Welcome to this blog for Sociology 220: Sociology of Criminal and Deviant Behavior for the Fall '09. Let me fill you in on what we will be using this blog for this semester:
(1) This blog is intended to give you another outlet for comments, discussion, and questions. In addition, I will be posting individual and "family" (or group) exercises from time to time for which you can earn activities points. For example, one family activity we will be doing prior to the midterm and final exams will be making up exam questions in which you will be called upon to contribute questions for both the midterm and final exams which will then be posted on this blog.
(2) This blog will also be used for occasional extra credit opportunities such as posting some brief reflections on an outside lecture or film you may attend that is relevant to this class.
(3) I may also use this blog to post lecture notes or comments relevant to what we covered in class, especially if I get behind. But do NOT expect me to do this all the time.
(4) THIS BLOG WILL BE THE MAIN VEHICLE I'LL USE TO CARRY ON CLASS IN THE EVENT THAT I COME DOWN WITH SWINE FLU.
(5) Finally, I will usually remind you in class if I have posted anything on the blog, but it would still be a good idea to check it a couple times a week regardless.
That's all for now, but I will soon (by the end of this week) have a little exercise for you which will involve posting some comments on this blog, so be looking for that.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Friday, December 5, 2008
Family Questions for the Final Exam
It is now about 12:40, and I have accepted the last of the family questions (with the exception of a couple Blue family members). Below are the questions and answers I have accepted, with some editing. They are in no particular order and since no bonus points are involved, I am not going to designate the various families. But again, these, along with the questions from your Crime Types' reports, will be on the final exam which is Monday 2-5PM.
1. What was the ultimate (and preposterous) goal of the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988, which included the Byrne Grant program? (1)
Answer: to create a drug-free America by 1995.
2. In Gary Gardner's letter to the Tulia defendants, what TWO sound legal recommendations did he make? (2)
Answer: (a) to seek a change of venue (move the trial out of Tulia)
(b) that they research Tom Coleman's background
3. In the context of the drug war video we saw, what was Dr. Robert DuPont's plan to help reduce the crime rate in the Washington D.C. area? (1)
Answer: deal with the problem of heroin addiction, which a high percentage of prisoners in the D.C. jails tested positive for.
4. What alternative drug did Dr. Jaffe promote to help heroin addicts deal with their addictions? (1)
Answer: methadone
5. What is the only type of crime in which the U.S. compares favorably with other nations? (1)
Answer: burglary
6. In introducing the drug issue, I spoke briefly about a book entitled, Buzzed. How did I characterize the authors' basic argument? (1)
Answer: Just Say Know!
7. Give TWO reasons why Tom Coleman's past and character should have been investigated. (2)
Answer: Any TWO of the following: (1) no experience in undercover work, (2) previously charged with stealing, (3) walked off jobs twice, (4) was claimed to be a racist.
That's it. See you Monday afternoon.
1. What was the ultimate (and preposterous) goal of the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988, which included the Byrne Grant program? (1)
Answer: to create a drug-free America by 1995.
2. In Gary Gardner's letter to the Tulia defendants, what TWO sound legal recommendations did he make? (2)
Answer: (a) to seek a change of venue (move the trial out of Tulia)
(b) that they research Tom Coleman's background
3. In the context of the drug war video we saw, what was Dr. Robert DuPont's plan to help reduce the crime rate in the Washington D.C. area? (1)
Answer: deal with the problem of heroin addiction, which a high percentage of prisoners in the D.C. jails tested positive for.
4. What alternative drug did Dr. Jaffe promote to help heroin addicts deal with their addictions? (1)
Answer: methadone
5. What is the only type of crime in which the U.S. compares favorably with other nations? (1)
Answer: burglary
6. In introducing the drug issue, I spoke briefly about a book entitled, Buzzed. How did I characterize the authors' basic argument? (1)
Answer: Just Say Know!
7. Give TWO reasons why Tom Coleman's past and character should have been investigated. (2)
Answer: Any TWO of the following: (1) no experience in undercover work, (2) previously charged with stealing, (3) walked off jobs twice, (4) was claimed to be a racist.
That's it. See you Monday afternoon.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Reminders & Final Family Activity
REMINDERS: As you should all know, ESSAY III on Tulia is due tomorrow (Tues. 12/2). Please make every effort to get it in so that I may grade them and get them back to you by the end of the week. Also, for those of you who saw the documentary on Tulia during our class before the break and decided to do the extra credit assignment, you need to turn those in tomorrow as well. Finally, even though we have just two classes left, I am still planning to cover the whole of the book on Tulia which you should be well into, if not finished reading by now.
FINAL FAMILY ACTIVITY: Since we've only had a few individual and family activities this semester, I am going to have to make this final family activity worth much more than previous ones in order to meet the 25 point total for this aspect of the course. This will involve making up final exam questions. Of course, you have already made up some questions based on your Crime Types' reports (which will, of course, be on the test). Now you need to come up with more questions based on my lectures on those parts of Crime Types not covered in your reports, including my follow-up comments on your reports which I posted on the blog. Questions may also come from class lectures on the drug war, and Tulia. I want each family to come up with 5 SHORT-ANSWER questions (and answers) which you will submit to me in an email NO LATER THAN FRIDAY NOON. I WILL NOT ACCEPT ANY QUESTIONS AFTER THAT SINCE I HAVE TO MAKE UP THE FINAL EXAM THIS WEEKEND. I will select at least one question from each family, and possibly more, and will post these on the blog over the weekend. You will need to check that out since these questions will be on the final exam. This exercise is worth 14 points (in order for all our activities and exercises to total 25). You have to participate to earn these points. Those family members missing-in-action will not earn these points. I will give you time in class tomorrow to begin the brainstorming process. I will also review the new families.
FINAL FAMILY ACTIVITY: Since we've only had a few individual and family activities this semester, I am going to have to make this final family activity worth much more than previous ones in order to meet the 25 point total for this aspect of the course. This will involve making up final exam questions. Of course, you have already made up some questions based on your Crime Types' reports (which will, of course, be on the test). Now you need to come up with more questions based on my lectures on those parts of Crime Types not covered in your reports, including my follow-up comments on your reports which I posted on the blog. Questions may also come from class lectures on the drug war, and Tulia. I want each family to come up with 5 SHORT-ANSWER questions (and answers) which you will submit to me in an email NO LATER THAN FRIDAY NOON. I WILL NOT ACCEPT ANY QUESTIONS AFTER THAT SINCE I HAVE TO MAKE UP THE FINAL EXAM THIS WEEKEND. I will select at least one question from each family, and possibly more, and will post these on the blog over the weekend. You will need to check that out since these questions will be on the final exam. This exercise is worth 14 points (in order for all our activities and exercises to total 25). You have to participate to earn these points. Those family members missing-in-action will not earn these points. I will give you time in class tomorrow to begin the brainstorming process. I will also review the new families.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Reminders & Next Tuesday 11/25
Several people have not turned in the Crime Types paper and need to do so ASAP. The clock is ticking.... Remember, I take one point off per day if something is late and you have no legitimate excuse for it being late. Also, you should be reading Tulia. I began to talk about it in class this past Tuesday. We will cover the whole of this book before all is said and done for the semester. And for the sake of ESSAY III, you need to read well into it. That essay will be due on the first class after the break.
On Tuesday 11/25 I will show the documentary on Tulia. It is pretty good, but by no means a substitute for the comprehensive coverage of this case in the book you are reading. To earn 4 points extra credit (which many of you could use), I want you to write a one-page response to seeing the documentary in which I want you to comment on the documentary as a whole and bring out ONE point where the book provides more detail or background on any aspect of this documentary. If you choose to do this, it will be due NO LATER THAN THE FIRST CLASS AFTER THE BREAK (Tues. 12/2).
On Tuesday 11/25 I will show the documentary on Tulia. It is pretty good, but by no means a substitute for the comprehensive coverage of this case in the book you are reading. To earn 4 points extra credit (which many of you could use), I want you to write a one-page response to seeing the documentary in which I want you to comment on the documentary as a whole and bring out ONE point where the book provides more detail or background on any aspect of this documentary. If you choose to do this, it will be due NO LATER THAN THE FIRST CLASS AFTER THE BREAK (Tues. 12/2).
Monday, November 17, 2008
Drug War Video, Tulia, & ESSAY III
Instead of posting my follow-up comments on the drug war video we saw, I'll take some time out to highlight some points in class on Tuesday (11/18). We will also begin to talk about Tulia. You need to start reading that. I plan to cover it all before the semester is over. Also, as you can see below, the topic of your final out-of-class essay deals with Tulia.
__________________________
Sociology 220
Essay III
11/17/08
A. In the context of the early trials and convictions, which carried exceedingly long sentences (basically up to Part Three, p. 179), I want you to write an essay on how such a miscarriage of justice was possible in the first place. Specifically, I want you to identify and discuss any TWO factors which contributed to this miscarriage of justice. And between these two factors, which ONE do you believe represents the greatest threat to the proper functioning of our court system in general. (Note: you do not necessarily have to read all the way through p. 179 in order to complete this assignment.)
B. The essay should be roughly 3 pages. Be sure to indicate the page number(s) of any passage(s) from the book which you quote in your essay.
C. This essay is due on TUESDAY, DEC. 2ND, which is the first class after we come back from Thanksgiving break. This essay is worth 25 points.
__________________________
I will be handing back essay II on Tuesday (11/18). For those who have not yet turned that essay in, tomorrow will be the deadline to get it in.
Also, don't forget that the Crime Types Paper is due on Thursday (11/20), at which time each of you will be called on to give a brief overview of your paper in class.
__________________________
Sociology 220
Essay III
11/17/08
A. In the context of the early trials and convictions, which carried exceedingly long sentences (basically up to Part Three, p. 179), I want you to write an essay on how such a miscarriage of justice was possible in the first place. Specifically, I want you to identify and discuss any TWO factors which contributed to this miscarriage of justice. And between these two factors, which ONE do you believe represents the greatest threat to the proper functioning of our court system in general. (Note: you do not necessarily have to read all the way through p. 179 in order to complete this assignment.)
B. The essay should be roughly 3 pages. Be sure to indicate the page number(s) of any passage(s) from the book which you quote in your essay.
C. This essay is due on TUESDAY, DEC. 2ND, which is the first class after we come back from Thanksgiving break. This essay is worth 25 points.
__________________________
I will be handing back essay II on Tuesday (11/18). For those who have not yet turned that essay in, tomorrow will be the deadline to get it in.
Also, don't forget that the Crime Types Paper is due on Thursday (11/20), at which time each of you will be called on to give a brief overview of your paper in class.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Family Questions on Crime Types' Reports for the Final Exam
Below are the questions from the families, as promised. But you will note that I have done some editing. Also, some of you asked questions based more on my follow-up comments than your reports. You should have focused just on your reports. Finally, I probably should have asked you to come up with more than two questions so I could have selected two good ones from several, but I didn't, which is "my bad," I guess. Nonetheless, here they are:
Green Family: Chapter 2: Homicide and Assault
1. What types of murders does Cooney say constitute the majority of murders, as Dabney brings out in the Introduction to this chapter? (1)
ANSWER: Moralistic murders with expressive motives that are committed by novices in the heat of the moment. That is, "crimes of passion."
2. Identify and briefly describe ONE of the six possible rationalization frameworks battered women use to rationalize the behavior of their abusers. (2)
ANSWER: Any ONE of the following:
(1) appeal to the salvation ethic -- the woman feels the need to save the abuser.
(2) denial of the victimizer -- the woman sees the battering as an outside force beyond the control of their spouse and think it can be cured.
(3) denial of injury -- the experience is so out of sync with their expectations that they refuse to even acknowledge they've been hurt.
(4) denial of victimization -- the woman blames herself for the violence.
(5) denial of options -- referring to both practical and emotional options, the woman refuses to believe she has any other option than to stay with the abuser. Eg. that even a life being battered is better than being lonely and alone.
(6) appeal to higher loyalties -- the woman endures the abuse for the sake of a higher commitment, either religious or traditional.
Blue Family: Chapter 3: Violent Sex Crimes (Two family members submitted questions, so I simply selected the best two, which I also modified somewhat because most of the questions reflected my follow-up comments.)
1. Among the theories of rape mentioned in the Introduction to this chapter is the "gender inequality theory." Briefly describe this theory. (2)
ANSWER: "that rape and fear of rape enable men to assert their power over women and maintain the existing system of gender stratification (or inequality)." Rape is associated with strong patriarchal societies.
2. In the context of selection #8, "Understanding Women's Experiences of Wife Rape," what did I suggest in my follow-up comments was the "bottom line" with respect to preventing this type of rape especially? (1)
ANSWER: That men should be taught NOT to treat women as mere sex objects, even if they happen to be their wives.
Yellow family: Chapter 4: Robbery
1. How does robbery typically differ from other violent crimes such as murder, assault, and rape? (2)
ANSWER: In the case of robbery, the offender typically does NOT know the victim, as opposed to other violent crimes where there is often a previous relationship between the victim and the offender.
2. Identify ONE other possible motive, besides money, a robber may have. (1)
ANSWER: Any ONE of the capitalized terms: Expressive motives such as REVENGE, or a quest for EXCITEMENT and SENSORY STIMULATION.
Black family: Chapter 5: Burglary
1. In the context of Chapter 5 on burglary and the discussion of the "stolen property system," briefly describe the role of the "fence." (2)
ANSWER: The role of the fence is to receive the goods which have been stolen and then attempt to sell them. He is essentially the "middle man" who specializes in buying and selling stolen goods which is indispensable for burglars.
2. Seasoned professional burglars engage in "search planning" in which they often rely on what type of information? (1)
ANSWER: A "tipster" who informs them of the suitability of various targets.
Red family: Chapter 7: Public Order Crime
1. Identify any TWO of the six "contingent elements of the prostitute's identity," as discussed in selection # 18, "An Analysis of Women's Involvement in Prostitution." (2)
ANSWER: Any TWO of the following:
(1) prostitutes-as-workers
(2) prostitutes-as-commodified bodies
(3) prostitutes-as-business-women
(4) prostitutes-as-loving-partners
(5) prostitutes-as-victims
(6) prostitutes-as-survivors
2. Briefly describe the "residence house" as one of the most common forms of crack houses in the Miami area. (1)
ANSWER: Residence houses are private homes where the owner welcomes in partiers for extended drug and sex fests.
_________________________________________
Finally, a quick reminder for tomorrow's class (Tues. 11/11) that your essays on "A Hard Straight" are due. If for some reason you have not seen it yet, remember it is available on reserve in the library.
Green Family: Chapter 2: Homicide and Assault
1. What types of murders does Cooney say constitute the majority of murders, as Dabney brings out in the Introduction to this chapter? (1)
ANSWER: Moralistic murders with expressive motives that are committed by novices in the heat of the moment. That is, "crimes of passion."
2. Identify and briefly describe ONE of the six possible rationalization frameworks battered women use to rationalize the behavior of their abusers. (2)
ANSWER: Any ONE of the following:
(1) appeal to the salvation ethic -- the woman feels the need to save the abuser.
(2) denial of the victimizer -- the woman sees the battering as an outside force beyond the control of their spouse and think it can be cured.
(3) denial of injury -- the experience is so out of sync with their expectations that they refuse to even acknowledge they've been hurt.
(4) denial of victimization -- the woman blames herself for the violence.
(5) denial of options -- referring to both practical and emotional options, the woman refuses to believe she has any other option than to stay with the abuser. Eg. that even a life being battered is better than being lonely and alone.
(6) appeal to higher loyalties -- the woman endures the abuse for the sake of a higher commitment, either religious or traditional.
Blue Family: Chapter 3: Violent Sex Crimes (Two family members submitted questions, so I simply selected the best two, which I also modified somewhat because most of the questions reflected my follow-up comments.)
1. Among the theories of rape mentioned in the Introduction to this chapter is the "gender inequality theory." Briefly describe this theory. (2)
ANSWER: "that rape and fear of rape enable men to assert their power over women and maintain the existing system of gender stratification (or inequality)." Rape is associated with strong patriarchal societies.
2. In the context of selection #8, "Understanding Women's Experiences of Wife Rape," what did I suggest in my follow-up comments was the "bottom line" with respect to preventing this type of rape especially? (1)
ANSWER: That men should be taught NOT to treat women as mere sex objects, even if they happen to be their wives.
Yellow family: Chapter 4: Robbery
1. How does robbery typically differ from other violent crimes such as murder, assault, and rape? (2)
ANSWER: In the case of robbery, the offender typically does NOT know the victim, as opposed to other violent crimes where there is often a previous relationship between the victim and the offender.
2. Identify ONE other possible motive, besides money, a robber may have. (1)
ANSWER: Any ONE of the capitalized terms: Expressive motives such as REVENGE, or a quest for EXCITEMENT and SENSORY STIMULATION.
Black family: Chapter 5: Burglary
1. In the context of Chapter 5 on burglary and the discussion of the "stolen property system," briefly describe the role of the "fence." (2)
ANSWER: The role of the fence is to receive the goods which have been stolen and then attempt to sell them. He is essentially the "middle man" who specializes in buying and selling stolen goods which is indispensable for burglars.
2. Seasoned professional burglars engage in "search planning" in which they often rely on what type of information? (1)
ANSWER: A "tipster" who informs them of the suitability of various targets.
Red family: Chapter 7: Public Order Crime
1. Identify any TWO of the six "contingent elements of the prostitute's identity," as discussed in selection # 18, "An Analysis of Women's Involvement in Prostitution." (2)
ANSWER: Any TWO of the following:
(1) prostitutes-as-workers
(2) prostitutes-as-commodified bodies
(3) prostitutes-as-business-women
(4) prostitutes-as-loving-partners
(5) prostitutes-as-victims
(6) prostitutes-as-survivors
2. Briefly describe the "residence house" as one of the most common forms of crack houses in the Miami area. (1)
ANSWER: Residence houses are private homes where the owner welcomes in partiers for extended drug and sex fests.
_________________________________________
Finally, a quick reminder for tomorrow's class (Tues. 11/11) that your essays on "A Hard Straight" are due. If for some reason you have not seen it yet, remember it is available on reserve in the library.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Just a Reminder
This morning (Tues. 11/4) we saw the documentary, "A Hard Straight". You need to check out my Wed., Oct. 29th blog post for a description of the essay I want you to write on it, which will be due next Tuesday, 11/11. This documentary will be available in the library if you missed it or want to see some of it again. Just go to the circulation desk. It will be for use only in the library.
As I also mentioned this morning, we will wrap up Crime Types, as well as start to get into the drug issue next Tuesday. And don't forget the paper assignment in which you need to locate, read, and analyze three outside articles related to a particular crime type, which will be due on the 20th.
As I also mentioned this morning, we will wrap up Crime Types, as well as start to get into the drug issue next Tuesday. And don't forget the paper assignment in which you need to locate, read, and analyze three outside articles related to a particular crime type, which will be due on the 20th.
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