 4 Due Assessment Page 10 of 11

11 ASSIGNMENT DUE DATE POINTS EARNED Essay 1 Oct 8 15 Essay 2 Oct Essay 3 Nov Essay 4 Dec Peer Review 1 Oct 3 5 Peer Review 2 Oct 22 5 Peer Review 3 Nov 19 5 Reading Notes Participation TOTAL Page 11 of 11